Jackknife accidents, rear-end crashes, and rollovers are the three most common types of truck accidents. These accidents happen due to speeding, distracted driving, quick lane changes, panic stops, fatigued driving, and a variety of other reasons. No matter the cause, the aftermath is always the same: serious injuries and fatalities.
Truck Accidents: Types and Causes
Jack-Knife Accidents
Jackknife accidents happen when the driver of a large commercial truck overcorrects after drifting across lanes. Because of their length and size, commercial trucks are hard to maneuver. Sharp turns or quick lane changes by the trucker can cause these trucks to jackknife. This type of accident often results in fatalities because one wrong move by the driver can result in an 18 or 24-wheeler flipping over or going off the road.
Rollover Accidents
A rollover accident occurs when the trucker loses control and flips the truck onto its side or roof. Rollovers commonly result from speedy lane changes or sudden stops. These crashes may not always kill other drivers on the road, but they frequently result in severe injuries because of the overturning and falling debris.
Rear-End Accidents
These types of crashes happen when a truck slams into the back of another vehicle. Rear-end accidents involving trucks can be disastrous because of the sheer size and weight of these vehicles. When a large truck slams into a smaller car, the outcome can be catastrophic injuries or fatalities to the smaller car’s occupants.
Determining Liability in a Truck Accident
Multiple parties may be responsible for truck accidents, including the driver, the company that owns the truck, or even another road user. A truck accident lawyer can investigate the accident to gather enough information required to determine the liable party or parties. If necessary, the lawyer can work with an accident reconstruction team to recreate the entire accident scene, including all the potential contributing factors.
The truck driver could be held liable for the accident if he or she was negligent in operating the vehicle. The truck company and/or maintenance crew could be legally responsible if the truck accident resulted from maintenance problems. Liability could fall on the truck manufacturer if the accident happened due to defective equipment in the truck. Another road user might be liable if he or she caused the accident either by speeding, driving while impaired, or failing to take appropriate precautions when encountering a big truck on the road.