Truck accidents can be devastating, often resulting in serious injuries, property damage, and even fatalities. If you or a loved one suffered injuries in a truck accident, seek medical attention immediately. You should also consider contacting a truck accident lawyer to protect your rights and aid you as you navigate the legal process. A skilled truck accident lawyer can fight for the compensation you deserve.
What Are the Most Common Types of Truck Accidents?
Many different types of accidents can occur involving large commercial trucks. Understanding how and why these accidents happen is important in building a strong legal case.
Some of the most common types of truck accidents include:
Jackknife Accidents
A jackknife accident occurs when a truck's trailer swings out to the side, forming a 90-degree angle with the cab. Slippery roads, sudden braking, improper loading, or mechanical issues can cause this.
Jackknife accidents are extremely dangerous because the out-of-control trailer can strike multiple vehicles, and the truck can block the entire roadway. Smaller vehicles are at high risk of underride injuries in a jackknife situation.
If you've suffered an injury in a jackknife accident, a truck accident attorney can investigate to determine if negligence played a role. Factors like inadequate driver training, poor truck maintenance, or unrealistic delivery schedules can make the trucking company liable for your damages. Your lawyer will gather evidence, interview witnesses, and build the strongest possible case for compensation.
Rollover Accidents
Large trucks have a high center of gravity, which makes them more prone to rolling over, especially when taking turns or curves at high speeds. Cargo shifts can also cause rollovers by suddenly throwing the truck off balance. Tire blowouts are another major cause of truck rollovers.
Rollover accidents can crush smaller vehicles and cause catastrophic injuries like paralysis or traumatic brain injury. Survivors often face a long road to recovery with mounting medical bills.
If the truck driver or trucking company's negligence caused the rollover, you shouldn't have to bear these costs alone. A truck accident lawyer will aggressively advocate for your rights and work to get you maximum compensation for your injuries, lost income, pain and suffering, and other damages.
Rear-end Collisions
The results are often devastating when a massive commercial truck slams into the back of a smaller passenger vehicle. Truck drivers are at high risk for rear-end collisions if distracted, fatigued, driving aggressively, or following too closely. Due to their size and weight, sudden stops are much harder for trucks. Malfunctioning brakes can cause a truck to plow into slowed or stopped traffic.
Rear-end truck accidents commonly cause whiplash, spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, broken bones, and soft tissue damage. These injuries can impact your health, career, and quality of life.
An experienced truck accident lawyer will calculate the full extent of your damages and fight tirelessly to get you the settlement you deserve. While you focus on healing, your lawyer can also deal with the trucking company's insurer and defense attorneys.
Underride Accidents
Some of the deadliest truck accidents involve smaller vehicles sliding underneath the truck's trailer. These horrific accidents often occur when a truck brakes suddenly or a car follows too closely and can't stop in time. Underride guards on the back of most trailers are supposed to prevent vehicles from going under, but many aren't strong enough to withstand the force of a high-speed crash.
Underride accidents often result in occupants of the smaller vehicle being decapitated or suffering catastrophic head and neck injuries. Survivors face a lifetime of disability and astronomical medical expenses.
Families who lose loved ones are left reeling emotionally and financially. While no amount of money can undo this suffering, a truck accident lawyer can help hold the trucking company accountable and secure the resources you need to cope with your losses and begin to rebuild your life.
Blind Spot Accidents
Commercial trucks have significant blind spots on all four sides, which limit the driver's ability to see smaller vehicles. Many truck accidents happen when a car travels in a blind spot and the truck changes lanes or merges. While truck drivers should be trained to check their blind spots carefully, driver error is still a common cause of these collisions.
Blind spot truck accidents typically involve the truck sideswiping or running over the smaller vehicle, which can cause the car to spin out of control, overturn, or impact, pushing the driver into other lanes of traffic. Victims often suffer broken bones, lacerations, head injuries, and spinal damage. Tragically, fatalities are also common in blind spot accidents with trucks.
If you or someone you love has suffered an injury in a blind spot accident, don't hesitate to contact a truck accident lawyer. Your lawyer can investigate the driver's background and the trucking company's hiring, training, and supervision practices. If someone cuts corners or breaks the rules, your lawyer will work to hold the responsible parties liable.
Head-on Collisions
A loaded semi-truck can weigh up to 80,000 pounds, which is why head-on collisions with large trucks are so often fatal. These horrific accidents usually occur when a truck crosses the center line into oncoming traffic. This can happen when truck drivers fall asleep at the wheel, drive distracted, or lose control of their rig. Poorly maintained roads and unclear signage can cause a confused or inattentive trucker to veer out of their lane.
Survivors of head-on truck accidents often suffer permanent disabilities, such as paralysis, brain damage, and disfiguring injuries. The medical costs and life care needs can easily stretch into the millions of dollars. Families who lose a loved one face a future without their emotional and financial support.
If a truck driver or trucking company's negligence robbed you or your family of health and security, a truck accident attorney can support you and pick up the pieces. Your lawyer can calculate the full extent of your losses and fight for the resources you need to cope and adjust to the new realities of your life. While legal action can't turn back time, it can provide a sense of justice and the means to move forward.
