Truck and car accidents are both horrific experiences for everyone involved. However, when it comes down to physics, truck accidents are far worse.
Semi-trucks and tractor-trailers can weigh up to 80,000 pounds, posing a safety threat to everyone on the road. Most cars/passenger vehicles weigh below 4,000 pounds. This means that a big truck will collide with far more force than even the biggest passenger vehicle can withstand. Tragically, this results in 97% of deaths in fatal truck crashes being with passenger vehicle occupants.
The Main Differences Between Truck and Car Accidents
Truck accidents are different and far more complicated because the fault and financial responsibility could rest on the driver, the trucking company, the loading facility, the manufacturer of the truck, the retailer of the truck, or a range of parties that could be involved. A passenger vehicle/car accident is usually just between the two (or more) private citizen parties who collided.
Due to the weight and size of a massive commercial truck, the severity of an injury is usually far greater. Most truck accident injuries are labeled catastrophic, an injury that changes the rest of a person’s life. Sometimes a truck accident can tragically result in the wrongful death of a person(s) in a passenger vehicle. As a result, companies that insure trucking operators view claims against policyholders as major threats to their bottom line, and do all they can to deny or minimize liability.
Types of Trucking Collisions
Trucking collisions can take many forms, including:
- T-bone collisions: T-bone and side-impact accidents involving commercial trucks put vehicle occupants at risk of suffering serious injuries. When trucks are traveling at high speeds or fail to brake or slow down prior to the collision, the consequences can be devastating.
- Underride accidents: Because commercial big rigs are higher from the ground that standard cars, there are considerable risks for underride accidents – a type of collision in which the smaller vehicle travels under the truck’s rear or side undercarriage. Statistically, underride crashes are associated with more injuries and fatalities than other types of crashes.
- Rollovers / Jackknife: Trucking rollovers pose increased risks of injury or death – both to truckers and occupants of standard passenger vehicles. Per data from NHTSA, rollovers are responsible for over half of all occupant / driver fatalities, despite accounting for just 3% of all truck crashes.
Why Choose Bostwick & Peterson?
When you or a family member have been injured in an accident, the emotional and physical stress can be overwhelming. At Bostwick & Peterson, we provide a voice to victims and help them fight back against corporations. We take pride in helping victims understand their rights, the scope their past and future damages, and their options for recovering the maximum compensation possible.
With over eight decades of combined experience and winning over $1 billion in compensation for clients, you can rest assured that our accomplished legal team will use our resources to investigate and document your claim. As Super Lawyers® and members of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates®, we have an established record of success. Put our energetic and accomplished team of lawyers to work for you.
Give us a call at (888) 831-8448 or fill out our online form, and we will get back to you shortly.