Most Common Types Of Semi-Truck Accidents

Truck accidents, like any other type of vehicle collision, fall under a number of different categories. Many types of truck accidents, however, are unique to semi-trucks because of those vehicles’ size, weight, length, and lack of maneuverability. Read on to learn more about the type and nature of your truck accident and how it could affect your right to recovery.

Jackknife Accidents

Jackknife accidents are specific to semi-trucks and occur when a driver attempts to brake too quickly, or when the brakes lock up. When this happens the cab of the truck may come to a stop, but the trailer keeps going, skidding to form a 90-degree angle. In jackknife accidents, the trailer often ends up blocking the entire road, resulting in a multi-car pile-up.

Wide-Turn Collisions

Large commercial vehicles are a lot less maneuverable than passenger cars. When turning right, for instance, trucks generally need to swing a bit to the left in order to make the turn. Unfortunately, a lot of motorists don’t anticipate this movement, believing that the truck is actually turning left. This can lead to serious collisions.

Rollover Accidents

Another kind of accident that tends to occur more often amongst semi-trucks and other commercial vehicles is the rollover crash. These kinds of accidents occur when a truck actually rolls sideways, often due to an attempt to brake suddenly or swerve abruptly out of the way of another vehicle, or because the driver struck something in the road. While all vehicles could potentially roll over in these cases, trucks are more likely to do so because of their high profile.

Underride Accidents

Underride accidents are another type of collision that only happens with commercial trucks. These kinds of accidents occur when a smaller passenger vehicle rear-ends a much larger semi-truck. Unlike standard rear-end collisions between similar sized vehicles, underride accidents result in the smaller car actually becoming lodged underneath the truck. The injuries sustained in underride accidents are almost always catastrophic and unfortunately, often prove to be fatal.

Top Causes of Truck Accidents

Truck crashes, like any type of car accident, can happen for a variety of reasons. There are, however, certain risks that accompany driving in or near a truck. The overloading of cargo, for instance, can cause a truck to become off balance, resulting in a loss of control or rollover accident. Trucks also have much larger blind spots than passenger cars, making it more likely that a truck will collide with a smaller vehicle when changing lanes or merging. Similarly, trucks must make much wider turns than smaller cars and they often block multiple lanes of traffic when doing so. An unwary driver could easily collide with a truck making such a maneuver. Finally, truck drivers are also at risk of falling asleep at the wheel, as they are required to spend so many hours on the road and are often expected to meet unrealistic deadlines.

Our Atlanta Truck Accident Lawyers Can Help

If you were involved in a truck accident in Georgia, you could be facing an uphill battle when it comes to recovering compensation, as trucking companies are well-funded and usually loath to accept responsibility for an accident. For help with your own claim, call the dedicated Atlanta truck accident lawyers at Shiver Hamilton Campbell today.

Sources:

fmcsa.dot.gov/safety/data-and-statistics/vehicles-table-17-large-trucks-crashes-jackknife-occurrence-and-crash-4

one.nhtsa.gov/Research/Crashworthiness/Truck%20Underride