Truck accidents can be devastating, resulting in injuries, vehicle damages, and death. We look at reasons trucking collisions occur and identify what is the most accident-prone type of truck. Common Trucks Involved in Accidents Truck accidents are frequent. Among the vehicles in the commercial class that have the most accidents are tractor-trailers or what are called semi-trucks. A semi-truck is short for semi-trailer truck, which is a truck with a trailer box with a rear axle but no front axle. The truck pulling in some areas in the [...]
A car’s suspension system is designed to mitigate the forces of an impact on an automobile when it drives on a road. That is why they are called “shock absorbers.” In an impact, a car’s bumpers and airbags also absorb a certain amount of the force in a collision. However, if that collision is between a truck and a car, the weight disparity spells disaster for the car. That is one of the many reasons why the average vehicle is more at risk during a large truck collision. [...]
Driving assistance technologies are becoming increasingly standard in new models of vehicles. Considering that 42,514 motorists lost their lives in car crashes in 2022, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), it is easy to understand the need for those warning alerts. Unfortunately, even with the driving alerts, accidents still happen, especially with a semi-truck that suddenly loses control when switching lanes or making a turn. You need to perform many tasks after getting involved in an accident with a big rig. However, one thing you [...]
Imagine this scenario: You’re up early to beat the morning commute and head out on the highway. Suddenly, you encounter a gooey mess strewn all over the highway. One morning in Vacaville, California, a semi-truck lost control, made a sharp turn, and spilled over 150,000 tomatoes across Interstate 80. As cars plowed through the tomatoes, they churned them into a slurry mess that set off a chain reaction accident that sent seven motorists to the hospital. That was one of the most dangerous truck spills on American highways. [...]
Jackknifing is a terrifying situation that happens when a truck loses control and its trailer swings out to form an acute angle with the cab, resembling the shape of a folding knife. This not only endangers the driver and others on the road but also leads to significant damage and disruption of traffic. Jackknife truck accidents happen more often than most of us may think. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) reported almost 5,000 fatalities and more than 100,000 injuries from jackknife accidents in 2020 alone. Another [...]
We drive next to large trucks, such as 18-wheelers, every day without thinking about how dangerous these vehicles really can be. While most truck drivers are safe and drive defensively, large truck accidents occur frequently and cause serious damage to other vehicles. These accidents are largely avoidable but are often catastrophic. A common type of truck accident caused by something called off-tracking. Not sure what is off-tracking? According to the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), off-tracking or “cheating” occurs when a vehicle turns and the [...]
Many companies and drivers try to maximize their time and travel while moving goods across the country or state. Often, they will deliver one payload and then pick up another to move to another destination. However, sometimes, that is not possible due to a lack of cargo or other reasons. In these situations, the driver must drive the commercial truck back to its origin without an empty trailer. How safe is this for other occupants on the road? Sometimes, those unloaded trailers can be just as dangerous as [...]
Every day, trucking companies and their drivers make sure that goods are delivered safely across the country. According to the Nevada Department of Transportation, commercial motor vehicles are the third largest group of vehicles on the road. While most individuals and companies follow all the rules and regulations, others might engage in reckless or dangerous behavior. If you encounter a dangerous trucking company or driver while on the road, you need to take action. Whether you have witnessed or know of information that a driver or company may [...]
When any employee is working, they expect to take breaks and expect fair pay. But, when companies like Amazon and their third-party contractors push their drivers to their limit, garnishing their pay and requiring high delivery quotas, their employees will be stressed, exhausted, and distracted. In instances like this, delivery truck drivers will have a higher chance of accidents. The last thing you want is to be on the road around large trucks whose drivers aren’t at the top of their game. So, what happens when Amazon truck [...]
Being injured in a collision caused by a mail truck driver is not something most people worry about on a day-to-day basis. But, although rare, mail truck crashes can occur. So what happens if a mail truck gets into an accident? Key Highlights: Mail carriers are federal employees, and, as such, cannot be sued in the same way a typical at-fault driver would be. A law called the Federal Tort Claims Act may allow you to recover compensation after injuries and property damage caused by a negligent on-duty [...]
