The Most Common Types of Truck Accident Cases
- June 21, 2019
Trucks play a significant role in helping the Georgia and South Carolina economy. Practically every industry relies on trucking companies to deliver the materials to make their business run and then deliver those products to various destinations to meet a growing population’s demands.
Although they are essential to society’s survival, large vehicles can cause some of the greatest devastation seen on the roads. Truck accidents can inflict catastrophic injury on people traveling in smaller vehicles due to the sheer size alone.
Here are some of the most common types of truck accidents:
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Rear-End Accidents
A commercial truck often weighs 80,000 pounds or more, which requires longer distances to slow down. Their inability to stop quickly and the difficulty in maneuvering makes commercial trucks a primary cause of significant rear-end collisions, especially when the truck driver is distracted. Distractions may involve construction projects, accidents, or rush hour.
A rear-end accident involving an 80,000-pound truck, and a typical passenger vehicle that weighs 4,000 pounds on average, can lead to costly damages and endanger the passengers inside. This disparity in size leads to severe and potentially fatal injuries.
Victims of rear-end truck accidents have to deal with the astronomical costs of medical bills, vehicle repairs, and other expenses. According to data from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), of the truck accidents in 2017, five percent involved the front of the large truck striking the rear of the passenger vehicle. These types of crashes may only represent a small portion of the total truck accidents, injuries, and fatalities, but they still cause severe damage to those involved.
Intersection Crashes
Intersection or T-bone truck crashes are often the result of drivers making critical errors at intersections or completely ignoring traffic laws that protect the rest of the commuters who occupy the roads. Intersection crashes result in serious injuries since the vehicles often get knocked off course and pushed into a second collision when hit. Sometimes the car can be pushed off course toward oncoming traffic, which puts the occupants of the vehicle at extreme risk of further collision and traumas, whether it’s crashing into guardrails, telephone poles, or other cars.
One reason for these types of crashes is that trucks don’t come to a complete stop. Since it takes longer for trucks to stop entirely, a trucker trying to roll through the intersection will have insufficient time to stop before causing a T-bone crash.
Failing to yield at a four-way stop is another way crashes occur. When a truck driver disobeys the rules and chooses to barrel their way through the intersection when another driver has the right of way can be devastating.
Intersection crashes are also frequent in incidents where truckers speed up to get through an intersection before the traffic light changes red and attempting to stop after realizing they’re not going to make it through.
Wide Turn Crashes
Even turning is dangerous for larger trucks and any surrounding vehicles since the size and length of large trucks make them much more challenging to maneuver. It’s not uncommon for drivers to either underestimate the amount of space needed or fail to notice vehicles in the trailer’s path when an operator attempts to make a wide turn.
Once the truck driver miscalculates the turn, the wheels can go off the curb and crash into nearby objects. Due to their length and height, large trucks also have the disadvantage of having much bigger blind spots than passenger vehicles. This means that there are completely invisible areas to the driver, failing to notice a passenger vehicle before making a turn.
A majority of wide turn accidents are honest mistakes made by the driver. However, this doesn’t mean that the driver would be excused from any liability.
Head-On Impacts
A head-on collision occurs when one vehicle’s front end collides with the front end of another car. Head-on collisions are the most common type of truck accident to happen in 2017, with thirty-one percent of passenger vehicle occupants struck head-on.
Head-on truck accidents are some of the most serious cases. This type of accident often causes devastating injuries and fatalities since trucks can inflict massive damage when colliding with smaller and lighter vehicles.
Many head-on truck collisions happen due to trucks driving on the wrong side of the road. Causes of driver error include:
- Oversteering
- Driving while distracted
- Driving while exhausted
- Making illegal turns onto a one-way street
Related Blog: Why Hire A Truck Accident Attorney
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If you were injured in a truck accident, you have rights and may be entitled to recover damages depending on the gravity of your situation. The fight for fair compensation is a draining process, so consult with a truck accident lawyer from The Brown Firm. We provide a free consultation with legal advice to help you get the compensation you deserve.
Contact us at (912) 200-9755 for a free consultation to discuss the nature of your case.
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