Types of Trucking Accidents

Trucks are responsible for moving cargo from one place to another across the United States. They are essential to American commerce and vital to our Nation.  While they are important, they also pose a highly, dangerous risk due to carless drivers and companies that ignore and disregard known safety rules and regulations. Because of their size, trucks can be a threat to other motorists on the roadways. Also, given the disparity in size, the general motorist often doesn’t stand a chance when involved in an accident with a large truck.  When these types of accidents occur, it’s important to contact the aggressive attorneys at Sutliff & Stout to make sure your receive the advice and counsel you deserve to properly handle your claim. 

To help you become more aware of some of the danger involved, the following are several common type of trucking accidents that occur on Texas roadways:

Pile Up Accidents

Pileup accidents typically involve at least three vehicles, but sometimes more. A common scenario of this kind of accident happens when a speeding truck rear-ends a car stopped in traffic and pushes it into many other stopped cars.

Jackknife Accidents

Jackknife accidents occur when a tractor towing a trailer folds or spins so that it resembles the angle of a folding knife. These accidents may occur when a truck driver slams on the brakes while going downhill or goes too fast on a curve or a wet road. The trailer swings out to the side and causes the truck to overturn. As a result of this, the big truck may collide with other vehicles on the highway.

Underride Accidents

Underride accidents occur when a passenger vehicle slides under the backside of an 18-wheeler. Many reports estimate that underride wrecks are responsible for more than 50% of fatal car and truck wrecks.

Truck and Pedestrian Accidents

Truck and pedestrian accidents occur when a large vehicle runs over a pedestrian. The consequences are almost always catastrophic or deadly. The faster an 18-wheeler is traveling before the point of impact, the more likely the chance of a fatality. Serious injuries of the spine and brain are also common consequences of truck and pedestrian accidents.

Rear End Accidents

Rear end accidents are common when a passenger vehicle is disabled on a highway and the driver of an 18-wheeler fails to pay attention and is unable to stop the truck in time.

Head-On Collisions

Head-on collisions are often caused by fatigue or distraction. When a trucker maneuvers his or her big rig into oncoming traffic and collides head-on with another vehicle, the consequences are often fatal.

Types of Trucks

Every accident is different, much like every truck is different. Trucks come in various shapes and sizes, and are responsible for carrying many types of loads. Here is a list of the common trucks found on Texas roads that are frequently involved in accidents.

Dump Trucks

This type of truck is used for transporting loose material like sand or gravel for construction. A typical dump truck is a commercial truck used to transport trash to landfills.

18-Wheelers

These are typical big trucks seen every day on Texas roadways. 18-wheelers are used to carry cargo and actually make up 85 percent of the cargo shipped in the U.S.

Flatbed Trucks

A flatbed truck is the kind of truck you may see with the trailer being a flat open trailer. Flatbed trailers are usually used for ease of loading and often feature goods or equipment tied down. We see many accidents from flatbed trucks where the cause is often improperly loaded flatbeds.

Extra Duty Trucks

These trucks are massive, and used to carry the largest equipment. They are usually extra-long and may require special permits to operate.

Tanker Truck

These trucks are among the most dangerous of all commercial trucks. Tanker trucks carry liquids and can be the subject of special regulations because such liquids can often be hazardous.

Most Common Causes of Truck Accidents:

With every accident, there is always a reason as to why it occurs. It could be the truck malfunctioning, the driver, or perhaps even the weather. No matter the case, it’s important to contact your truck accident attorney if you get in a truck accident. Below are some of the reasons why truck accidents occur:

Weather Conditions

Unsafe weather conditions like snow, ice, fog, wind, dust, and other elements make it hazardous to drive on the roads, especially for truckers. If the weather conditions are too bad to drive safely, it’s always best to exit the highway or pull off to the side of the road with your hazards on during inclement weather.  In fact, under certain circumstances, truckers are required to pull off the road.

Road Conditions

Poor road conditions like unpaved roads, roads with potholes, or highways without shoulders are one of the reasons why truck accidents occur. A road poorly-built or poorly-maintained is a road that causes many types of accidents to occur. 

Construction

Driving through construction is always a safety hazard – cones are dispersed, loose gravel is apparent, and there are workers occupying the roadways. These kinds of hazards are easily accident-prone, and the reason why vehicles should always proceed with caution in construction zones.

Negligence

Negligent driving is driving without regard for the law, as well as a disregard for the safety of others around you. It involves unsafe and reckless driving, such as:

• Speeding
• Distracted driving
• Driving fatigue
• Driving while intoxicated or under the influence
• Road rage
• Tailgating 
• Failure to use turn signals
• Driving in blind spots
• Erratic lane jumping and swerving

Overloading Cargo

Carrying a load too heavy for the tractor-trailer can cause tire blowouts, which can lead to jackknifing, tipping over, or producing debris. These are dangerous road hazards, since they all can cause collisions.

Maintenance and Malfunction

Poor maintenance of the truck, as well as the truck malfunctioning on the road, is another result of truck accidents. All maintenance checks on trucks should be documented. If not, it can lead to the truck and the trucking company to be at-fault in a truck accident. 

Have You Been Injured in a Truck Accident?

Truck accidents are no minor event. They are catastrophic, dangerous, and life-altering. When you get in a truck accident, not only is the driver of the truck liable, but so is their trucking company. This is why it’s important to contact an attorney so you are fairly and justly represented in your truck accident.

Contact the aggressive truck accident lawyers Sutliff & Stout for a no-obligation, free case review of your truck accident. With many five-star ratings on Google and Avvo, we are committed to our client’s physical and financial health.