Truck accidents can result in serious property damage, personal injury, and even fatalities. Understanding the most common types and causes of truck accidents is vital so you can learn how to avoid them and drive carefully. If you were involved in a collision, work with a Kane County truck accident lawyer for skilled legal counsel.
What Are the Most Common Types of Truck Accidents?
While any type of auto accident can involve trucks, below are the most common kinds.
- Rear-end: Trucks need more stopping distance than passenger vehicles so sudden braking can result in rear-end collisions.
- Jackknife: Sharp turns, icy roads, and the need to brake suddenly can cause the truck to bend where the trailer meets the cabin.
- T-bone: Mostly occurring in intersections, a t-bone accident occurs when one vehicle hits the side of another while perpendicular to each other.
- Wide turn: 18-wheelers need significant room to make turns. The trailer may swing into another lane or another driver may not realize that they cannot pass while the truck turns.
- Rollover: Because of the truck’s size and weight distribution they may flip over as a result of speeding or sharp turns.
Any of these accidents can be fatal and cause serious damage so it is crucial to know how they are caused and how you can avoid them.
How Are Truck Accidents Most Commonly Caused?
Auto accidents happen every day for a variety of reasons. When it comes to trucks, certain factors are more likely to cause an accident than others. Truck accidents can be the fault of the truck driver, another driver, the truck company, or even simply bad weather or road conditions. Below are some common culprits of truck accidents.
- Distracted driving
- Poor vehicle maintenance
- Aggressive driving
- Driver fatigue
- Intoxicated driving
- Reckless driving
- Improper training
- Road conditions
How Can I Avoid Getting Into a Truck Accident?
Big trucks have limitations that most passenger vehicles do not, so as the driver of a smaller car, it is important to understand how truck accidents happen and the things you can do to avoid them.
The most obvious but most important way to avoid getting into a truck accident is to abide by the law. Do not speed excessively or text while driving. Make legal turns and use your blinkers to signal when changing lanes or turning.
Understand that truck drivers cannot maneuver as easily as you can. With that said, leave ample following distance between yourself and the truck ahead of you, try not to slam on your brakes without cause, and be mindful of their blind spots.
Simply pay close attention to the road and the truck driver’s actions to avoid getting into a situation where an accident cannot be avoided. If you have been involved or injured in a truck accident it is crucial that you have skilled representation. Reach out to an experienced lawyer at O’Brien Law, LLC to set up your free consultation today.
