The nation’s economy depends on the transport of goods, and the trucking industry serves a vital role in this function. However, their services should not occur at the expense of the public’s safety. Laws and regulations exist to protect the public on our roads yet serious truck accidents occur every year that injure and kill both truckers and other motorists alike. Almost all of these accidents are directly or indirectly caused by the truck drivers, the trucking companies, or the actions of other motorists who don’t know how to drive around trucks.
Different road conditions and kinds of driving errors will cause specific types of truck accidents. Here are five of the most common:
- The Rear-End Collision – Trucks are massive and require considerably more braking distance than cars. Driver inattention, failure of the truck driver to maintain a safe following distance, or a car cutting off a truck can cause a truck to rear-end a car.
- The Under-Ride Collision – The under-ride occurs when a car runs into the rear of the truck’s trailer and gets wedged underneath. Trailers have guards that prevent this, but the guards are sometimes damaged or defective.
- The Rollover – Truck rollovers have a number of causes. High winds can turn over lightly loaded trailers. Improper loading, rounding corners at a high speed, over steering, and going off the road also cause rollovers.
- The Jackknife – Like the blade and handle of a jackknife, the tractor and trailer of a rig can fold at the trailer hinge and form the shape of a Vee. Jackknife accidents are usually caused by braking on slippery road surfaces that cause either the tractor or the trailer to skid. This happens either because of driver error or when the actions of another car forces the truck to slam its brakes.
- The Tire Blowout – Depending on the tire that blows out, this event can cause a truck to make corrective maneuvers that affect other traffic or may cause the truck to go out of control. Blowouts are caused by trailer overloading, poor maintenance, tire defects, or road conditions.
If you or a loved one were injured in a truck accident, you may be entitled to compensation for related losses. Contact us for a free consultation.