Truck accidents are among the most destructive kind of accidents. The damages they cause are due to their immense size and the weights they carry. As a result, they are the most feared vehicles when it comes to road accidents. Trucking accidents have disastrous effects when involved in a collision. Many of the trucks weigh over 80,000 pounds. It usually causes accidents like truck jackknifing or it may ram into the ongoing traffic causing damage to many vehicles. It is advisable to consult a truck accident lawyer in the event of an accident.
Some of the Common Semi-Truck Crashes
In most cases, pile-ups occur and there are also road accidents caused by different factors. Some of the most common accident types are as follows.
• Lane Change Accidents caused by Blind Spots
Truck drivers have to depend on their side mirrors to find out the presence of other vehicles and the distance from other vehicles before taking a turn to either side. Sometimes they have blind spots which stop them from getting a complete view of the area. This could lead to an unsafe shift in the lane, triggering a subsequent crash and a chain reaction.
• Jackknifing
A jackknife occurs when the rear end of the trailer swings out of control and out of formation from the front end due to the sudden braking of the rig. In most cases, the drivers regain control while sometimes they are not able to prevent the rig from going completely out of control.
• Underride Collisions
This type of accidents occurs when the motor vehicle gets caught under the trailer of a truck. Relying on several factors like the speed of the truck, the reaction time available for the rig driver, and many others, the damages could range from severe injuries to even death of those involved. Sometimes the windshield and the top of the vehicle are completely sheared off.
• Truck Rollovers
Depending upon the height of the truck trailer and other factors like high winds, sudden braking, and unsafe speeds, the truck may fall completely over to one of its sides. This creates the possibility of a collision while the truck turns over and when it collides with the oncoming traffic.
This creates a serious chance of collisions both at the time of the rollover and from approaching traffic.
• Tire Blowouts
Semi-trucks have 18 wheels. This means any one of these could burst at any time. On many occasions, this happens without anything dangerous, but sometimes the event makes the truck to lose control or make other vehicles to swerve. All these could cause dangerous situations and lead to accidents at any time.
Some of the Main Reasons Behind Big Rig Collisions
In most cases, the negligence of one person causes this kind of accident. It might be the truck manufacturer or the driver. There are many other reasons such as:
- Drunk Driving
- Heavy Loads or Unsafe or unbalanced cargo
- Speeding
- Mechanical Errors
- Fatigue caused by lack of sleep due to overdriving oftentimes in violation of the regulation.
- Training of Drivers, Retention, Negligent Hiring, or Supervision
- Reckless or other rash kinds of Driving
- Talking or texting or on a phone by the truck driver
- Hazardous equipment or trucks due to careless inspections and maintenance.
Truck Accidents and Injuries in California
Based on a study conducted recently, more than 12,000 commercial and semi trucks were a part of non-fatal accidents within a year. Out of this, more than 5,000 truck accidents lead to injuries. This is attributed to the presence of extensive interstate highways in the state. This is a high number especially because many of these were avoidable and caused by negligence. Make sure you approach a truck accident attorney in the case of involvement in a truck accident.
Furthermore, many of the drivers travel many days at a single stretch throughout the country. This makes them fatigued and weary. The physical weakness may make them take the wrong decisions and affect their judgment. This is similar to the state of intoxication by any substance as the person’s reactions ad judgment is seriously affected.
Importance of Consulting a California Truck Accident Lawyer
In case you or your loved one is involved in a truck accident and you feel that there has been negligence on the opposite party, you can pursue a legal way. If your lawsuit is successful, you would be entitled to compensation. There are several things to be found including the history of the employer, background of the driver, the cause of the accident, insurance information, driving practices and violations and much more. It is advisable to proceed legally with the help of a lawyer specialized in the matter.
