Large trucks are a danger on the roads to smaller passenger cars and pedestrians. Tractor-trailer trucks weigh 80,000 pounds, on average. This makes them hard to stop, and the difference in size between vehicles is likely to cause serious injuries for drivers and passengers involved in a collision.

There are a wide variety of reasons why truck accidents occur. Because of the complexity of the trucking industry and determining what entities are at fault, accident victims should always avail themselves of an attorney when pursuing compensation for injuries.

Here are four common causes of accidents involving commercial trucks:

Due to their large sizes and heavy loads, semi-trailer trucks can present a major danger to other vehicles using the road. Even drivers and passengers in the largest SUVs or luxury cars with top-of-the-line safety features are likely to be injured in truck accidents, and this is especially true in cases when 18 wheeler trucks overturn.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there are more than 1,300 tanker truck rollover accidents in the United States every year, as well as 500 rollover accidents involving other large trucks. Fatalities result from 60 percent of these accidents.

If you have been in an accident involving the rollover of a large truck, you should note any details that could be used to explain the cause of the rollover, which can help establish liability for the accident and aid in recovering compensation for your damages.

Due to the size and weight of an 18-wheeler, trucks are a huge risk for other vehicles on the road. In fact, when a truck is at fault in a traffic accident, hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages could be sustained.

With the huge potential for serious injury in truck accidents, the industry is turning to technology to make trucks safer.

Semi-Truck Accident Causes

According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), 138,000 people in the United States were injured in large truck and bus accidents in 2015.  The FMCSA also reports that 4,337 people died due to large truck and bus accidents in the same year. If you find yourself in an accident with an 18-wheeler, there are simple steps that you can take to protect your safety and a potential claim you may have against a truck driver or other related party.

1. Put your health first.

Immediately following an accident, you should not attempt to leave your vehicle until you are certain you can stand. Even if you find that you can walk, it is best to call for emergency medical help for a full examination. Truck accident injuries tend to manifest over time. Keep this in mind in the weeks after your accident, and maintain a log of how your injuries progress or resolve. It is critical that you participate in all medical treatment prescribed. Even if you are feeling better, continue to see your doctor as ordered.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a medical condition that temporarily stops a sufferer’s breathing while they sleep. This can disrupt sleepiness and often leads to excessive daytime sleepiness. This symptom, which can be caused by a number of other factors or conditions, is thought to be responsible for as many as 20 percent of all large truck accidents and as many as 9,000 deaths and 22,000 severe injuries each and every year. What is most concerning is that nearly all of those accidents (if not all) could have been prevented with proper diagnosis and treatment.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Sleep Apnea

According to estimates from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, sleep apnea affects as many 26 percent of Americans. Unfortunately, many do not actually know they have the condition since it rarely wakes the sufferer up enough that they register the disruption. Instead, they must be able to register their daytime sleepiness and/or other symptoms as a side effect of their condition and speak to their doctor. From there, they undergo testing that will help their doctor diagnose and administer treatment.