The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)- the US federal government body who regulates the trucking industry has statistics listed on their web site. You can view them directly by clicking here. To save you time, we have selected and listed some of their statistics about semi-truck collisions nationwide below.
When you look at their web site you will notice that the federal government does not use the term accident. Instead use the term crash to describe what happens when a semi-truck collides with a passenger vehicle. The words we use matter. When you see the statistics below, remember that he people who died are Oklahoma's own children, parents, brothers, sisters, aunts and uncles, nieces, nephews, neighbors and friends. Any life that is cut tragically short by a preventable crash with a truck is no accident. When we are forced to go to trial to get justice for our clients who are hurt or killed because of a truck crash, you will notice that the only ones who use the term "Accident" are the defense lawyers who work for the insurance companies. They will use the term "accident" over and over in order to try and minimize the amount they have to pay to victims and their families. Don't be fooled - when the insurance defense lawyers use the word accident to describe a preventable crash, it is their attempt to imply that a the crash was somehow inevitable, that there was no root cause. It is just another attempt to avoid justice, avoid responsibility, and avoid accountability by the insurance defense lawyers. A simple search on Google will tell you the difference between a Crash and an Accident. Click here to see for yourself.
Crash Statistics
Source: https://ai.fmcsa.dot.gov/CrashStatistics/Visualization
If we refer to the chart above we can see that in 2023 there were 164,347 Crashes involving trucks and buses, that is on average over 18 crashes every hour 24 hours a day 7 days a week.
If we refer to the chart above we can see that in 2023 there were 83,179 Injury Crashes involving trucks and buses, that is on average over 227 Injury Crashes every hour 24 hours.
During the seven (7) year period between 2017 and 2023 there were 875 Fatal Crashes involving Trucks on Oklahoma Highways. This means that during this time period a person has died due to a fatality crash with a truck or bus on Oklahoma Roads 1 time in every 3 days.
During the seven (7) year period between 2017 and 2023 there were 10,324 Injury Crashes involving Trucks on Oklahoma Highways. This means that during this time period a person was hurt due to an injury crash with a truck or bus on Oklahoma Roads every 6 hours.
Here are a few definitions to give a basis for the statistics we will share below from the FMCSA "Crash Statistics" web site.
The FMCSA defines Crash as- An occurrence involving a commercial motor vehicle in interstate or intrastate commerce in which: A vehicle was towed from the scene; A fatality occurred; or A person was injured and required immediate medical treatment away from the crash scene.
A Fatality Crash is-A crash involving any vehicle (truck, bus, car, etc.) resulting in death within 30 days of the crash as a result of an injury sustained.
An Injury Crash is-Any person(s) injured as a result of the crash who immediately receives medical treatment away from the crash scene.
A Reportable Crash-is a crash that is reported to FMCSA if it involves a truck, bus or any vehicle displaying a hazardous materials placard AND that vehicle is involved in a crash while operating on a roadway customarily open to the public, which results in a fatality, an injury or a towaway.
A Truck is defined as-Any self-propelled commercial motor vehicle except a truck tractor, designed and/or used for the transportation of property with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) greater than 10,000 pounds.
State-reportable crash - A State reportable crash must involve a truck (a vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating or gross combined weight rating greater than 10,000 lbs.) or bus (a passenger-carrying vehicle designed to seat at least nine people, including the driver). The crash must result in at least one fatality; one injury where the person injured is taken to a medical facility for immediate medical attention; or one vehicle having been towed from the scene as a result of disabling damage suffered in the crash. The towed vehicle need not be the truck or bus involved in the crash.
Fatality Analytics Reporting System (FARS)-The FARS is a census of crashes involving any motor vehicle on a traffic way, but only fatal crashes. It is generally considered to be the most reliable national crash database. A large truck is defined in the FARS as a truck with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of more than 10,000 pounds. A bus is defined in the FARS as large motor vehicles used to carry more than 10 passengers, including school buses, inter-city buses and transit buses. FARS is maintained by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Motor Carrier Management Information System (MCMIS): The MCMIS Crash data includes crashes that are reported by states to the FMCSA through the SAFETYNET computer reporting system. The Crash File includes the National Governors' Association (NGA) recommended data elements collected on trucks and buses involved in crashes that meet the NGA recommended crash threshold. A State reportable crash must involve a truck (a vehicle designed, used, or maintained primarily for carrying property, with a gross vehicle weight rating or gross combination weight rating of more than 10,000 lbs.) or bus (a vehicle with seats for at least nine people, including the driver). The crash must result in at least one fatality; one injury where the person injured is taken to a medical facility for immediate medical attention; or one vehicle having been towed from the scene as a result of disabling damage suffered in the crash.
Contact Us Today
At Mark Wilson Law, we focus our entire law practice on representing clients who were involved in a trucking accidents. When someone has a traumatic brain injury, we believe our clients are better served by attorneys who understand what it takes to represent clients who are seriously hurt in because of an 18-wheeler accident. We understand the laws established by the Federal government and adopted by the State of Oklahoma, and will make sure that each party who is liable is held accountable. You don't have to face this alone--–call today to schedule your free consultation. 844-652-4878
