Any traffic collision can be frightening, but an accident with a large commercial truck can often be life-threatening or fatal. Truck drivers must responsibly share the road with passenger vehicle drivers. Truck drivers who drive negligently can leave themselves and their employers open to liability for injury-causing accidents.
A truck accident lawyer can help you understand your rights to compensation and pursue compensation for your losses, no matter the type of truck accident. Please continue reading to learn more about truck accidents and their various forms.
How Common Are Truck Accidents?
Truck accidents are more common than you might think. With the increasing number of trucks on the road, the potential risks they pose have also increased. In modern times, truck accidents account for a significant portion of all traffic accidents in the United States.
The major size discrepancy between commercial trucks and passenger vehicles they might collide with makes these accidents dangerous.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) reported the following in a recent year in the United States:
- 494,000 crashes involving commercial trucks
- 5,149 fatal truck crashes
- 110,000 injury-causing truck accidents
- 155,000 people injured in truck crashes
Some states and regions of the U.S. see more truck collisions than others, but commercial trucks travel in all 50 states, presenting the risk of crashes anywhere you live or drive. Further, crashes can happen in many ways and for many different reasons.
Common Types of Truck Accidents
There are many different types of truck accidents. All truck accidents have the potential for devastating outcomes. If you have suffered an injury in any kind of truck accident, an experienced lawyer is your best bet for getting the fair compensation you may receive.
The following are some of the most common types of commercial truck accidents.
Runaway Trailer Accidents
A runaway trailer accident can happen when a trailer detaches from a trailer. Trailers might detach from the truck if the cargo is improperly loaded or shifts during transport. Runaway traffic accidents can happen when the truck and trailer travel at different speeds. A runaway trailer accident can cause a severe crash and potentially a multi-vehicle crash.
Delivery Truck Accidents
Delivery truck drivers, like UPS, Amazon, and other retailers, can easily get involved in an accident. Delivery truck drivers drive across the country daily, especially with the rise of online shopping. Delivery truck accidents can include:
- Rolling accidents can happen if a delivery driver fails to engage the parking brake when completing a delivery.
- The mere presence of delivery trucks in neighborhoods makes pedestrian accidents more likely.
- Abrupt stops can cause rear-end accidents at delivery stops.
Hit-and-Run Accidents
Hit-and-run accidents usually happen when the responsible driver leaves the scene of an accident. Finding the party responsible for the accident can be difficult without help. Having an attorney working on your behalf gives you the support needed to find the responsible party and ensure you can collect compensation after a crash.
Wide-Turn Accidents
Commercial trucks are massive vehicles. Because of their size, large trucks often need to make very wide turns into traffic to continue a route. Wide turns put passenger vehicles at risk. A negligent truck driver can easily cause an accident that leaves multiple drivers and pedestrians injured.
Sideswipe Accidents
A sideswipe accident happens when two vehicles come into contact with each other while headed in opposite directions. Two-passenger vehicles can get into a severe sideswipe accident, but the severity exponentially increases when a massive commercial truck is involved. Negligent truck drivers can cause sideswipe accidents if they fail to stay in their traffic lane.
T-Bone Accidents
T-bone accidents happen when two vehicles make perpendicular contact with each other. One vehicle crashes into the side of another vehicle. The injuries resulting from a T-bone crash can significantly affect the victim’s well-being, especially since the truck would have likely made direct contact with the side of the vehicle where the victim sat.
Head-On Collisions
Head-on collisions happen when one vehicle’s front end contacts another vehicle’s front end. Head-on collisions, especially an accident involving a large truck, are serious and often cause severe injuries, like head trauma, for example.
Rear-End Accidents
Rear-end accidents have a few causes. These types of accidents usually happen if:
- The front driver brakes suddenly
- The back driver is following too closely
- The back driver is speeding or distracted
- Traffic congestion causes stop-and-go movement on the road.
Ambulance and Fire Truck Accidents
First responder vehicles are usually large vehicles that travel at high speeds. Ambulance and fire truck drivers are highly trained professionals. These drivers, of course, want to avoid crashes, but that does not always happen. If you suffered an injury in an ambulance or fire truck accident, an attorney can help sort out what damages you might be entitled to recover.
Tow Truck Accidents
Tow truck drivers provide a useful service. Imagine your car being stalled on the side of the road; you need a tow truck driver to get you to safety. However, tow truck drivers can cause severe injuries if the vehicle is not operated correctly. Tow truck accidents happen for various reasons, like driver fatigue, drug and alcohol use, speeding, etc.
Construction Truck Accidents
Construction sites often use heavy machinery to complete their work. Improperly using machinery, including large trucks, puts employees at risk of serious injury. Speaking to an attorney will help you understand your rights to compensation after a construction site accident.
Tanker Truck Accidents
A tanker truck is a commercial truck designed specifically for carrying liquid or gaseous substances. Tanker truck accidents are unique from other large truck accidents and can potentially cause an environmental catastrophe.
Underride Accidents
Underride accidents occur when a car slides underneath a large truck and gets caught between the wheels. These collisions typically happen at either the side or rear of a semi-truck.
Garbage Truck Accidents
Garbage collection services benefit the public. Garbage trucks are specially designed to collect and dispose of waste.
Garbage truck accidents can happen for many reasons. Drivers might need to squeeze into tight spaces to make pickups. Garbage trucks are large, so they usually have a large blind spot.
Garbage trucks also frequent neighborhoods, making pedestrian accidents likely. Garbage trucks potentially carry hazardous or flammable materials, which can lead to fires and environmental accidents.
Flatbed Truck Accidents
Flatbed trucks carry odd or unusually shaped cargo to their destination. Flatbed trucks offer a good alternative to an enclosed commercial truck for companies that need to ship various types of cargo. Because of their shape, however, flatbed trucks are at a greater risk of accidents caused by shifting items than traditional enclosed commercial trucks.
Jackknife Accidents
Jackknife accidents happen when a large commercial truck trailer swings too far to the side and collides with the cab. The truck consequently folds into itself at a 90-degree angle.
Truck Rollovers
Truck rollover accidents happen when a commercial truck tips over, often onto its side or the roof. Rollover accidents typically happen because the driver takes a sharp turn or makes a sudden move. Rollover accidents are severe and can lead to significant or fatal injuries.
Cement Truck Accidents
Cement truck accidents happen for several reasons. With its high center of gravity and ever-shifting load, the truck’s design can easily cause a rollover accident. Cement truck drivers often bend to the pressure of making deliveries before the cement dries, so they speed to ensure prompt delivery.
No-Zone Truck Accidents
No-zone truck accidents are also known as blind spot accidents. Blind spots are areas where a driver cannot see when operating their vehicle. Trucks of all kinds have large blind spots. Other people drive inside of a truck’s blind spot. If the truck driver fails to check or see another driver in their blind spot, the truck driver can cause an accident.
Common Injuries After a Truck Accident
Of course, every accident is different and can result in various injuries. Large truck accidents have the potential to cause life-altering injuries.
Examples of common injuries after a truck accident include:
- Lacerations
- Bruises
- Paralysis and spinal cord injuries
- Amputation
- Internal bleeding
- Organ damage
- Broken bones
- Burns
- Disfigurement
- Head and brain injuries
- Whiplash
- Wrongful death
No matter the type or severity of your injuries, an attorney can help put your life back together after a truck accident. If you or a loved one suffered an injury or died after a crash, contact a truck accident attorney immediately.
Why Do Truck Accidents Happen?
Truck accidents typically happen because of the negligence of a truck driver, company, or manufacturer. Truck accident victims must prove that the party responsible for causing the accident was negligent. An attorney can prove your case and recover your deserved financial recovery after a truck accident.
Some of the most common causes of truck accidents include:
- Other drivers/ third parties
- Driver fatigue
- Distracted driving
- Poorly maintained roads
- Alcohol and drug use
- Speeding
- Improper training
- Negligent hiring and retention
- Bad weather conditions
- Improper cargo loading
- Poor vehicle maintenance
No matter what caused the accident, you need an attorney to help traverse the aftermath of the crash. Contact an experienced truck accident lawyer to learn more about your right to financial recovery after a truck accident.
Who Is Responsible For Causing Truck Accidents?
Truck accidents have many potential defendants. Your attorney can help discover who or what entity is responsible for causing the accident and help you bring them to justice.
Work with an attorney because any of the following defendants might owe you compensation:
- The truck driver
- The trucking company
- The vehicle manufacturer
- The company responsible for maintaining the truck
- State or local governments if a poorly maintained road caused the accident
- Cargo loaders
- Other drivers
What Compensation Is Available After a Truck Accident?
You should fully financially recover from your losses after an accident. You must identify each and make a case for compensation to recover for your losses fully. An attorney can help identify your damages and make a case for payment. Examples of common losses truck accident victims face include:
Economic Damages
Economic damages include tangible losses an accident victim might face after a crash. Economic damages are usually concrete and easily identifiable. Despite being obvious to most people, having an attorney review the facts of your case will help identify and collect compensation for each of your losses.
Examples of economic damages can include:
- Current and future medical expenses
- Current and future lost income
- Lost earning capacity
- Loss of consortium and the cost of domestic labor
- Property damage
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages include intangible losses that a truck accident victim might face. An attorney can help you realize what non-economic losses you faced after a truck accident.
Some examples of non-economic damages can include:
- Disability
- Reduced quality of life
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Embarrassment
Punitive Damages
Punitive damages are available in some states. Punitive damages are not meant to compensate the victim but to deter the defendant from acting in a similarly outrageous manner in the future. Speak to a truck accident lawyer to determine the availability of punitive damages in your area.
How Can An Attorney Help Me After a Truck Accident?
Creating the best legal team for you is an excellent first step to financial recovery after a truck accident. An experienced truck accident lawyer is waiting to help you understand your right to compensation after a crash.
Here are some areas where truck accident attorneys help injury victims get the desired outcomes.
- Settlement negotiations
- Accident investigation and gathering evidence
- Trial preparation
- Representation in court
Contact a Truck Accident Attorney Today!
An experienced truck accident attorney will fight for you after an accident. You deserve to recover from a negligent truck driver for your losses after a crash. Do not miss your opportunity to get what you deserve after a truck accident. Contact a personal injury lawyer today to help get your life back to normal after an accident.
Pierre Prialé
Founder and CEO
Over the course of his career, Prialé has handled approximately 2,000 criminal defense and traffic cases, including DUI, reckless driving, weapons charges, and personal injury cases. His dedication to helping clients in difficult and desperate situations has earned him a reputation for being a committed and knowledgeable attorney.
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