Atlanta Truck Accident Lawyers
Blind Spot Truck Crashes
Part of learning to drive involves learning about blind spots – those areas of the road that you can’t see by looking in your side mirrors or rearview mirror. It’s not enough to only check your mirrors before turning or changing lanes; you have to physically turn your head and look over your shoulder to make sure there isn’t a vehicle in your blind spot. Failing to check your blind spot before changing lanes is dangerous. It’s also negligent, and a driver who crashes into a car or forces them off the road by not checking the blind spot before changing lanes can and should be held liable for any vehicle damage or physical harm that follows.
Semi-trucks have blind spots too, and they are much more extensive than the blind spots encountered by the average passenger car driver. Truckers require special training to understand where their blind spots are and learn how to deal with blind spots safely. When truck drivers fail to appreciate and account for their blind spots, deadly crashes can occur. The Atlanta personal injury and wrongful death attorneys at Shiver Hamilton Campbell understand the responsibilities truck drivers have and the lethal consequences of a truck driver’s negligence or lapse in judgment. Our Atlanta truck accident lawyers hold truck drivers and trucking companies liable for the aftermath of a blind spot truck accident, helping accident victims get the medical care and compensation they need and deserve after being injured because of a truck driver’s error.
Read on to learn more about the dangers of blind spots on an 18-wheeler. If you have been hurt in a metro Atlanta truck crash, or if you are an attorney needing a high level of assistance with a truck accident case, call Shiver Hamilton Campbell at 404-593-0020 for a free consultation.
Where Are the Blind Spots on a Tractor-Trailer?
For the average passenger car, a driver’s blind spots exist in the left and right adjacent lanes, roughly parallel to and slightly behind the driver’s vehicle. For a semi-truck, however, blind spots exist on all four sides of the truck. A trucker’s blind spots extend for one full car length behind the trailer and more than one full car length in front of the cab. Additionally, blind spots occur for two car lengths on the trucker’s left-hand side and several car lengths on the right. A trucker’s right-side blind spots carry across two lanes of traffic to the right.
Trucking companies go to great lengths to make sure passenger car drivers are aware of a truck driver’s blind spots, with catchy slogans like “Don’t hang out in the no-zone” or “If you can’t see my mirror (or, more accurately, the driver’s face in the mirror), then I can’t see you.” But while the average driver might not know the extent of a trucker’s blind spots, the trucker certainly does, or should. Tractor-trailers can go on for 80 feet, and cars can’t always avoid being in a truck’s blind spots even when they don’t want to be. It’s the job of the truckers to always check their mirrors, signal in plenty of time before changing lanes or turning, and change lanes cautiously every time.
Get Serious Help From A Atlanta Blind Spot Truck Crash Lawyer
The negligent failure of a truck driver to exercise care, even one time, can be disastrous to other drivers on the road and their passengers. This includes crashes that occur because a truck driver failed to check blind spots or made a turn or lane change without signaling and giving other cars enough time to clear the truck’s danger zone. The attorneys at Shiver Hamilton Campbell are experienced in investigating the cause of complex truck accidents, determining fault, and putting together a strong case that holds truck drivers and freight carriers fully accountable for the harm they have caused. These cases are fought hard by the trucking companies, but our firm has a reputation for success against the biggest corporate defendants.
If you were injured in a blind spot truck accident in metro Atlanta, or if you lost a loved one in a fatal truck crash, call Shiver Hamilton Campbell at 404-593-0020 for a free consultation. We take on cases involving the most serious catastrophic injuries or wrongful death, and we fight to secure significant compensation for our clients who were hurt because of another’s negligence or wrongful conduct.
