Truck drivers that operate big rigs, semi-trucks, and 18-wheelers must exercise caution behind the wheel, as negligent driving behavior can cause truck accidents that can expose other drivers to harm. Large trucks can cause catastrophic damage when they crash into other vehicles, as they are much bigger and operate with more force than other vehicles.
Some truck accidents that can cause severe injuries include rollover, jackknife, underride, and wide-turn truck accidents. These truck accidents can also result from improperly loaded freight that falls off a truck or causes imbalance. Truck accident victims can pursue compensation for damages, such as medical bills, property damage, and loss of enjoyment of life, by filing a truck accident claim with the at-fault party’s insurance company.
Jackknife Truck Accidents Can Result From a Driver Braking Too Hard
A jackknife truck accident occurs when the front cab and attached trailer of a truck move out of sync, leading to the truck driver losing control of their vehicle. Jackknifing can occur when a large truck driver has to make a sudden stop or take a sharp turn. The dramatic movement can lead to the heavy trailer attached to the cab moving inward or swinging out.
When jackknifing occurs, the trailer operates like a battering ram. It can swing out and expose drivers across multiple lanes of traffic to catastrophic harm. Truck trailers can weigh thousands of pounds, and a high-speed collision with one during a jackknife truck accident can destroy a smaller vehicle. Drivers and passengers of smaller vehicles can become exposed to severe truck accident injury risk and experience life-threatening consequences.
Rollover Truck Accidents Can Expose Multiple Drivers to Harm
Another common type of truck accident is a rollover accident, which is when a truck flips over and rolls down the road. Rollover truck accidents occur when a truck becomes unbalanced. This can happen from an improper load of the truck’s contents, a sharp turn, or a popped tire. Trucks with cargo tanks can also cause rollover accidents with a partially full tank. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), about 90% of cargo truck rollovers happen because of a partially filled tank.
Rollover truck accidents are dangerous because of a truck’s weight, speed, and force. When a large truck tips and rolls over down a busy road, street, or highway, every driver could receive harm from a collision. The truck can stretch across multiple lanes and traffic and barrel through other vehicles.
These types of truck accidents can also cause damage to the contents of the trailer or cargo tank. If the truck is traveling with explosive or dangerous material, the impact of a rollover truck accident can cause explosions or leaks of dangerous material.
Crushing Injuries Caused by Underride Truck Accidents
An underride truck accident is when a truck collides with a smaller vehicle that passes underneath the truck. The structure of a smaller vehicle is not designed to take the immense pressure caused by sliding underneath a large truck. It can lead to a crushing impact that can cause severe injuries like facial injuries, broken bones, and traumatic brain injuries (TBIs).
Depending on how the smaller vehicle passes underneath the truck, the driver and passengers of the smaller car could be exposed to life-threatening consequences. If the smaller car passes underneath the truck’s wheel, they could experience intense pressure and trauma that they could suffer a wrongful death.
Improperly Loaded Freights Lead to All Types of Truck Accidents
Commercial trucks transport material across the country. The cargo these truck carry must be loaded properly, as a poorly loaded truck could experience balancing issues.
If the loaders of a cargo truck have too much on one side of the truck, the truck could become too unbalanced to control. Improper loading could result in the truck tipping over, causing a rollover accident that exposes other drivers to significant harm and health risk.
Wide Turns Are Especially Dangerous for Truck Drivers
Trucks cannot make the same sharp turns as smaller vehicles like cars and motorcycles, as they are too big and weigh too much to move around a turn without proper preparation. Truck drivers need space to make a turn properly, but taking too wide of a turn can also lead to a truck accident.
If a truck driver takes too wide of a turn, the truck could become unbalanced and tip over, causing a catastrophic truck accident. To prevent this, truck drivers must prepare for turns to ensure they take them properly and avoid turns that they know their vehicle cannot make safely.
Do You Need to Hire a Truck Accident Lawyer?
Following a truck accident, a victim should file a truck accident claim with the at-fault party’s insurance company to pursue compensatory damages. The truck driver or trucking company can be liable depending on whose negligence caused the truck accident. This process can be long, complicated, and especially challenging for those without truck accident claim experience.
Truck accident victims should hire truck accident lawyers to help guide them through the process and advise them on the best path for recovering fair compensatory damages. They can help truck accident victims calculate the value of their claim, determine the at-fault party, explain their rights, collect tangible evidence, negotiate a fair settlement with the at-fault party’s insurer, and represent them in court.
Contact The Russo Firm for Help With Your Truck Accident Claim
At The Russo Firm, our truck accident lawyers have experience helping truck accident victims that have suffered damages like medical bills, property damages, and loss of enjoyment of life. We can use our expertise to assist you with recovering compensatory damages to pay for medical costs, wage-based losses, and effects on your quality of life.
Our truck accident lawyers can collaborate with you to craft a personalized legal counsel plan that accounts for how the at-fault party caused you specific damages. For help with your truck accident claim, contact The Russo Firm for a free case evaluation at (561) 270-0913 or leave a message on our online contact page.
