More than 500,000 trucking-related accidents occur in the United States every year, resulting in over 5,000 deaths annually.
While many involve 18-wheelers, box trucks are responsible for a significant portion of those crashes. In fact, according to statistics compiled by the U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, box trucks and other enclosed delivery vehicles were implicated in 1,876 fatal in 2018, accounting for nearly 40% of all fatal trucking-related accidents reported that year.
As with many commercial truck accidents, most of those injured or tragically killed because of box truck crashes are the occupants of smaller passenger vehicles. Having successfully represented clients against the largest trucking and transportation companies in the world, it’s been our experience that most of these injuries and deaths are preventable and result from negligence on the part of the trucking company, delivery company, or its driver.
If you have been in a trucking accident in Texas, contact our Houston truck accident injury attorneys today.
What is a Box Truck?
A box truck is defined as any commercial vehicle in which the cargo area and cab are separated. The cargo area is shaped like a box, and unlike a delivery van or step van, is usually only accessible via a rear roll-up door. Box trucks range from Class 3 to Class 7, and can weigh anywhere between 12,500 and 33,000 lbs. They’re often used to make deliveries in urban areas, as their smaller size allows these vehicles to better navigate busy roads and streets.
Some of the most common types of box trucks include:
- Furniture delivery trucks
- Parcel delivery trucks (FedEx, UPS, DHL, etc.)
- Amazon delivery trucks
- Appliance delivery trucks
- Moving trucks
- Newspaper and magazine delivery trucks
- Food trucks
- Tool vendor trucks
- Garbage trucks
- Construction vehicles
Private individuals can also rent box trucks from companies like U-Haul and Ryder. Since they’re only used for short-term needs, a commercial driver’s license usually isn’t required to rent and operate these vehicles.
Common Causes of Box Truck Crashes
Several factors combine to make box trucks especially dangerous to others on the road.
For one thing, they’re more likely to travel along congested roads and highways in urban areas, increasing the potential for collisions with passenger vehicles. Their weight, low visibility, and longer stopping distance only increase the risk to others on the road.
Some of the more common causes of box truck crashes include:
- Speeding and Reckless Driving: Box truck drivers for FedEx, Amazon, UPS, and DHL often face immense pressure to make their deliveries on time. This pressure can compel drivers to speed, pass improperly, and engage in other reckless behaviors that increase the risk of a crash
- Driver Fatigue: The pressure to complete all of the day’s deliveries can also cause professional box truck drivers to stay on the road well beyond the limits mandated by federal Hours of Service regulations. Truck drivers are far more likely to cause an accident when they’re too fatigued to operate their vehicles safely
- Intoxicated and Impaired Driving: Many professional truck drivers turn to illicit drugs to cope with fatigue and long hours behind the wheel. Trucking companies are required to conduct mandatory substance abuse screenings when drivers are hired and regular periodic screenings to monitor for substance abuse. A truck driver must also submit to a drug test within four hours of any commercial trucking accident
- Inexperienced Drivers: Consumers renting a box truck often lack the skill to safely maneuver through congested streets. Many “professional” drivers aren’t required to have a CDL or undergo specialized training before getting behind the wheel
- Vehicle Rollovers. Because of their height and weight, box trucks are also more prone to rollover accidents, especially when a driver swerves too sharply or stops too quickly
- Blind Spot Crashes: Box trucks have many blind spots that make it difficult for drivers to get a clear view of their rear quarter. As a result, they may make lane changes without realizing they’re close to hitting another vehicle
- Inadequate Truck Maintenance: Because most box trucks are subject to heavy use, they might not be pulled out of service long enough to ensure adequate maintenance and timely repairs. Worn tires, damaged brake pads, poorly adjusted or damaged side mirrors, and broken windshields all increase the potential for a serious or deadly crash
- Distracted Driving: An accident is far more likely to occur when a box truck driver uses a cell phone, texts, eats, or engages in any other activity that takes their attention away from the road
- Improperly Loaded Cargo: Even an experienced driver will have difficulty controlling an overloaded box truck. Cargo that’s not properly loaded and secured can shift during transport, throwing the truck off balance and causing it to roll over.
Box Truck Accident Injuries
Like any accident involving a large commercial vehicle, there’s a significant probability that a box truck crash will cause serious injury and even death. Because of the size disparity, even a seemingly minor collision between a box truck and a passenger car can prove catastrophic for the smaller vehicle’s occupants.
Some of the most common injuries seen after a box truck accident include:
Traumatic Brain Injuries
Victims of box truck accidents may suffer a concussion or other traumatic brain injury if they experience a blow to the head. Catastrophic brain injuries can result in permeant disability, behavioral changes, coma, and even death.
Spinal Cord Injuries
Temporary, partial, or complete paralysis of the lower body and torso can occur if the force of the crash causes damage to the vital nerves that carry messages between the spinal cord and brain.
