One of the things that your Florida truck accident attorney will want to know is; what type of truck accident caused your injuries? While that may seem somewhat beside the point-after all, isn’t it more important to focus on what the other driver did to cause your accident, rather than the type of truck accident that occurred?-but the type of truck accident may give important clues about the circumstances that led to the crash .
According to a 2006 study from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), jackknife truck accidents account for 25% of multivehicle truck accidents. Incidentally, a jackknife accident can be caused by a truck driver suddenly applying the brakes, which can happen if a driver is distracted and fails to reasonably anticipate upcoming road hazards or slowing traffic.
Another common type of accident-an override truck accident-occurs when a large truck’s front end literally runs over another vehicle, such as a smaller passenger car or motorcycle. Injuries from an override accident are often extremely severe, and can include debilitating head trauma or death. An override accident can occur because of:
- Driver error
- Inclement weather, or not driving for road conditions
- Brake failure, or other equipment malfunction
- Failing to leave a safe following distance
An underride accident is often one of the most deadly types of truck accidents that can occur. During an underride accident, a passenger vehicle collides with a commercial truck and continues underneath the larger vehicle. As you can imagine, this type of crash often results in serious, if not fatal, accident injuries. These are often the result of a passenger driver riding too closely to the rear of a truck that may have to suddenly brake. According to the NHTSA, “newer” commercial trucks are required to be equipped with guards and reflective tape to prevent such accidents from occurring.
For more information about the most common types of truck accidents and how that can affect your claim, visit our article library.
A Florida truck accident attorney at Lilly, O’Toole & Brown can talk to you about the circumstances of your truck accident and determine negligence, and whether there is liability for the truck driver and/or trucking company involved in your crash. We are committed to protecting your best interests and helping you collect the damages you and your family need and deserve to move on with your lives. Contact our firm today to schedule your consultation; (863) 533-5525.