KINDS OF TRUCK COLLISIONS OFTEN DETERMINE DAMAGE AND INJURY
A collision of a car or other smaller vehicle with a truck or tractor-trailer is often a devastating event for those in the smaller vehicle. The sheer size and weight of the truck make it very likely that any collision with a smaller vehicle will cause serious damage to the vehicle and injury to the people inside it. These
collisions often cause permanent harm or even death. The extent of the damages and injuries may depend upon the kind of truck collision that occurs.
The cause of the accident may affect the kind of collision that occurs and the extent of the damages and injuries that result. Here are the 7 most common kinds of truck accidents.
- Jackknife Accident. A jackknife typically occurs when the drive axle brakes on the truck lock. This causes the truck to skid. The trailer does not stop until it is at a 90 degree angle with the tractor. While the truck is jackknifing, the truck driver has no control over the truck. Some jackknife accidents result in the truck or the tractor rolling over.
- Rollover Accident. Incidents that cause a truck to roll over include speeding, steep inclines or declines, tipping due to something on the road or a curb, trying to correct when a trailer has drifted off the road, or taking a curve too fast.
- Rear-end Collision. Because of their weight, and the weight they are carrying, trucks require considerably more distance to stop than lighter and smaller vehicles. When the driver of the truck, or of a car, underestimates the stopping distance, the result is often that the truck rear-ends the car ahead of it.
- Under-ride Accident. The most dangerous truck accident occurs when a truck slows or stops and the smaller vehicle behind it is unable to stop. Because the back of the truck is approximately the same height as the top of the vehicle, the accident often causes the car to go under the trailer of the truck. This kind of truck accident is the most common cause of fatalities.
- Road Construction Accident. Highway (and other) construction zones might be difficult for truck drivers to navigate for a variety of reasons. These reasons include negligent driver behavior, DUI, excessive speed, weather, and the behavior of other drivers. These accidents often cause injuries to drivers of other vehicles. They often cause injuries to workers in the construction zone, as well.
- Collisions with Motorcycles. Truck drivers often have difficulty seeing motorcycles on the road. The size of the bike and blind spots in the trucker’s field of vision make motorcycles very difficult to see under many conditions. Unfortunately, these accidents typically result in serious injury or fatality.
- Swinging Turn Crash. When the driver of a large truck or tractor trailer needs to turn, he or she typically “swings wide.” When making a right turn, for example, the driver swings to the left in order to make the turn without going over the curb or sidewalk. When drivers of smaller vehicles fail to recognize this maneuver, and drive up beside the truck, they can be squeezed between the truck and the side of the road or drive into the tractor when the turn is made.
The attorneys of Altizer Law, P.C., have been representing people injured in truck accidents for more than 25 years each. They also represent the families of those killed in collisions with tractor trailers or semis. These are serious accidents that often cause serious injuries to drivers of cars or other smaller vehicles. If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a collision with a large truck, call Bettina and Terri. We understand the devastation these accidents cause, and we have the experience and the determination to help you and your family and to win for you the appropriate and full settlement you are entitled to under Virginia law.
Related Content:
How to Prevent a Rear-End Collision
Traumatic Brain Injury After Being Rear-Ended
Second Brain Injury Results from Being Rear-Ended by a Tractor Trailer
