If you’ve recently been in an accident with a truck, then it helps to contact a truck accident attorney in order to get some information about how to maximize potential payouts you can get from a lawsuit if you sue an 18-wheeler company or driver for negligence.
Blindspot Overview
One of the biggest possibilities for negligence in a truck accident is due to the blind spots on an 18-wheeler. These are exceedingly long vehicles, and it’s possible for the driver to make mistakes due to the areas that they can’t see through their mirrors. There are four different areas where a driver typically has trouble seeing other vehicles.
One of these areas is right in front of the cab, about 20 feet in front of them. This is generally due to the cab being high off the ground. Another one is right behind the driver’s window since mirrors don’t cover it. The area right behind the trailer up to about 30 feet is also an area they can’t see due to the length of the trailer. The final one is on the right side of the cab, moving backward on a diagonal line about 30 feet.
Drivers typically can’t see anything in these blind spots. It’s important for a driver to be aware of these areas due to the high danger and severity of injuries involved with truck accidents.
Blindspot accidents are an area where negligence can happen. The drivers are supposed to check these spots whenever they change lanes, turn, brake, or do anything else that could be affected by not being able to see in these areas. Sometimes they fail to detect vehicles in these areas anyway, but there’s supposed to be diligence in dealing with them.
Blindspot Accidents
When these cases go to court, they are often referred to as blind-spot accidents if the accident occurred due to a blind spot. This is quite common when it comes to accidents with trucks. The defense attorneys will often argue that the fault lies with the other driver if they spent a lot of time in a blind spot.
If the driver failed to check their blind spots by adjusting their mirrors before engaging in a maneuver, the fault could rest with the truck driver instead. An example of this would be thoroughly checking to see if there is a car on their right when they are coming out wide to the left to make a right turn. Cars often get stuck and crushed in this situation, and the fault lies completely with the truck driver for not thoroughly checking all areas around them.
Common Injuries Due to Blind-Spot Trucking Accidents
When a truck driver doesn’t see a vehicle in one of the truck’s blind spots, it might result in an underride collision, a sideswipe accident, a rollover accident, or a passenger vehicle being run off the road by the truck. These large commercial trucks cause devastating accidents with more auto damage, more severe injuries, and a higher likelihood of fatalities than accidents involving only passenger vehicles. If you are involved in a blind-spot trucking accident, you may have suffered one or more of the following injuries:
- One or more fractures
- Deep lacerations that may leave permanent scars
- Neck injuries, such as whiplash
- Back injuries, including cracked vertebrae and herniated discs
- Spinal cord injuries that might lead to partial or temporary paralysis
- Head injuries that often result in moderate to severe traumatic brain injuries (TBI)
- Internal bleeding and organ damage
- Crushed limbs that might require amputation
- Burns, when a collision causes an explosion or fire
Getting Started
If you or a loved one has been involved in a blind-spot trucking accident and you or a loved one has sustained injuries that require medical attention, then you need to contact a truck accident attorney today. Only attorneys experienced in dealing with trucking accidents, and their aggressive corporate lawyers and insurance companies are going to have the experience to understand all of the ins and outs of the situation necessary to make sure that you maximize your claim. Inexperienced attorneys that are not familiar with trucking accidents should not be consulted, make sure that you vett your trucking accident attorney properly.
Call our law offices today at any of our convenient locations and get a free consultation.
Arlington (817) 522-4451
Dallas (972) 362-6848
Fort Worth (817) 764-1375
Plano (972) 354-4602
Cedar Hill (972) 338-9427
McKinney (469) 522-3688
Lewisville (972) 354-4605
Frisco (972) 725-7681
Grapevine (817) 835-8677
Irving (972) 354-4610
Keller (817) 204-0904
Garland (214) 572-2251
Denton (940) 222-4060
Addison (972) 564-8108
You can also contact us online by using our quick contact form.
