All collisions between passenger vehicles and commercial trucks tend to have serious consequences for occupants of the smaller vehicle, who are at risk of much more severe injuries. There are certain types of truck accidents, however, that are notorious for being especially dangerous. Underride collisions, for example, which occur when a passenger vehicle crashes into a commercial truck and becomes lodged underneath the truck itself, are one of the most deadly types of commercial truck accidents in which a person can be involved.
Many underride accidents result in the top of the smaller vehicle being sheared off, which makes occupant fatality almost a certainty in these types of collisions. Even when the smaller vehicle strikes a truck near its axles and so is unable to go completely underneath the vehicle, injuries are almost always catastrophic in nature, making it especially important for those who are involved in underride crashes, to speak with an experienced Charlotte County, VA truck accident lawyer about seeking compensation for their losses.
There are two main types of underride collisions, the first of which are known as side underride crashes. These types of collisions occur when a smaller vehicle strikes the side of a commercial truck and becomes lodged underneath it. Side underride crashes almost always happen at night or during low sun-angle conditions when a truck driver is attempting to:
Trucks with protruding loads, such as pipe, lumber, or beams are also at a higher risk of being involved in an underride accident, as these types of cargo tend to have poor reflective qualities and don’t contrast well with their background. Similarly, trailers with long tongues and similar equipment tend to be involved in underride crashes more often than other commercial vehicles. Additional factors that commonly contribute to underride accidents include:
Whatever the circumstances of a particular case, side underride accidents tend to result in severe and often deadly injuries for the occupants of the smaller vehicle.
Like side underride accidents, rear underride collisions occur when a passenger vehicle that is traveling behind a semi-trailer or straight truck, crashes into the back of the truck and slides beneath it. Rear underride accidents almost always involve a poorly marked truck or trailer that is parked on the side of the road, or a truck that is moving slowly as it enters the street, slowing to exit a freeway, or pausing for a railroad crossing. Additional factors that can contribute to these crashes include:
Due to the dangers posed by these types of accidents, the U.S. Department of Transportation requires trucking companies to equip their vehicles with conspicuity markings, such as retroreflective tape. Unfortunately, if a truck’s tape is dirty, badly worn, or otherwise defective, other motorists may not be able to see it, increasing the risk of a serious collision. In these cases, injured parties may be entitled to recover damages from the trucking company and driver to compensate them for related losses, including medical bills, lost wages, property damage, pain and suffering, and wrongful death. In addition to the aforementioned examples of truck driver negligence, trucking companies could also be held liable for causing an accident if they:
For help determining the cause of your own underride collision, please contact our legal team today.
The injuries sustained in underride crashes are almost always catastrophic in nature and could include everything from amputations, traumatic brain injury, and crushed bones to burns, internal injuries, and severe lacerations. Treating these types of severe injuries can be ruinously expensive, especially for those who sustain permanently disabling injuries and require nursing care or other forms of assistance for the rest of their lives. Although monetary damages can never truly compensate a person for a disabling or deadly injury, collecting compensation can go a long way towards helping injured parties begin the long road to recovery.
To learn more about filing a commercial vehicle crash claim against the at-fault party who caused your accident, please contact experienced truck accident lawyer Herbert E. Maxey, Jr. at 434-969-4873 today.
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Attorney Herbert E. Maxey, Jr., serves clients throughout Virginia who have been injured by the negligence of others or who have lost a family member as the result of such negligence. The negligence may have been caused by the actions of operators of motor vehicles or, in medical malpractice cases, by the actions or inaction of healthcare professionals. For more details call Herbert Maxey, a Buckingham, VA accident attorney at 434-969-4873.... View full business profile here: Herbert Maxey
