Common Types of Truck Accidents in Connecticut

The way a truck accident happens is often a strong indicator of who is liable for the accident. The manner of the accident also indicates what types of injuries are likely and when a fatality is likely. Our Hartford truck accident lawyers work with victims, the police, and investigators to determine how the truck crash occurred and who may be responsible. When necessary, we also work with traffic reconstruction experts and other professionals to determine the cause of the truck crash.

According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), nearly 450,000 accidents involving large trucks were reported to the police in 2017. Four thousand and two hundred thirty-seven of these crashes involved a death. In nearly one of every four truck accidents, someone was injured. Truck accidents are usually more deadly and cause more serious injuries than car crashes due to the huge size, weight, and dimensions of the trucks. In many cases, the owner of the truck and the truck company that hired the truck driver may also be liable.

The various kinds of truck crashes

Many accidents involving trucks also happen for the same reasons car crashes happen – maybe a driver was drowsy, the trucker was distracted, or the truck driver failed to follow local traffic rules. Some of the accident causes fairly unique to trucks are:

• Jackknife. Semis, big rigs, and other large vehicles often jackknife when the drivers brake too fast and too forcefully. A jackknife occurs when the cab of the tractor-trailer forms a right angle (90-degree) with the tractor-trailer.
• Rollovers. Trucks are often more prone to rollovers because their center of gravity is different than a car’s center and because the cargo shifts or spills. Rollovers can happen if the driver takes a turn too quickly. Rollovers can cause cars and trucks nearby to crash into the truck or into each other in their drivers’ attempts to avoid the truck.
• Wide turns. Cars can get crushed if they are too near a truck – especially when the driver veers left in order to turn right. Truck drivers often fail to see the cars that are too close when they make wide turns.
• Tire blowouts. While tire blowouts and flat tires can happen with any vehicle, a truck tire blowout is often dangerous because the driver can lose control of the cab, trailer, or full truck.
• Blind spots. Most trucks don’t have windows on the sides or in the rear of the truck. Drivers rely on mirrors to see vehicles nearby. Any car, motorcycle, or small vehicle in a truck driver’s blind spots is likely to be damaged and the occupants injured in a crushing truck accident.
• Underride accidents. Cars are much smaller and lower than trucks. In some cases, when a rear-end truck accident happens, the car behind the truck can slide under the truck, killing the occupants of the car.
• Spilled cargo. If a truckload of cargo spills onto the highway, passengers in nearby vehicles can be killed or seriously injured if they collide with the contents of the truck, hit another car or veer off the highway while trying to avoid the situation.

Other common types of truck accidents which can be fatal or catastrophic include head-on crashes, T-bone crashes, and rear-end collisions.

Remember, delay can hurt your case. The sooner the skilled Hartford truck accident lawyers at Barry, Taylor & Levesque, LLC, can investigate your case, the better we can prepare your case for trial and/or for negotiation with an insurance adjuster.

For help with all phases of your truck accident cases including liability, economic loss, pain and suffering, vehicle damage, and wrongful death – call us at 860-649-4400 or use our contact form. We take truck accident cases on a continency fee basis. We have offices in Hartford and Manchester.

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