There are some distinctions between car vs truck accidents, including the extent of the victim’s injuries and the number of persons involved. When bringing a lawsuit or making a personal injury claim, these variations can be important. The kind of vehicle involved can also be a significant factor in establishing who is responsible for someone who sustains injuries in a motor vehicle collision that was the other driver’s fault.
The size and weight of a truck that strikes your car might cause injuries that could last for years or have a significant impact on your quality of life. However, your injuries might be less severe and you might have a higher chance of fully recovering if a smaller automobile hits you.
Truck Vs Car Accident: Who Is At Greater Risk Of Injury?
Due to the truck’s significantly greater mass and longer stopping distance, when a truck and car crash, the impact of the collision will be noticeably greater in the car. Because the car will halt from going to a complete stop in a shorter amount of time, the G force inside the vehicle will be significantly larger.
The first impact of many trucks vs car accidents causes significantly more damage to the car’s occupants. One of the many reasons commercial drivers need a CDL is to hold them to a high standard of driving and to ensure that they are aware of the rules and safety concerns that are relevant to their line of work.
However, there is a completely different set of circumstances that could result in the truck driver suffering significant injuries in addition if the truck jackknifes, rolls over, or has another event after the first collision.
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The Differences: Semi Vs Car Accident
- Lack of Visibility & Immediate Stopping Power
Have you ever been driving and thought for sure you saw a car behind you, but when you glanced again, it was gone? It most certainly didn’t simply disappear; instead, it either got off when you weren’t looking, slid into your blind area, changed lanes, or is still present but is just invisible to you.
When it comes to visibility, semi-trucks fall behind regular cars. Not only does their size affect what they view, but other circumstances can also make them less visible, increasing the risk of a collision. Here are a few illustrations:
Because of his height, a truck driver may have trouble seeing objects below his line of sight, such as pedestrians and other vehicles.
Without a rear window, visibility is reduced to simply the side mirrors, expanding a truck’s blind spot.
If there are insufficient reflectors, other motorists may not see the semi-truck in tunnels or on winding highways.
Even in fair weather, poor lighting can make it challenging to see—especially if other nearby cars are not using their lights. You are easily mistaken by a truck for a pitch-black area, causing the vehicle to strike you.
Truck drivers struggle to see in inclement weather due to non-aerodynamic windshields. The windshields of most cars are angled, which naturally causes water to roll off. Water is less likely to roll off the windshield of a semi-truck since it is typically perpendicular to the hood.
- Rollover Accidents and Jackknifing
Approximately 85% of rollover fatalities, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), involve single vehicles. However, 15% of accidents that involve two or more automobiles are frequently the most traumatic, leaving the victims seriously hurt or dead.
The weight, size, and shape of the vehicle- Due to their greater centers of gravity, commercial tractor-trailers, box vans, SUVs, passenger vans, and pickup vehicles are more prone to experience a rollover accident.
When a truck driver abruptly uses the brakes, especially when moving at a high speed, this is known as jackknifing. The entire truck and its trailer may start to skid when abruptly applying the brakes, which may result in jackknifing.
Because of the stark contrasts in size, weight, and height between heavy trucks and passenger cars, collisions involving these two types of vehicles are frequently fatal.
If the roads are wet or slick, the truck’s brakes are not properly maintained, or the load is fully loaded, stopping a tractor-trailer may take twenty to forty percent longer and travel farther than stopping a passenger car.
- Understanding Federal Trucking Regulations
The laws and regulations of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration must be followed by trucking companies. If a trucking business violates these rules, it could be held accountable for:
- Untrained truck drivers
- Negligently hired drivers
- Unsupervised drivers
- Drivers suffering from fatigue
- Violations of safety standards
Hours of service, drug, and alcohol testing, hazardous materials, and DOT medical examinations are a few of the regulations that apply. Necessary documents and certificates, truck inspections every day, qualifications for truck drivers, the vehicle’s weight, Realistic delivery times, and permitted routes for trucks.
Dangerous truck and car accidents are considerably more likely when truck drivers, trucking companies, and other relevant parties disregard certain federal regulations.
- Cargo Spills as a Result of an Accident
Things can fall onto the road when a truck crashes, a trailer door opens, or a cargo securement otherwise becomes free. In various circumstances, a driver’s inability to stop in time can result in chain-reaction collisions.
However, if toxic or hazardous substances leak, it creates several extra safety concerns for cleanup personnel as well as for persons present at the scene and those who live or work nearby. Others may continue to be exposed to these harmful substances or other risky goods that have leaked onto the road, which could result in more injuries from toxic chemical exposure.
A vehicle carrying combustible cargo may occasionally crash, which could result in an explosion or fire that causes several extra and extensive injuries and damage.
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Coluccio Law: The Car vs Truck Accident Experts
Real and beneficial change in people’s lives is Coluccio Law’s primary goal. To provide each client with a high-quality, individualized level of legal representation and to ensure that each case is resolved successfully, the law firm only accepts a select number of cases.Should you have been involved in a car vs truck accident, then don’t hesitate to contact us today!
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