Types of Truck Accidents

Some types of truck accidents include head-on collisions (the most dangerous type), rear-end collisions, side-impact collisions, sideswipe accidents, chain collisions, and accidents caused by debris or cargo coming from a truck. Trucks carrying flammable or toxic materials can also cause explosions and toxic exposures, and victims of such incidents can seek compensation for resulting damages.

The type of truck accident you’re involved in is important—the accident type often informs who is financially responsible for the fallout. If a truck driver, trucking company, or other party other than yourself is responsible for the accident, hire a truck accident lawyer to seek fair compensation for medical costs, pain and suffering, and other damages.

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Rear-End Collisions

Under normal circumstances, most consider rear-end collisions among the least serious accident types. When the vehicle that strikes yours from behind is a multi-multi-ton truck with immense crushing force, there is nothing minor about the collision.

Rear-end collisions can occur when:

• A truck driver is speeding, which is a common reason for traffic accidents
• A truck driver is tailgating, as a truck’s size and weight require more time and distance to stop
• A driver is distracted when traffic in front of them slows or stops
• A truck’s brakes are defective or completely ineffective

Truck drivers are behind the wheel for many hours at a time. Distracted driving becomes particularly concerning when a motorist drives for such long hours. Rear-end collisions are one of the many harmful consequences of distracted driving and other forms of driver negligence.

Head-On Collisions

No accident type is more serious than a head-on collision. When one of the vehicles in a head-on accident is a truck, the risk of serious injury is sky-high.

Something has to go seriously wrong for a head-on collision to happen. A motorist who is severely intoxicated, visually impaired, reckless, or highly inexperienced may be most likely to cause a head-on collision. A vehicle failure may also help explain why a head-on accident happened.

Side-Impact (T-Bone) Collisions

Side-impact accidents are most likely to happen when vehicles are traveling in different directions or when one vehicle is turning. This makes intersections a likely location for side-impact accidents, as these collisions may occur when:

• Someone (like a truck driver) turns on a green light without the right of way
• A motorist (again, like a truck driver) runs a red light in front of oncoming traffic
• A motorist must swerve to avoid hitting a pedestrian, striking another vehicle in the process
• The brakes fail on a vehicle, and the driver cannot stop to avoid a side-impact collision

Truck accident lawyers always determine who is at fault for an accident. Your lawyer may find that a truck driver, trucking company, or other party is responsible for your accident and damages.

Sideswipe Accidents

When vehicles scrape together along adjacent sides, it’s called a sideswipe accident. Though these accidents are often lower-impact than other collision types, they can cause injuries and serious property damage.

Such accidents can happen when a truck driver fails to maintain their lane, attempts to merge into an occupied lane, or turns too wide and swipes another vehicle.

Truck-on-Pedestrian Collisions

Trucks often travel in areas where pedestrians are present. This is especially true when trucks pick up or drop off cargo in urban areas, though pedestrians can be in virtually any driving environment.

Pedestrians are always at a high risk of injury when hit by a motor vehicle, and they are even more endangered when the vehicle is as heavy as a truck.

Collisions Caused by Components or Cargo Falling from a Truck

The cab is only one-half of the equation when talking about trucks. Large trucks also tend to have a trailer, which can be a box, shipping container, tanker, or other cargo-hauling device. Such cargo can become dangerous when:

• Slick, toxic, or otherwise dangerous liquid spills from the tank
• Cargo trailer doors are not properly locked, leading to items falling into the road
• Debris from an open cargo container flies out of the container, striking or falling in front of vehicles behind the truck

Components from a defective truck may also fall into the roadway. These components can strike other vehicles or cause motorists to stop or swerve to avoid them, resulting in collisions.

Chain-Reaction Accidents

The force caused by a truck striking a vehicle can push that vehicle into other vehicles. These are called chain-reaction collisions, and diagnosing liability for such collisions can be complicated.

Federal vehicle weight limits for trucks set the cap at 80,000 pounds. This means that an 80,000-pound vehicle can collide with a much smaller vehicle, exposed motorcyclist, or vulnerable pedestrian at speeds of up to 80 miles per hour (which is the maximum most truck drivers would do on a highway).

Such collisions inevitably cause serious harm, and you may be entitled to a large financial recovery. Allow an experienced attorney to fight for it.

What an Accident Type Tells You About Fault

The type of accident you were involved in will provide your lawyer with hints about who is at fault for the accident.

For example, consider when a truck strikes your vehicle from behind. The rear-ending motorist is typically at fault for such an accident. Often, the rear-ending motorist failed to maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in front, so the accident type alone suggests they are liable for their victim’s damages.

Attorneys have immense knowledge about the ramifications of accident types. Use a lawyer’s knowledge and experience to your advantage by hiring them to represent you.

