Although underride truck accidents are very rare, they may be the singularly most dangerous type of crash involving a commercial vehicle. Statistics regarding these types of crashes are hard to come by, although there are estimates that as many as 400 people die in these accidents each year. It is a virtual certainty that anyone in a car that has ended up under a truck in an accident will suffer either severe injuries or death. To understand why underride accidents are so dangerous, you need to know more about the nature of the actual crash.
Types of Underride Truck Accidents That Cause Severe Injuries
Jackknife truck accidents can occur in several ways:
- Rear accidents: A truck’s sudden braking can lead to a car running into the back of the vehicle, and the car can end up underneath the back of the truck. Newer trucks are required to have rear underride guards, although they may not be properly installed, or they may fail in the event of an accident.
- Side accidents: A truck can turn into the driver’s path, or it can be involved in a jackknife crash. Many trucks do not have side underride guards, and passenger car drivers do not have the same protections in these crashes that they may have in a rear-end crash.
- Front underride accidents: A truck driver could run into the back of the car, and the passenger vehicle may end up under the front of the truck. There are no possible guards that can prevent this situation from happening.
Why Underride Truck Accidents Lead to Catastrophic Injuries
The reason why underride truck accidents almost always result in severe and catastrophic injuries is that there is an intrusion by the truck into the interior of the passenger vehicle. The top of the passenger car cannot maintain its own structural integrity in this case. The top of the car is often sheared off. The occupants will suffer severe personal injuries to the head and neck area that often result in instant death. They may also sustain chest injuries from impact with the car’s steering wheel. Even if the passengers survive the initial impact, they will likely be left with head and neck injuries that can mean permanent brain or spinal cord damage.
These injuries are likely to occur no matter the speed at which the truck was traveling at the time of the accident. The injuries are magnified even more when the accident occurs at high speed. The passenger car occupants will be trapped in the car if they survive the initial impact. Rescuers would need to cut the passengers out of the car, delaying crucial medical help that is needed in the immediate aftermath of the accident. If the passengers survive with serious physical injuries, they will also be left with serious emotional effects, such as post-traumatic stress disorder.
Lawsuits for Truck Underride Accident Injuries and Deaths
If your loved one was killed or seriously injured in an underride car accident, your family may file a lawsuit. However, you must be prepared to deal with allegations that the insurance and trucking companies may make about the driver’s conduct. For example, if there was a rear-end underride accident, the insurance company may allege that the driver was either speeding or traveling too closely behind the commercial vehicle. You may need to disprove these allegations to qualify for full compensation for the truck accident.
Fort Lauderdale Truck Accident Lawyers at Barnett Fenton Injury Law, P.A., Can Help You Recover
If you or a loved one was involved in a crash with a commercial vehicle, reach out to the Fort Lauderdale truck accident lawyers at Barnett Fenton Injury Law, P.A. Our truck accident attorneys can investigate the circumstances of the crash and work to put you in a position to receive financial compensation. Call us today at 954-736-3070 or fill out our online contact form to schedule your free consultation. Our office is located in Fort Lauderdale, FL, and we serve clients in the surrounding area.