Trucking accidents are a significant cause for concern in many countries worldwide, leading to loss of property, injuries, and even fatalities. To reduce their occurrence, it is essential to understand what causes them and how they can be avoided.
Commonly reported causes for these accidents include driver fatigue, improper cargo loading, and inadequate maintenance of vehicles.
In addition to these factors, other conditions may lead to trucking accidents, such as bad weather or poorly maintained roads. Truck drivers and companies can mitigate these risks with proper safety measures.
Different Types of Truck Accidents
Truck accidents are a common form of motor vehicle accidents in the United States. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2018 alone, more than 4,400 fatal crashes were due to crashes with tractor-trailers.
Large trucks, such as 18-wheelers or semi-trucks, are often involved in significant collisions due to their size and weight compared to other vehicles on the road. These trucks also require more distance to stop than cars or smaller vehicles because of their size and weight.
Head-On And Rear-End Collisions
Head-on truck accidents and rear-end collisions are serious accidents that can result in severe injuries. Victims of head-on truck collisions may suffer from broken bones, spinal cord damage, or even death. Those involved in rear-end collisions could also endure life-changing injuries such as whiplash, traumatic brain injury, or paralysis.
The consequences of these two types of truck accidents can be devastating and far-reaching.
Truck accident victims may be left with broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, paralysis, and even death. Rear-end collisions often result in whiplash, concussions, and other soft tissue damage. In either case, victims of these accidents will likely require extensive medical care and rehabilitation for the foreseeable future.
Moreover, such treatments can be unaffordable for many individuals involved in these head-ons and rear-end truck accidents.
Jackknife Accidents
Jackknife accidents seem like an unlikely type of trucking accident, but they can happen. When a truck skids and the trailer slides out or swings around, it looks like a folding pocketknife.
However, these accidents are anything but amusing; they can cause serious damage to commercial vehicles and their truck drivers.
Truck drivers should be aware of the danger posed by jackknife accidents. When a semi-truck experiences sudden braking or turning at high speeds, the trailer can swing around and block lanes of traffic.
T-Bone Accidents
T-bone accidents involve the front end of a truck colliding with another vehicle. This type of collision typically occurs when one vehicle passes through an intersection and the other fails to yield the right of way.
Truck drivers can be perilous when involved in T-bone accidents, as their large vehicles may be unable to stop or maneuver quickly enough to avoid a crash.
When discussing T-bone accidents, it is essential to consider the types of vehicles that may be involved. Passenger vehicles and other lightweight vehicles are most likely to be hit by large trucks in this type of accident.
Wide Turn Accidents
Wide turn accidents are a common type of truck accident involving commercial trucks and large vehicles. According to data from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, in the United States alone, approximately one in 15 truck crashes involve wide-turn accidents. This statistic helps to illustrate how often these types of truck accidents occur.
Wide turn accidents occur when a driver of a truck fails to navigate a corner or wide turn safely, resulting in an accident with another vehicle. These common types of truck collisions can be devastating due to the size and weight of commercial trucks and large vehicles.
Truck Driver Blind Spot Accidents
A blind spot accident is common on roadways, leading to severe injury and sometimes a deadly auto accident. Also known as ‘no-zone’ or ‘death-zone’ accidents, trucking collisions occur when a vehicle is in another vehicle’s blind spot.
Distracted driving often plays a role in blind spot accidents, as drivers may not know how close other vehicles are to them. If a driver is unaware that the other vehicles are behind or beside them, it can cause severe damage or even death for those involved in the accident.
Underride Truck Accident
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), underride accidents in the United States account for nearly 300 fatalities every year. These accidents with other vehicles occur when a smaller vehicle goes underneath a larger one, often due to negligence on behalf of truck drivers or commercial drivers.
As such, these incidents can lead to serious injury and death for those involved, requiring the help of a qualified truck accident lawyer.
Underride accidents are hazardous since they may involve considerable force upon impact. The force is so great that it can cause severe damage to both vehicles. Additionally, if a person is inside the smaller vehicle at the time of impact, they may experience severe injuries and require emergency medical attention.
Truck Drivers in DUI Accidents
Commercial driver DUI accidents are an unfortunate, yet all too common, occurrence on our roads. When a truck driver loses control of their vehicle due to impaired driving, it can lead to devastating truck accidents that may cause severe injury and death.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there are more than 10 thousand fatalities from DUI-related crashes in the US each year. Of these, hundreds involve heavy, large tractor-trailers and commercial vehicles.
Sadly, these drunk driving collisions often have catastrophic results - from severe property damage to life-changing injuries or death for those involved.
The significant size and weight of commercial trucks mean that any accident involving them is likely to be more serious than one with smaller vehicles due to the greater force of an impact at play.
Rollover Accidents
Rollovers involving large commercial trucks are common on highways and roads across the country. Commercial truck accident attorneys work diligently to help victims and their families recover from these unfortunate incidents.
When a truck driver loses control and the large commercial truck rolls over, there is typically severe damage to the vehicle and any objects in its path. Depending on the situation, the truck driver may be held liable for any physical or financial damages resulting from the rollover accident.
It is important to note that many rollover accidents are caused by driver error, such as speeding or failing to follow safety protocols. Therefore, truck drivers of large commercial trucks must exercise caution when on the road to prevent potentially serious accidents.
Truck Tire Blowouts
Large commercial truck tire blowouts are a common type of trucking accident that can cause significant damage and injury. It is essential to understand the implications of these types of truck accidents and the steps that can be taken to reduce the risks. These steps include:
Understanding how tire blowouts occur
Assessing potential causes
Taking preventive measures
Tire blowouts typically occur on commercial tractor-trailers due to excessive wear, poor maintenance, overloading, or a puncture from road debris.
A large commercial trucking company is often liable for the damages caused by these common types of truck accidents. They are responsible for ensuring all safety standards, including regular commercial vehicle inspections and adherence to weight limits.
How A Trucking Accident Lawyer Can Help Resolve Your Compensation Claims
In the event of a trucking accident, it can be difficult to understand the legal process that follows. A trucking accident lawyer can help to ensure the victim is fairly compensated for any medical bills, lost wages, and other expenses incurred due to the incident.
Drivers of large commercial trucks are subject to additional regulations and requirements due to the size and weight of their large trucks – as such, they must be held accountable if an accident occurs.
With extensive experience representing clients involved in these common types of truck accidents, a large truck accident attorney can examine all available evidence, including witness statements, police reports, and medical records, to build a strong case on behalf of their client.
They will also have access to reconstruction experts in truck accidents who may be able to provide valuable insight into how and why the incident occurred.