By Mashum Mollah
A truck accident can be more dangerous and devastating as compared to other vehicular crashes. The sheer size of the vehicle means that even the slightest error can prove to be fatal. While we have all seen videos of mangled messes on YouTube, no one wants to be involved in a truck accident.
Experts have pointed out that one in ten deaths on American roads is caused by trucks. This is an astonishing piece of data since trucks only comprise 4% of all vehicles on America’s roads! A single rig can weigh as much as twenty or twenty-five times of a normal passenger car. This is why accidents from trucking accidents need to be avoided.
In this article, we are going to discuss the ten infamous truck accidents that happen most commonly. Additionally, we are also going to discuss how individuals and families that have suffered because of truck accidents should seek legal expertise through a truck accident attorney to claim compensation.
List of the 10 Different Types of Truck Accidents you should be aware of
1. Tire Punctures and Blowout Accidents-
Trucks are enormous in weight, shape, and size. This creates tremendous pressure on the truck’s tires. If they are worn out or not properly maintained, they can blow out in heavy traffic. When this happens, the truck becomes unbalanced and starts swaying dangerously from side to side. Tire blowouts cause a major percentage of accidents to motorists on roads and highways.
2. Blind Spot Accidents-
The visibility from the position of the truck driver is not very good. In fact, there are many blind spots that truck drivers are simply unaware of. Even if you are standing right under their nose, they will not be able to see you. Accidents happen when truck drivers cannot see other vehicles because of the blind spots and take actions that cause accidents.
3. Rear-Ending Accidents-
A lot of people make the mistake of tailgating huge commercial rigs. When such vehicles stop or brake hard, the car that is tailgating tends to slip below the undercarriage of the rig. This causes serious to fatal injuries. The rear of any big truck is not a place you would want to be. Maintaining proper distance is essential because you never know how the driver will react.
4. Jack-knifing Accidents-
Whenever a heavy truck brakes hard, the cabin stays planted, while the load-bearing trailer can move due to motion. This results in the creation of a 90-degree angle between the cabin and the trailer. If you have seen action movies, this is the kind of accident that you will see the most. This causes motoring accidents as vehicles end up hitting the length of the trailer.
5. Trailer Rollover Accidents-
In extreme scenarios, the hard braking mentioned above, not only causes the trailer of the truck to become adjacent to its cabin but also causes it to roll over. This traps unsuspecting motorists under the heavyweight of the trailer. The rolling over happens because of increased momentum and enormous load. In most situations, this leads to grave deaths.
4. Lost Loading Accidents-
In some instances, the carelessness of individuals at the loading docks results in the load not being properly secured. If this happens, due to the movements on the road, the load can unfasten itself easily and spray onto incoming traffic. The nature of the load can be very heavy and the straps that are used to tie them up can simply uproot the weight of the movement.
5. T-Bone Collision Accidents-
As the name suggests, T-Bone collisions result in a truck perpendicularly hitting an oncoming vehicle. The other vehicle becomes the top part of the ‘T’ while the truck that has rammed into it becomes the lower part. This usually happens when truckers run a red light and hit cars and other vehicles that are passing through their green signals.
6. Head-On Accidents-
One of the major reasons for truck accidents is drivers that are exhausted, tired and sleep-deprived. There have been cases of head-on accidents where the drivers have dozed off behind the steering wheel. These are the most fatal of accidents with chances of being alive after being involved in one is negligible. They are the most devastating of all trucking accidents.
7. Under-Riding Accidents-
Trucks are high perched vehicles. They run on massive tires that help them be at a comparatively higher position than other vehicles on the road. The trailer of the truck is also located at quite a height. In most instances, normal cars can easily fit under the body of the truck. If the road is slippery or when the driver applies brakes, under-ride accidents happen.
8. Turning Accidents-
Trucks have wide turning radiuses. Being so large, they cannot move instantly and require some time to execute movements or lane changes on the highways. When trucks turn, and they do so very slowly, inexperienced motorists think that they can take advantage and pass them. The indecision of the same results in accidents. Motorists need to be patient when driving around trucks.
Consider Reading: 5 Steps to Take after a Truck Accident
How to Hire the Best Truck Accident Attorney?
According to legal experts, hiring the best truck accident attorney can help you with the successful outcome of your case. You can stand a chance to win a handsome settlement amount that could compensate for the material and physical damages that were caused by the accidents.
The following are some ways you can hire the best truck accident, attorneys-
- Firstly, you need to look for an attorney that has specific experience in handling truck accident cases. You need to look at the success records of the attorney before hiring them.
- Secondly, the best attorneys are not only good at their job, but they are also empathetic towards your cause. You want someone that is honest and caring in this regard.
- Thirdly, good lawyers are great investigators or work with them for evidence gathering. This is a crucial part of the case and one that will help you with a positive outcome.
- Fourthly, truck accident lawsuits have a tendency to go to trial. In this regard, you want an attorney that has trial experience if the settlement fails.
- Fifthly, good attorneys will not press you for legal fees at every moment. Make sure to clear all doubts regarding payments in the initial meetings themselves to remove any doubts.
The Bottom Line
Whenever you are involved in a trucking accident, you need expert legal support. Truck accidents enjoy the unfortunate distinction of changing the lives of individuals and families. From permanent disability to death, truck accidents can have devastating consequences.
If you have any more questions, you would like us to address on truck accidents, please let us know in the comments below. We will do our best to seek solutions to your legal problems from some of the leading experts on the topic.
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