Truck driver fatigue is a significant cause of 18-wheeler accidents, leading to at least 750 fatalities and 20,000 injuries per year. Unfortunately, low pay often leads many truckers to drive long hours in order to make more money, despite state and federal regulations prohibiting this. Their employers may contribute to the problem by imposing tight deadlines, which spur drivers to drive almost 100 hours per week, with no breaks except to get gas or unload.

Such drivers are subject to sleep deprivation, which can lead them to nod off and drift into other lanes – or perhaps even fall asleep. Their vehicle, which can weigh more than 100,000 pounds, then becomes out-of-control and prone to a semi truck accident.

Some experts believe driver fatigue causes almost 30 per cent of all fatal semi truck accidents. The trucking industry, which tends to place most blame on car drivers, claims the number is around 5 per cent. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration puts the figure at about 15 per cent. If involved in an 18-wheeler accident, you may want to contact a truck accident lawyer that can accurately research these statistics and work in your favor.