Hire a Lawyer as Soon as Possible After a Truck Accident

There are many benefits to hiring a truck accident lawyer. An experienced lawyer:

• Understands the complex details of truck mechanics, the trucking industry, and traffic accidents in general
• Has prior experience obtaining compensation for truck accident survivors and families affected by fatal truck accidents
• Has the time and energy to handle the significant demands of truck accident claims and lawsuits
• Will provide valuable support for your case, including financial funding, experts, paralegals, and their own legal knowledge and training

When you decide to hire a lawyer, don’t wait. Truck accident cases almost always have deadlines to abide by. Your attorney must also obtain evidence from your accident, so identify and hire your lawyer as soon as possible.

How Your Attorney Will Prove Fault and Liability for Your Truck Accident

One of your attorney’s most important responsibilities is proving:

• Who is at fault for the accident (that is, whose negligence caused the collision)
• Who owes you compensation for your accident-related damages

Determining who is at fault for the accident and establishing financial liability are two of the earliest steps toward securing fair compensation for you.

Your Lawyer Won’t Stop at Proving Fault and Liability (They’ll Fight for You)

A lawyer’s duties range well beyond proving fault and liability. Your truck accident attorney will also be responsible for the following:

• Securing all evidence benefiting your case: Some common forms of evidence in truck accident cases include witness accounts, expert testimony, video of the accident, an expert’s reconstruction of the accident, data from the truck’s black box, and work logs that indicate the trucker or trucking company was negligent.
• Obtaining proof of your accident-related damages: Your attorney will prove the nature and cost of your damages using medical bills and records, expert testimony about your pain and suffering, and invoices related to the collision.
• Calculating the value of both immediate and long-term damages: Every damage you’ve suffered has a precise monetary value. Your lawyer will determine the value of each of those damages, including those you’ve already suffered and those you will face in the future. Pain and suffering are common damages that are difficult to calculate, and your lawyer will determine the value of this damage for you.
• Leading all communications with insurance companies: Attorneys protect and serve their clients by dealing with insurers. Truck drivers are typically insured, but insurance companies often try to avoid paying a large settlement. Your lawyer will ensure no insurance company can violate your rights or undermine your case.
• Arranging and completing settlement discussions: Settling is the most common means of resolving truck accident cases. Your attorney will prepare for and lead settlement negotiations on your behalf. A hard-nosed lawyer will insist that the insurer or any other liable party cover all your damages.
• Helping you decide whether to sue: You may be eligible to sue a truck driver, trucking company, or any other liable party. You may decide to sue if liable parties will not offer a fair settlement, and a lawyer will help you make this decision.
• Representing you at trial, if necessary: Suing can lead to trial, but not always. Your attorney will also help you decide whether to advance to trial. If you do, your attorney will lead every step of your court case.

Attorneys take on a full-service role for truck accident victims. A compassionate lawyer will ensure you get the healthcare and mental health services you need, and they will keep tabs on your recovery.

Expect regular updates from your lawyer about your case status. These updates may provide peace of mind that your case is moving forward, and you will be better able to focus on your health, knowing your attorney is striving towards a stellar case outcome.

Truck Accident-Related Damages Are Often Life-Changing (and Worthy of Large Settlements)

Damages are the primary feature of every truck accident case. After all, you will hire a lawyer because you want fair compensation for those damages.

Some of the most likely damages in a truck accident case are:

Medical Bills

Because truck accidents often cause serious injuries, you may need:

• Ambulance transport from the scene of the truck accident
• Emergency treatment and observation
• Medical imaging
• Surgery
• Hospitalization
• Medications
• Medical equipment
• Rehabilitation

Medical services are anything but cheap. Your attorney will work to ensure you don’t pay a dollar of medical costs that someone else caused.

Professional Harm

The time after a truck accident should be for healing, which means you may be unable to work as you typically do. This can lead to several professional damages, including:

• Lost wages
• Diminished earning power
• Lost bonuses, overtime opportunities, and promotion opportunities
• Lost benefits
• Other types of professional harm

Your lawyer will calculate both the direct and indirect professional damages resulting from the truck accident.

Pain and Suffering

Some common types of pain and suffering among truck accident victims are:

• Physical pain
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Sleep issues
• Scarring and disfigurement
• Lost quality of life

Truck accident attorneys often hire mental health professionals to diagnose their clients’ conditions, prescribe a treatment plan, and provide mental health services. Your lawyer will determine the financial value of both your pain and suffering and related mental health services.

The Cost of Losing a Loved One

The high risk of death associated with truck accidents means such collisions often lead to wrongful death cases. Common damages in such cases include:

• Funeral costs
• Burial or cremation costs
• Grief and other severe forms of pain and suffering
• Loss of the decedent’s income and other forms of financial support
• Loss of the decedent’s household services (which can include chores, handiwork, accounting services, and security)

Whether you are facing the fallout of a fatal or non-fatal truck accident, you should demand a fair financial recovery. Hiring a lawyer indicates you’re serious about obtaining all the compensation you deserve.

Find Your Truck Accident Attorney Today

Every minute matters after a truck accident. You may need to report injuries, file claims, and file a lawsuit within a fixed period of time, so you must not delay in finding and hiring your personal injury attorney. Seek your free case evaluation now to learn about your rights following your truck crash.

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