Truck Underride Accidents
On average, thousands of individuals die yearly from truck crashes in America. In most cases, crash reports don’t indicate the number of underride accidents witnessed in a particular year. This shows that truck underride accidents are generally under-reported. Nonetheless, it is believed that approximately hundreds of people die yearly due to truck underride accidents.
What Is a Truck Underride Accident?
A truck underride accident usually occurs when a smaller car crashes into the rear or side of a truck and, in whole or in part, slides underneath a truck. Truck underride accidents often either result in death or severe injuries.
There are two main types of truck underride accidents:
- side underride accidents
- rear underride accidents
Side Underride Accidents
Side underride accidents happen when a car crashes into the side of a truck, then slides in, in whole or in part, underneath the truck. In many cases, such accidents occur at night because of poor visibility when the truck driver is making a U-turn, and the driver in the smaller car cannot see the truck. Also, such accidents are common in scenarios where a truck driver is crossing, and the driver in the smaller car assumes that the truck is moving faster than it actually is. Poor visibility can also play a huge role in causing a side underride accident in such a case.
Rear Underride Accidents
This type of accident happens when a car crashes into the back of a truck, then slides in, in whole or in part, underneath the truck. These types of underride accidents mostly happen when the truck is illegally parked at the side of the road. For example, when a trucker parks their truck at the side of the road and fails to mark it correctly, a rear underride accident can occur.
A rear underride accident happens more often than side underride accidents.
Causes of Truck Underride Accidents
Apart from the causes of truck underride accidents already mentioned in the above sections, there are many other causes of truck underride accidents
Truck underride accidents can happen because of;
- tailgating
- speeding
- failure to use truck underride guards
- poorly maintained trucks
- poor lighting
- truck drivers’ recklessness
Truck Underride Guards
Since the late 1990s, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has mandated that trucks have rear underride guards. Truck underride guards can prevent a car from sliding underneath a truck. Therefore, a truck underride accident is most likely to happen if a truck doesn’t have an underride guard.
However, unlike rear underride guards, side underride guards are still not popular among truckers. Also, underride guards age over time and become weak. If a smaller car crashes into a truck with an old or weak rear underride guard, it can still slide underneath the truck.
What Types of Injuries Do Truck Underride Accidents Cause?
As mentioned earlier, truck underride accidents often result in either death or severe injuries. Some of the injuries people sustain in truck underride accidents include;
- Neck injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Shoulder injuries
- Broken bones
- Back injuries
- Paralysis
- Semi-paralysis
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Loss of bodily organ such as limbs
- Damage of bodily organ
These injuries can have devastating effects on victims’ lives. Therefore, if you suffered any of the injuries mentioned above or any other injury not mentioned after a truck underride accident, you should seek immediate medical attention. Protect your health and general well-being before chasing after compensation. On the other hand, if a loved one or someone you know suffered an injury after a truck underride accident, ensure they receive immediate medical attention.
Liability in Truck Underride Accidents
Florida law allows victims of truck underride accidents to seek compensation from truck drivers or companies when negligence is involved. Therefore, you can file a lawsuit and obtain compensation if a truck driver’s or company’s negligence was responsible for your truck underride accident. Additionally, if a faulty underride guard played a part in causing your accident, you can file a lawsuit against the manufacturing company.
To ensure you have a successful case, you should, among many other things, work with an experienced truck accident attorney, attend all your doctor appointments, and keep all medical records.
Contact a Naples Personal Injury Attorney Today
Coping with the effects of a truck underride accident can be tough. Because of this, you need to work with an experienced and skilled truck accident attorney who can handle all the complexities of your case and help you obtain the compensation that you deserve. To receive help, contact a passionate and experienced Naples truck accident attorney at The Law Offices of Marc L. Shapiro, P.A., today at 239-649-8050.
