When it comes to truck accidents, it is safe to say that these accidents are some of the most dangerous types of automobile accidents. Trucking accidents cost lives of thousands of people every year in the United States and around the world. According to the FMCSA or Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, large truck accidents cause around 5000 deaths every year. Such large truck accidents take place around half a million times every year causing injuries and claiming lives. If you’ve been involved in a truck accident, obtaining better personal injury settlements is possible if you hire an experienced truck accident lawyer.
Such accidents are more newsworthy because of the damage and devastation they cause. Different types of truck accidents cause different damages and injuries. If you have suffered such an accident and wish to file a compensation claim, you would need to learn about what kind of trucking accident you suffered. Here are some of the common types of trucking accidents:
Rollovers: The large trucks always create a center of gravity because of their sheer size. When these huge trucks lose control, rollover accidents occur. Truck rollovers are some of the most serious types of trucking accidents and it has the highest fatality rate. This type of accident mostly occurs when a driver drives the vehicle over an object and loses control. In such a situation, the truck may fall onto other passenger vehicles and cause fatalities. Even the truck driver can sustain severe brain and spinal cord injuries in such accidents.
Brake failure: Accidents often occur due to loss of control on the vehicle. Brake failure is one of the common causes of truck accidents. There are several factors that can cause brake failure in a truck. Some of these factors may include mechanical errors, weather condition, and improperly balanced or loaded carriage. Brakes may even fail when they are overheated and do not get enough time to cool down completely.
Problems related to blind spots: Blind spots are one of the common problems with large trucks. Trucks have blind spots to each side and behind them. Because of that when taking turns and changing lanes, it becomes difficult for the truck driver to spot vehicles that do not come in view because of the blind spots. Accidents can easily occur in such situations and such accidents also have a high fatality rate.
Underride Accidents: Underride accidents occur when the passenger cars collide with trucks and side right underneath the truck. Because of the massive size, trucks cannot be stopped as quickly as other vehicle. Because of that, in underride accidents, the trucks often drag the passenger vehicle along till it can come to a full stop. This way the top and front of the passenger vehicle gets badly crushed and the driver and passengers have a high risk of suffering serious brain injuries, amputation injuries as well as other types of injuries.
If you have suffered any of the above types of trucking accidents, it is important that you take legal actions against the responsible party. Filing a personal injury lawsuit becomes necessary in such a situation. Miami Dade Attorney if you do not know how to go about filing and winning the personal injury claim.