Things You Must Know About Truck Accidents 

All of us encounter different types of dangers on a daily basis while traveling on the road. However, getting involved in a truck accident is the worst nightmare for anyone. There are several factors that make truck accidents different from other road accidents. As we all know, the combined weight of a tractor-trailer can be well over 80,000 pounds. This enormous mass and momentum significantly increase the risk factor, when these heavyweight vehicles are involved in an accident. 

Some Common Dangers: There are many reasons to avoid being close to a truck or semi-truck while driving down the highway. Mentioned below are some of the most common risk factors.  

A tire blowout is a common cause of concern while driving too close to a truck. Many of you must have seen large chunks of rubber scattered all over the highway while traveling.  These rubber chunks are the result of a big rig’s blowout of the tire. The consequence of remaining close to a truck during a tire blowout can be severe. 

Not many of you may be aware of the fact that trucks tend to get significantly impacted by wind flow. As a result of its length, a tractor-trailer can get affected by a large wind surface. During a storm, this wind force can blow even an 18-wheeler out of its lane or push it out of the road into a ditch. 

One of the biggest dangers with trucks is that they have plenty of blind spots. As a result of this, experienced truck drivers avoid making quick lane changes. However, in order to ensure your security, it is advisable to always stay away from these blind spots.

Finally, anyone who travels frequently knows that trucks make extremely wide turns. This can be particularly dangerous in the case of right turns. In urban areas with limited space, this is a frequent cause of truck-related collisions.  

Examples of Truck Accident Injuries: The range of potential injuries resulting from a truck accident includes strains, sprains, and bruising of the back, neck, arms, shoulders, knees, and legs. Torn tendons and ligaments in the shoulders, back, neck, wrists, elbows, knees, and hips are also common.

In many cases, injuries initially diagnosed to be related to the soft-tissues are later found to be related to the discs in the back or neck. An MRI can provide a complete picture of the injury to the discs of the vertebrae in the spinal column. In some cases, therapy may help treat these injuries. Unfortunately, in case of severe injuries, surgery may be the only option. 

Truck injury may also lead to traumatic brain injury or TBI if the injured person loses consciousness because of striking his or her head on the steering wheel, window glass, side door pillar, or some other heavy object. 

Investigating a Truck Accident: If the accident does not involve fatalities or serious injuries, the law enforcement agencies are just required to create a crash report. However, in case of significant injuries or death, it is crucial to secure the evidence as well as the accident scene. Most of the trucks nowadays are equipped with onboard computer systems. In certain circumstances, it may be essential to download data from these systems. However, a temporary restraining order (TRO) may be required before the download of any such information.

Immediately after a truck accident, securing statements from the law enforcement authorities and Identifying witnesses is extremely important. In some instances, the police report may not reflect the original versions of the witnesses regarding the accident. This is just one of the many reasons why it makes sense for you to contact an experienced truck accident attorney in your area.