T-Bone and Intersection Accidents
Busy intersections are a common site of large truck accidents. When truck drivers speed, run red lights or stop signs, or fail to yield the right of way, they can broadside smaller vehicles with devastating force. Intersection accidents are especially dangerous because the smaller vehicle is often struck on the side, where there is less protection for occupants.
Injuries in T-bone truck accidents are often severe and can include crushed limbs, internal organ damage, head and brain injuries, back and spinal cord injuries, and severe blood loss. Many of these injuries can have lifelong implications for the victim's health and functioning.
If you've suffered an injury or lost a loved one in an intersection accident with a truck, it's vital to speak to a truck accident lawyer as soon as possible. These cases can be complex, with multiple potentially liable parties and insurance companies. A skilled lawyer can cut through the confusion, deal with the insurers and trucking companies on your behalf, and fight for the full compensation you deserve.
Wide Turn Accidents
Maneuvering a 70-foot tractor-trailer takes skill and care, especially when making turns. If a truck driver swings too wide while turning and enters adjacent lanes, they can strike other vehicles or force them off the road. Trucks making right turns are at risk of hitting pedestrians or bicyclists in crosswalks. Improper turns are a leading cause of truck accidents, and injuries are often severe.
Wide-turn truck accidents can result from inexperience, distracted or aggressive driving, or failure to properly assess the space needed to complete the turn. Truck drivers have a responsibility to drive safely and prevent collisions. Injured victims have the right to hold them accountable when they fail in this duty.
The right truck accident lawyer can investigate your case, identify all potentially liable parties, and craft a compelling claim for maximum compensation. Your lawyer will manage all communication with insurance companies and protect your rights throughout the legal process.
Lost Load Accidents
A fully loaded semi can legally carry up to 80,000 pounds of cargo. If that cargo is improperly secured, it can shift in transit or fall off the truck into the roadway. Lost load accidents happen when falling cargo strikes another vehicle, or drivers swerve to avoid collisions and lose control of their vehicles. These accidents are especially common in the construction industry, where building materials and equipment are often transported by truck.
Lost load accidents can potentially cause catastrophic injuries, particularly when they occur at high speeds. Survivors can suffer traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, crush injuries, and broken bones. Many lost-load accident victims require extensive medical treatment and ongoing care.
Trucking companies and cargo loaders have a legal duty to properly secure cargo and to follow state and federal regulations for load securement. If you've suffered an injury by falling cargo, an experienced truck accident lawyer can investigate to determine if negligence was involved. Your lawyer can then claim against the responsible parties and fight for the necessary resources to rebuild your life.
How Can a Truck Accident Lawyer Help?
Going through the legal system on your own can be overwhelming, especially when you're trying to recover from serious injuries. An experienced truck accident lawyer can shoulder the legal burdens and fight for the resources you need to move forward.
Here are just a few of the ways a lawyer can help with your truck accident claim:
Investigating Your Accident
Identifying all potentially liable parties is key to maximizing your compensation after a truck accident. This can include the truck driver, the cargo loader, the trucking company, the truck or parts manufacturer, or even a government entity responsible for road maintenance. A skilled lawyer will know how to uncover all sources of liability.
Your lawyer will also thoroughly investigate the cause of your accident by collecting and analyzing evidence such as:
- Accident scene photos and video footage
- Accident reconstructionist reports
- Police accident reports
- Eyewitness statements
- The truck's "black box" data
- The truck driver's logbooks and driving record
- Trucking company hiring, training, and supervision records
- Cargo loading records
- Truck inspection and maintenance records
Identifying the cause of your accident and who is at fault is essential for building a strong compensation case. An experienced lawyer will know how to access and interpret all relevant evidence.
Calculating Your Damages
You need a comprehensive accounting of all your losses to get full and fair compensation after a truck accident. A knowledgeable truck accident lawyer can identify and calculate the full extent of your damages, which may include:
- Medical expenses, including future anticipated costs
- Lost earnings and reduced future earning potential
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Loss of enjoyment of life
Your lawyer can gather evidence of your damages, including medical records, pay stubs, and professional testimony. Your lawyer can build a powerful case for maximum compensation by thoroughly documenting your losses.
Handling Communications and Negotiations
Dealing with trucking companies and their insurers can be exhausting and frustrating, especially when trying to focus on your physical recovery. A truck accident lawyer can take over all communications on your behalf, freeing you from the stress of constant phone calls and emails.
Your lawyer can also handle settlement negotiations with the insurance company. Insurers are always looking to minimize payouts, and initial settlement offers are often far less than the claim's true value. An experienced lawyer will know how to accurately value your claim and negotiate aggressively for a fair settlement. If the insurer doesn't make a reasonable offer, your lawyer can take your case to trial and fight for you in court.
Don't Hesitate to Seek Help from a Skilled Truck Accident Lawyer
If you or someone you love has suffered an injury in a truck accident, don't hesitate to seek help from a skilled truck accident lawyer. Book a free consultation today to learn more about your rights and options.
Remember, you only get one chance at compensation, so you must make it count. A knowledgeable personal injury attorney will give you the best chance of getting the necessary resources to rebuild your life.
