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.

After months of experimentation, Samsung is officially releasing its transparent “safety truck” for safety and efficacy testing in Argentina. Designed to allow drivers to see what is in front of the commercial vehicle, it gives kind of a “see through” effect to help drivers determine if it is safe to pass around. But could this technology really improve safety on the road by reducing the frequency of truck-related accidents?

About the Technology

Revealed to the public in the summer of 2015, and demonstrated at the La Plata racetrack in Buenos Aires February 2016, the technology uses two front-facing cameras that emit a live-feed onto four large panels on the back of the truck to supply one large, constant display of what is in front of the truck. It is designed to be dust-proof and waterproof, and is meant to provide a crisp, clear image in both strong sunlight, and at night.

Truck accidents often cause catastrophic injuries. Just like with other kinds of motor vehicle accidents, human error is often to blame for truck accidents, but understanding all the causes of a truck accident can be complicated. There may be several different people in addition to the driver who are partially responsible for a truck accident.

Understanding the Causes of the Accident

Under Wisconsin law, if you are injured because of someone else’s negligence, you have a right to be compensated for your injuries. Before you will be able to collect any compensation, you will need to prove who was at fault for the accident.

Since 2009, the number of deaths and injuries related to semi-trucks have increased 17% and 28% , respectively. And, in the last six years, Congress has been left with few alternatives to remedy some of the major contributing factors behind everyday dangers on the highway. The solution was to forge a bill that, on one hand, might improve safety, but — according to safety advocates — will turn around and diminish it again by giving in to some potentially dangerous concessions sought by the trucking industry.

The Big Concern over Truck Safety

While they fulfill a vital role in our economy today, semi-trucks pose a serious danger to other drivers. Large, oversized, and frighteningly powerful, they have the ability to cause chaos in an accident. A large number of drivers that come into contact with them are fatally injured. The majority of those remaining are often seriously injured. Of course, not all accidents are actually caused by the semis —but when they are, victims are often slighted, not just in life, but also in compensation.