Car crashes and motorcycle accidents are dangerous and can kill drivers and passengers alike, or at least cause severe injuries. Regardless of that, cars and bikes are not as big and heavy as trucks, so they are not always as deadly. Although they are not as common as car accidents, truck crashes happen more often than most people think.
Apart from being heavier than other motor vehicles, trucks often drive at high speeds and are difficult to maneuver. Other things add up to the whole problem, such as truck driver fatigue or the cargo the truck has. Not all truck accidents are equally dangerous, though. There are different types of truck accidents, and they can have various consequences.
Here, readers will discover the most common truck accidents and the injuries they can cause truck drivers and other victims. Truck accident victims should get compensation to cover their medical bills and the other expenses that come with the crash.
Schuerger Shunnarah Trial Attorneys can help anyone who needs legal help. People can contact it to schedule a free consultation of their case. This law firm works with former insurance company lawyers, so it knows all the secrets insurance companies use to trick their clients and can use them against them.
Most Common Types of Truck Accidents
The best thing a truck driver can do to stay safe from truck accidents is to know the different types of crashes they can be in and why they happen. This also applies to drivers driving other vehicles, as they are also in danger of crashing with a truck. As for the liability of a truck accident, it also depends on which type of crash happens.
Readers can learn more about each type of truck accident below. It's worth noting that even if drivers do everything they can to stay safe from accidents, there can be unforeseeable situations they can't handle. Hence, people should always have the number of a truck accident lawyer who can help them file a claim in case any problem happens.
Rear-End Collisions
Rear-end truck accidents are one of the most common types of truck crashes people can get into, if not the most common, and it consist of truck drivers failing to stop the vehicle on time and crashing into the car in front of them. This can happen with any kind of motor vehicle, such as motorcycles or other trucks.
This type of accident often happens because the truck driver was driving too fast, but it can also happen if the car in front of the truck stops suddenly. Anyone driving near a truck should always drive slowly, and truck drivers should do the same.
Tire Blowouts
Tire blowouts are dangerous because they can make truck drivers crash with more than one vehicle. As their name suggests, this type of truck accident happens when one or more tires of a truck blow out, which causes the driver to lose control of the vehicle.
While other truck accidents happen because of the negligence of the driver, tire blowouts are not always that way. Although it's a situation drivers could have foreseen, truck and manufacturing companies can always be at fault for it.
Blind Spot Accidents
Even if a truck driver doesn't do anything wrong, other vehicles could cause a truck accident for driving too close to them or getting in the driver's blind spot. There are a few specific spots truck drivers can't see from their position, so they won't see other vehicles there, which can make them crash into them.
These accidents often happen when a truck driver tries to change lanes or turn and fails to see a driver in their blind spot. If a driver wants to keep this from happening, they should stay away from trucks.
Rollover Accidents
Although all the truck accidents listed before are dangerous and can even kill the drivers and passengers of other vehicles, they are not always as dangerous as rollover accidents. These crashes happen when a truck driver takes a turn too sharply or drives too fast, which causes the truck to roll over on one of its sides.
Tractor trailers rolling over can make truck drivers and passengers get severe injuries. Apart from that, it would make the cargo on the truck fall too, and since truck trailers often carry heavy cargo, that could cause even more damage to other vehicles.
Since tractor-trailers are way bigger than passenger vehicles, they could even fall on another car and crash it completely. This can also happen if the truck driver drives on an uneven surface or due to poor road conditions.
Truck drivers are not always liable for this type of crash, so truck accident victims could file a claim against the government entity in charge of taking care of the road. However, victims should always ask their truck accident lawyer what to do after the crash and how to prove the liability of the other parties.
Jackknife Accidents
Similar to tire blowout truck accidents, jackknife crashes can make the truck driver crush with more than one car on the road. These accidents come from large tractor-trailers making reckless turns or using the truck's brakes wrong. The force of these movements makes the truck swing out to one side and create a 90-degree angle with its cab.
Why is this type of truck accident named like that? Because that 90-degree angle looks like a folding jackknife. Truck accident victims often blame the negligent truck driver for this crash, as it happens because they brake improperly.
Underride Accidents
Passenger vehicles driving close to truck drivers can also cause dangerous accidents, and underride accidents are the perfect example of that. When small cars crash with the side of a truck, they can become trapped underneath it, which can make it roll over or lose control.
Even if the smaller vehicle doesn't make the truck roll over or crash with other drivers, just getting trapped underneath a truck can cause several injuries. Needless to say, the car would get seriously damaged after that. That's one of the reasons why drivers should always try to drive far from trucks.
T-Bone Accidents
T-bone truck accidents are similar to rear-end truck accidents, but it consists of colliding with other cars and creating a T shape with the vehicle. Negligent truck drivers can cause these crashes by ignoring a red light or other traffic signals.
