Truck Accidents
Motor vehicle accidents involving big trucks can be catastrophic given the sheer size and weight of the truck. Additionally, if a much smaller vehicle, such as a passenger car is involved, the injuries sustained by the occupants of the smaller vehicle are typically quite severe, if not fatal. In 1998, The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that 13% of reported motor vehicle accidents for the year were those involving large trucks, resulting in 5,374 fatalities and 123,000 people injured. More startling however, is NHTSA’s findings that 1 in 8 motor vehicle fatalities is the result of a collision with a large truck, and truck safety data does not suggest safety is improving. Each year, injury attorneys nationwide attempt to recover damages for victims of truck accidents in which negligence, mechanical failure or disrepair, failure to comply with load weight restrictions or driver fatigue was the primary cause. Understanding the different types of truck accidents enables attorneys to better piece together the series of events which lead to the crash initially.
There are several common causes of truck accidents which include blind spots, braking ability, swinging turns, bald tires, overloaded trucks and falling debris; although not all are necessarily the fault of the truck driver. Blind spots refer to the truck driver’s inability to see certain spots behind him in his mirrors. For instance, if a car is following too closely, the driver of the large truck may not be able to spot them. In fact, a good rule of thumb when following a large truck is, if you can’t see the truck’s side view mirrors, the truck driver can’t see you. If the blind spot occurs as a result of a car following too closely, a “rear under ride” collision may occur in which the smaller vehicle goes completely or partially underneath the trailer of the larger vehicle. These types of accidents are quite deadly as the impact zone is usually at the same level of the occupants’ heads and torsos.
According to the Insurance Institute of Highway safety, nearly half of all fatal truck accidents involved this type of collision referred to as front, rear or side “under ride”. Under ride refers to when the smaller vehicle, typically a passenger car, goes completely or partially underneath the trailer of a large truck. There are many different ways in which this result can occur, but often with fatal results.
However, some truck accidents occur as a direct result of negligence on the part of the driver, those loading it, or the firm responsible for ensuring the fleet is in working order. Mechanical disrepair can lead to things such as tire blowout or brake failure which can have tragic results on the road. Additionally, being too overloaded makes rollovers much more likely, decreases braking time and makes controlling the truck more difficult overall while adding to the likelihood of falling debris. Many accident attorneys see cases like this each year in which a fatality occurred as a result of negligence or irresponsibility on the part of the big truck.
Many truck drivers follow every precaution and are some of the best drivers on the road. However, when a truck driver is driving a truck in mechanical disrepair or practices unsafe driving practices, the results can be catastrophic.
If property damage, injury or death occurs as a result of a truck accident caused by negligence, contacting a qualified accident lawyer as soon as possible can help you recover financial damages or compensation.
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