Back and Neck Injuries
Because a box truck can weigh 10-times more than a typical passenger vehicle, the occupants of the smaller vehicle are likely to feel the full impact of a collision, even if they’re wearing their seatbelt. The small bones and ligaments in the back and neck are particularly prone to injury, especially if the force of the crash causes the neck to snap forward as the torso remains in place.
Broken Bones
Many people involved in box truck accidents experience blunt force trauma that results in broken or shattered bones. These painful injuries may require multiple surgeries and months of difficult rehab.
Amputations
An instant amputation may occur if a victim’s limb is crushed beneath wreckage in a box truck accident. Other traumatic injuries, including severe burns, sometimes require surgical amputation. Regardless of the circumstances, amputation is a life-altering experience that will likely require long-term medical treatment and physical therapy, as well as prosthetics and other adaptive devices to function in daily life.
Burn Injuries
Burn injuries are likely when a box truck crash triggers a fire or if a victim’s skin comes in contact with hot metal, steam escaping from a radiator, or hazardous cargo released during the collision. Severe burns may result in disfigurement, scarring, and disability, even after extensive medical treatment.
Cuts, Lacerations, and Bruises
Shards of glass from a broken window, sharp pieces of metal, and unrestrained objects propelled through the air inside a vehicle can cause severe bruises and lacerations.
Who’s Liable When a Box Truck Accident Causes Injury or Death?
Like any commercial truck accident, determining who is responsible for injuries and losses sustained in connection with a box truck crash is complex. Depending on the exact circumstances, there are likely to be multiple liable parties, including:
- The Box Truck Driver: The truck driver could be liable if their error or poor decisions — speeding, reckless driving, confusion, chemical impairment, carelessness, etc. – caused or contributed to the crash
- The Box Truck Driver’s Employer: A delivery company or trucking company might be automatically liable for any injuries caused by one of its drivers or another employee. The company might also be liable if it put a defective truck into service or failed to perform necessary background checks on drivers
- The Truck Manufacturer. The manufacturer could be liable if the accident occurred due to a truck malfunction resulting from a manufacturing or design defect
- A Mechanic. The mechanic who inspected or serviced the box truck could be held responsible if their shoddy work was a factor in the crash
What to Do After a Box Truck Crash
Because box truck accidents are more likely to result in severe and fatal injuries than a standard car crash, verdicts and settlements in these cases are usually significantly higher and might even break records.
That means the trucking or delivery company and its insurance carrier will do everything possible to avoid paying you and your family the compensation you deserve, even if that means blaming you for the accident, disputing or downplaying your injuries, and destroying or “losing” critical evidence that proves the company and its box truck driver were at fault.
To ensure you’re fully compensated for ALL of your injuries and losses, you must act quickly to protect your rights and your future:
- Call 911 Immediately After the Crash: Doing so will bring medical help to the scene and ensure police arrive to take statements from the truck driver and witnesses and review the damage to the vehicles and other evidence for a written crash report. That report will be crucial to proving the truck driver was at fault and refuting any attempts by the company to blame you for the accident
- Gather Evidence on Your Own, If Possible: If you’re up to it and it’s safe to do so, take photos and videos of the crash scene, including damage to vehicles, the roadway, any skid marks, stop signs and other traffic controls, and the lighting on the highway
- Take Down Important Information: Write down or record in your smartphone the box truck driver’s name, the name of the trucking or delivery company, the license plate number of all vehicles involved in the accident, the name of the truck driver’s insurance company and the policy number, and contact information for any witnesses
- Get Medical Treatment, even if You Don’t Think You’re Hurt: Whiplash and other common crash injuries may not be apparent for hours after the accident. Adrenaline can also mask symptoms, and sometimes even seemingly minor injuries are just the first sign that something serious is wrong. Heading to the emergency room will ensure all injuries are documented right away if the insurance company attempts to downplay their seriousness
- Contact Your Insurance Company: Even if it’s clear that the box truck driver is to blame for the crash, you still need to contact your insurance company to avoid a detail of coverage that would prevent you from receiving PIP, Med-Pay, and other benefits that could otherwise be used to help cover your medical bills and other expenses
- You Don’t Have to Speak with the Company’s Claims Adjuster, and You Shouldn’t: No matter what they say or what promises they make, the company’s claims adjuster is only interested in minimizing your injuries and blaming you for the accident. Not only are you under no obligation to speak with them or give a recorded statement, but it’s also in your best interest not to do so
- Don’t Discuss Fault with Anyone, Even the Police: Even if you believe your actions were partly to blame for the crash, you shouldn’t make any statements until you’ve talked to an Experienced Truck Accident Lawyer.
- Follow Your Doctor’s Advice and Keep All Medical Appointments: If you skip doctor and therapy appointments or ignore medical advice, the insurance company and its attorneys will have the excuse they need to question your injuries and pay you less than what your case is worth.
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If you or a loved one were hurt in a box truck accident or other trucking-related crash, our attorneys can help. Please call 1-888-603-3636, use the form on the right, or click here to send us a confidential email.
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