This can also happen to drivers speeding or driving under the influence of psychotropic substances or alcohol. T-bone truck accidents are more dangerous to smaller vehicles than they are for trucks, as they are the ones that stop the truck and receive most of the damage.
Can Other Things Cause Truck Accidents?
The types of truck accidents mentioned before are the most common ones, but they're not the only things that can cause a crash. There are actually many causes of truck accidents, regardless of the type of crash that happens after it, and it's good that all drivers know them to keep themselves from causing a crash themselves.
Knowing the cause of a truck accident helps the truck accident lawyer the victim hires to file a claim against the liable party for everything. Whether it's the trucking company, a negligent driver, or the city government, the person responsible for a crash needs to compensate the victims. These are the main causes of large truck crashes:
Overload
Large trucks are excellent for taking heavy cargo from one place to another, and that's what they are mostly used for. However, the trucking company needs to know how much weight the large trucks it is using can carry to keep itself from overloading them.
The problem with overloading a truck is that it may start malfunctioning mid-way or even make the engine or brakes go to waste. Tire blowouts often happen when someone overloads large trucks or when they are improperly loaded. This can cause several accidents, such as head-on collisions, truck rollovers, or T-bone accidents.
Driver Fatigue
One of the main problems of trucking companies is that they often force their workers to drive for more time than they should, even if that goes against the law. All the regulations and laws are there for a reason, and truck regulations are meant to prevent fatal crashes.
When truck drivers drive hit the road for too many hours, they can start suffering fatigue, which can make them fall asleep or drive recklessly. This is already dangerous with a passenger vehicle, but things are worse when driving a large truck.
Drunk Driving
Anything that alters a driver's ability to think things straight and drive properly is dangerous to that person and everyone around. That's the reason it's illegal to drive a large truck with a specific level of BAC. Drivers with a commercial driver's license have different BAC regulations than other drivers, though.
Most truck accidents follow a civil procedure, so lawyers need to file a claim against the negligent party to get financial compensation. DUI trucking accidents are different because driving under the influence is a crime, so drivers would face criminal charges if they do.
What Injuries Can a Truck Driver Get After a Truck Accident?
The most expensive and dangerous part of going through trucking accidents is the injuries victims can get. Many things can injure a person in a crash, even if it's only a crash with the truck's trailer and not a full-vehicle collision. These injuries determine the amount of money people can get from a lawsuit.
A Cincinnati semi truck accident attorney needs to gather evidence to prove the accident caused the injuries the victim claims to suffer from. These are a few of the most common injuries people get after a truck crash:
Traumatic brain injuries
Concussions
Burns
Wrongful death (in fatal crashes)
Are Truck Drivers Always Liable for Truck Accidents?
Although reading the previous parts of this page may have led the reader to know the answer, the truth is that truck drivers are not always liable for truck accidents, regardless of whether they are head-on collisions, jackknife accidents, or rear-end collisions. Hence, drivers won't always be the ones in charge of covering the medical bills of a victim, for example.
Many things can cause a crash, and if truck accident attorneys want compensation, they need to build a strong case against the liable party for the accident. Truck drivers are liable if something they need or should have done caused the crash directly.
If the driver was drunk driving, recklessly driving, or ignoring traffic signals, they will always be liable for anything that happens. However, if the problem was that the truck wasn't properly maintained, it's up to the trucking company to pay for the claim.
When the problem comes from the parts used to repair the truck, the manufacturing company could be held liable for the crash. The different types of truck accidents can also be caused by a negligent car or motorcycle driver driving too close to the truck.
What Can Victims of a Truck Accident Do to Get Compensation?
Victims of various types of truck accidents deserve compensation for the injuries they get in the crash and the physical and emotional pain it causes them. The best way to get compensation for a truck crash is to hire a personal injury lawyer to file a claim against the liable party.
Personal injury lawyers can gather evidence for the trial, negotiate with the insurance company, and handle all the paperwork needed for the case. Schuerger Shunnarah Trial Attorneys goes to war for its clients and fights for them relentlessly, so victims of a truck accident can trust this case to this law firm with no problem.
Final Thoughts - Hire Schuerger Shunnarah Trial Attorneys Now!
Schuerger Shunnarah Trial Attorneys works with former insurance company lawyers, so it won't let those companies trick its clients into agreeing with unfair deals. This law firm is experienced with truck accidents, regardless of the type of crash its clients go through, so it knows what to do and the evidence it needs to win the case. Schuerger Shunnarah Trial Attorneys they can answer questions like, "Why are truck accidents worse than car accidents?"
The only thing victims need to do to hire this law firm is call it and schedule a free consultation. This law firm goes to war for its clients, and it also handles other personal injury cases such as car accidents, work injuries, and wrongful death.