If you’ve ever been in a motor vehicle accident, you know exactly how scary and disorienting it can be. You also likely know how dire the consequences can be, particularly when the accident involves a large truck that has the capacity to cause even more damage due to its weight and size. Unfortunately, with the trucking industry busier than ever in the United States, such incidents aren’t as rare as we hope they are.
Types of Truck Accidents
There are a number of ways a truck accident can occur, but the most common types are the following four.
1. Jackknife accident – this involves the folding of a vehicle, such as a truck or a tow trailer for cargo. These components of the vehicle have the capacity to fold in opposite directions from each other in an accident, resembling a folding jackknife.
2. Underside accident – this type of accident typically occurs when a large truck needs to brake suddenly and a small car behind it may not have time to stop. This can result in the small car ending up under the back end of the truck or trailer, which can cause significant damage.
3. Rollover – as the name indicates, this occurs when a large truck rolls all the way over, the exact same way smaller vehicles can. When a large truck rolls over, however, the damage is generally far more extensive due to their size and weight.
4. Tire blowout – again, similar to a smaller vehicle, the tires on large trucks can sometimes pop and lose air, which can result in catastrophic truck accidents.
Common Causes of Truck Accidents
Like any type of traffic accident, there are several factors that come into play and cause truck-related incidents. Some of the main causes include distracted driving (i.e. texting or talking on the phone while driving), the consumption of drugs and/or alcohol, exhaustion, improperly loaded cargo, and improperly trained drivers. Any and all of these factors can have a detrimental effect on road safety.
The Stats
In 2017, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) reported approximately 4,102 deaths in truck wrecks. This represented a staggering 52% increase since 2009 and the highest number of truck-related accident deaths in 29 years. In other words, despite the fact that the overall traffic mortality rate declined, the number of deaths caused by big trucks still rose.
How to Handle the Fallout After an Accident
If you’ve been involved in a truck accident, there are a series of steps you need to follow to ensure both your personal safety and justice. You should first seek medical assistance, contact a law firm, and then file an insurance claim. While seeking medical attention is vital to maintaining your physical wellbeing, recruiting legal aid and filing an insurance claim will help you seek justice and proper compensation.
If you’re based in Indianapolis, you can contact an Indianapolis unsecured truck load lawyer at Craig, Kelley & Faultless LLC for a free case consultation.
The repercussions of a motor vehicle accident involving a truck are often dire and long-lasting. As a result, it’s essential to familiarize yourself with the resources at your disposal in case of such an incident. In recruiting a knowledgeable legal expert, you’ll better your chances at ensuring justice and compensation.