Trucking accidents are common occurrences on the roadways, but it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take action if you are injured in one. Here’s a look at 6 of the most common types of trucking accidents and when you need to call a lawyer.
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1. Underride
Underride accidents are particularly brutal. These can occur when a car crashes into the back of a big rig or the side of it. The car may go underneath the truck, and it can tear off the top of the smaller car. The people inside the vehicle may even be crushed.
Big rigs have underride guards to prevent the accidents described above, but manufacturers do not always do a good job of producing them, and truck companies may not do a good job of maintaining them. When these guards fail, it can result in very severe injuries.
2. Head-On Collisions
Truck drivers often cause head-on collisions because they choose to remain on the road longer than is advised by federal authorities. These accidents happen because the drivers are fatigued, and when they doze off, their trucks can travel into oncoming traffic. These accidents may also be the result of drug or alcohol use.
3. Tire Blowouts
A tire blowout occurs while the truck’s driver is operating the vehicle. This occurs because the heavy loads these trucks carry for weeks and months at a time weaken the vehicle. When a blowout occurs, the driver can lose control of the rig and may begin to swerve or turn over. Other vehicles are not always prepared to move out of the way of these explosions.
4. Rear-End
Rear-end collisions are highly dangerous because, when a big rig slams into the vehicle in front of it, the passengers in the smaller vehicle can be sent flying out of the windshield. This is only the worst-case scenario. Remaining in the vehicle during a rear-end collision can lead to internal organ damage, coup-contrecoup brain injuries, or severe whiplash.
5. Rollovers
When a truck rolls over, it is one of the most devastating types of truck accidents. Rollovers have occurred because the truck’s driver was speeding and behaving irresponsibly, but they also happened while the driver was following all of the rules of the road.
6. Wide Turns
Truck drivers need to make wide turns because the rig is so large and needs a lot of space to make it around the corner, but this can be a surprise to other drivers and pedestrians. That is because the truck moves into the other lanes as it is making this type of turn, and people are not used to it.
When to Call a Lawyer
If any of the following happened to you after you were involved in any of the truck accidents listed above, contact an attorney:
- Any insurance company asks you to sign a document, give a statement, or record a discussion of the accident.
- Any insurance company offers to settle the case before an investigation has even begun.
- Attorneys have been calling you about your accident.
- You believe that the truck driver or another motorist caused the collision.
- Your vehicle was severely damaged.
- You received a physical or emotional injury.