Types of Truck Accidents

When a truck collides with your vehicle or you are involved in an accident with a truck while walking or biking, the consequences can be devastating. A commercial motor vehicle (CMV) may weigh as much as 80,000 pounds, which is many orders of magnitude larger than the average passenger car. The injuries you suffer may change your life forever and in some cases, truck accidents are fatal.

Many truck accidents are caused by the actions of a trucker who is operating the CMV. When this is the case, the driver of the truck and often the trucking company can be held legally liable. Significant sums of money may be at stake, so it is essential to understand the type of truck crash and who was to blame. At Hofland & Tomsheck, our knowledgeable attorneys have experience with many kinds of truck collisions. We’ll put that experience to work investigating your case and helping you maximize your compensation for injury and loss.

Trucks can become involved in the same types of collisions as car, including crashes caused by speeding, failure to yield, drunk driving and fatigued driving. There are, however, certain types of accidents that can happen only with large CMVs or that are much more likely to occur when trucks are involved. Some of these specific types of truck accidents include:

• Rollover accidents: It is true that any vehicle can roll over, but since trucks are very top-heavy and have a low center of gravity, trucks are more likely to topple and roll. When the truck’s cargo load isn’t properly balanced or secured, this can also significantly increase the chances of a rollover collision.
• Jackknifing accidents: Many large trucks are actually made up of a tractor and a separate trailer or trailers. These trailers can swing out sideways from the back of the tractor instead of staying straight behind. This is called jackknifing and it is most likely to happen if the front wheels and trailer roll forward while the drive wheels are locked and hit a slippery area. Regardless of why it occurs, cars around the truck can be crushed and the accident can be a very serious one.
• Underride accidents: Trucks are a lot taller than cars and a car could actually slide right underneath a CMV in an accident. This, obviously, is very dangerous for drivers and passengers inside of the car that is trapped under the truck.

Trucks also have much more complicated parts than most passenger cars and are more likely to experience problems due to tire blowouts, air brakes and other truck features. Truck accidents due to maintenance issues are thus common as well, despite strict maintenance and inspection rules set by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

No matter what type of truck accident you were involved in, Hofland & Tomsheck is here to help. Our experienced attorneys have a network of experts including accident reconstruction specialists and we can work to identify the at-fault parties of a truck crash and prove why the other driver was to blame. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation.