Despite advances in safety technology, large truck accidents are on the rise. This is according to a new data drill-down report from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The FMCSA has been able to evaluate accurate crash data from 2016, and it found that there was a 3 percent increase in fatal large truck accidents from the previous year. Drivers in Louisiana may want to know more about the details.

In all, 2016 saw a total of 4,317 fatalities, compared to the previous year’s 4,094. The number of large trucks involved in crashes went up from 4,074 to 4,213. Part of the reason for the increase may be the greater number of registered trucks on the road, from 11.2 in 2015 to 11.5 million in 2016. In both years, though, the truck involvement rate was the same: 1.46 trucks in accidents for every 100 million miles driven.

In 73 percent of fatal crashes, the critical pre-crash event was another vehicle, person, object or animal that encroached upon the trucker’s lane. As for driver-related factors, speeding and inattentive driving were at the top. About 13 percent of large-truck occupants failed to wear a seat belt; 43 percent of these occupants died in crashes. Only 2 percent of truck drivers in fatal crashes had a BAC over .08 percent.

Victims of a truck accident may have the grounds for a personal injury case. This will mean proving that the other side was negligent and determining just how extensive the victim’s injuries were. Victims might have their lawyer bring in investigators, photographers and medical experts as part of the effort to build up the case. The lawyer may be able to negotiate for a reasonable settlement with the trucking company, taking the case to court as a last resort.