Why Are Truck Accidents Different from Other Types of Accidents?
A semi-tractor with an unloaded trailer can weigh up to 35,000 pounds, while the average weight of a passenger car is 4,100 pounds. Besides the sheer size of a commercial truck, they also have a higher center of gravity than cars, making them more prone to lose control and topple over.
Filing a claim in a truck accident is dependent on the employment status of the driver. The attorneys at Leonard Legal Group understand the intricacies of initiating a lawsuit in a truck accident and are here to help you financially recover.
Common Types of Truck Accidents
A commercial truck is more difficult to maneuver around tight corners and while navigating slippery road conditions. The most common types of truck accidents are:
- Jackknifing: a term that is used to describe when a vehicle loses control during a skid and the trailer swings out and pushes the front cab to one side. The massive weight of trucks makes it easier for the tractor and trailer to become disjointed.
- Wide Turn Accidents: in executing right turns, trucks must swing out more to the left; due to their blind spots, they may not see a vehicle in an adjacent lane, causing the truck to clip a car
- Rollovers: a truck may rollover due to the driver speeding or braking too aggressively given the road conditions
- T-Bone Accidents: this type of accident involves a vehicle running into the side of another vehicle; frequently caused by a truck driver running a red light; usually due to a driver’s negligence
- Rear-end collisions: the truck driver may have been driving impaired, drowsy, or otherwise distracted; the driver may misjudge the space between their truck and another vehicle
Many times, a truck has a rear-end collision due to its trailer being too heavy, known as cargo overload. This can result in longer braking distances. In fact, a truck requires 20-40% greater stopping distance than a car.
Risk Factors
Due to the massive weight of a tractor-trailer, when it collides with a passenger vehicle, it is more likely to kill the other driver. The force of a commercial truck at high speeds cannot be underestimated. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), 4,104 people died in large truck crashes in 2020.
Besides the immense weight and size of a fully loaded commercial truck, trucks also have 18 wheels, in comparison to the four wheels of a passenger vehicle. A wheel blowing out on a commercial truck causes an explosion of rubber flying all over the road. In New Jersey, with the average speed on certain interstate highways being 65 miles per hour, a tractor-trailer tire blowout can be treacherous.
Reach Out to a Morristown, New Jersey Truck Accident Attorney
With trucks posing such hazards on the road, you need an aggressive truck accident attorney on your side. The truck driver will have aggressive representation, and so should you. Be sure that you receive the compensation that you deserve. Contact us today to schedule your no-obligation, free consultation.