Commercial trucks play a pivotal role in any economy since they help transport various goods to different places to meet consumer demands. While large trucks are critical in the movement of goods, they can pose high risks to other road users when they are involved in accidents.
Due to their enormous size, trucks can cause considerable property damage, and they can also lead to catastrophic injuries to the victims. Read on to learn the common types of trucking accidents and their contributing factors.
Types of Trucking Accidents
There are different types of trucking accidents, and they lead to severe injuries and loss of lives in some instances. The following are some of the common truck crashes that you should know about.
Head-On
As the name suggests, this accident involves a direct crash with oncoming traffic. The accident can include small or large vehicles, and it is probably the most devastating. A head-on collision leaves a trail of destruction to property, causes serious injuries, and even death.
Jackknife
A jackknife accident is potentially very dangerous, and it can also lead to loss of life. A jackknife accident occurs when the driver slams on the brakes hard resulting in the cab forming a 90-degree angle with the loaded trailer.
Truck Rollover
When the driver loses control of the vehicle, it usually slides and rolls over its side. A tire blowout is another example of a trucking accident that can lead to the injury of innocent people.
Wide Turn
If the driver swings to the extreme left to create a gap to turn right the truck may trap pedestrians or other vehicles if they do not closely check. In the same vein, this type of accident is similar to blind spot accidents where the truck driver can change lanes without observing other vehicles.
Rear-end and Under Ride
If the truck driver suddenly slams the brakes or abruptly stops, smaller cars can ram under the trailer. These accidents are common and deadly.
Insecure Load
The insecure load can fall along the highway causing great danger to other motorists. Improperly loaded freight can lead to multiple car accidents.
T-Bone
A T-bone accident occurs when the truck driver fails to stop at the red traffic light and runs into cross traffic.
Who is liable in a Truck Accident
Determining liability in a truck accident is different from other regular accidents involving small cars. The driver is usually the first liable party, but trailer crashes can include other parties. Some of these parties that are likely to be liable in a large vehicle crash can also include the trucking organization, cargo loading company, third party distributor, or the manufacturer.
When you are involved in a truck accident, it is essential to contact your injury lawyer to help you file a claim against the liable party. If you reside in North Carolina, your attorney can help with your claim since NC-based lawyers tend to have experience in handling similar cases. Experienced lawyers can conduct investigations to establish the cause of the accident to hold the responsible party liable. Likewise, there are different causes of trailer crashes that include the following factors.
Driver Negligence
Most truck accidents are attributed to driver errors that include the following:
- A poor decision where the driver misjudges the speed of other vehicles
- Nonperformance where the driver falls asleep or impaired by something
- Inadequate training is another factor that contributes to truck crashes
- Distracted driving on the phone or stereo
- Aggressive driving or getting behind the wheel under the influence of alcohol and other substances
- Other factors include wide turns and drivers avoiding road construction
Equipment Failure
Equipment failure significantly contributes to trailer crashes. Mechanical faults can lead to deadly crashes. Some of the factors that can contribute to accidents include the following:
- Faulty brakes
- Worn or improperly inflated tires
- Defective lighting
- Unbalanced cargo
- Transmission failure
- Substandard repair parts
- Overall poor maintenance of the vehicle
Company Policies
In some cases, company priorities contribute to crashes as employers strive to meet customer delivery deadlines. As a result, drivers will overwork and often leads to stress and driver fatigue. Drivers can travel long distances without taking a break which affects concentration
There are different types of truck accidents, and these can lead to serious damage to property and also cause injuries and death of innocent people. Head-on collisions are the most catastrophic since the chances of survival of occupants in a small car involved would be close to zero. Jackknifing, rollover, and T-bone are some of the common trucking accidents. The other thing is that several factors contribute to these crashes. In some cases, the drivers are ill-trained, equipment failure or fatigue are other causes of truck accidents.
