Did you have a close encounter with a large truck on the road? Perhaps you want to prepare yourself in case the worst happens. If so, you need to know about the different types of trucking accidents.
The most dangerous trucking accidents include jackknifes and rollovers. Plus, staying in a truck driver’s blind spot increases the likelihood of a severe accident. Other common accident types include rear-end collisions, head-on accidents, and underride accidents, all of which generally entitle victims to compensatory damages in South Carolina.
If you have been involved in a truck-related accident, contact our South Carolina truck accident lawyers by calling Burriss Ridgeway Injury Lawyers now at (803) 451-4000 for a free case review.
What Types of Trucking Accidents Should Be on My Radar the Most?
Some of the most common types of trucking accidents are jackknife and rollover accidents. Passenger car drivers should also stay mindful of blind spots, as being in a truck’s blind spot is very dangerous. Regardless, you may have a case if you sustained a personal injury due to a truck driver’s negligence.
An accident can occur for a variety of reasons, such as fatigue, recklessness, distractions, and inexperience, and our Columbia truck accident attorneys can help you from beginning to end.
What Are Jackknife Accidents?
A jackknife occurs when the truck folds in on itself. As a result, the cab turns 90 degrees. The driver loses complete control of the truck, endangering motorists. The weight of the trailer pushes the cab forward, throwing the entire truck off course.
Why Are Jackknife Accidents the Most Dangerous?
Jackknife accidents are especially dangerous when tanker trucks are involved. Trucks carrying hazardous chemicals endanger all motorists in the vicinity.
Since the driver has no control during a jackknife accident, the truck can also enter other lanes, causing multiple accidents. In the worst cases, the truck may overturn, injuring the driver and several other motorists.
What Causes Jackknife Accidents?
The following are some of the top causes of jackknife accidents:
- Suddenly acceleration
- Sudden deceleration
- Driver inattention
Drivers speed all too often to make delivery deadlines. A speeding truck is dangerous due to the trailer’s excessive weight. The average truck can weigh around 80,000 pounds.
The heavyweight behind the cab causes the driver to lose control. Plus, the cab and the trailer can stop in different directions, causing a jackknife.
Jackknife accidents also happen during hazardous weather (i.e., snowstorms or heavy rain) because of icy and wet roads.
Moreover, the truck’s tires may lack traction on wet roads, causing the truck to slide. Truck drivers stand a higher chance of jackknifing if they don’t maintain the tires properly.
Who is Liable for a Jackknife Accident?
If the truck driver was negligent and caused the jackknife accident, they and their employer may be liable for your injuries, and our South Carolina truck accident lawyers can seek compensation by filing a lawsuit on your behalf. If another driver forced the trucker to react, causing the jackknife collision, that driver may be wholly or partially liable.
What Are Rollover Accidents?
In extreme cases, a truck can overturn if the driver loses control. The truck will tip over and can slide across the roadway. The sliding truck will contact oncoming cars, and nearby motorists have little time to react.
Additionally, cargo can scatter across roadways, posing a safety hazard. For example, garbage truck accidents can cause small and large debris to spill onto the road. The result is a separate hazard because motorists may swerve out of the way to avoid hitting it.
In many cases, truck rollovers will impede traffic as first responders remove the truck. In more dire circumstances, truck rollovers can kill or injure multiple motorists. Truck rollovers represent some of the highest trucking fatalities.
What Causes Most Rollover Truck Accidents?
Overall, speed represents nearly half of all truck rollovers. Moreover, accidents can occur when drivers speed with an improperly loaded truck.
Since trucks have a high center of gravity, loaders must distribute the cargo evenly throughout the trailer. Speeding can cause cargo to shift, throwing the center of gravity off balance. A tip-over occurs when the driver speeds, shifting the cargo weight to one side of the trailer.
Rollovers usually occur when the front wheels turn faster than the trailer’s wheels, especially when the trailer is loaded. A sudden turn may occur for the following reasons:
- Distracted driving
- Driver inexperience
- Swerving to avoid another vehicle or object
Where Do Rollover Accidents Happen?
Rollovers can often occur at sudden curves. Drivers must slow down to adjust for the curvature. When it comes to road curves, many drivers assess the wrong speeds. Motorists have no time to react when truck drivers speed around road curves.
Rollover accidents are more common at higher speeds, such as on highways, and may involve several passenger cars and victims.
Who is at Fault for Rollover Trucking Accidents in South Carolina?
The truck driver, their employer, or another driver altogether may be liable for a rollover accident with a truck in South Carolina.
The Truck Driver
Truck drivers are at fault for rollover accidents when they overload vehicles, drive too fast, make sharp turns, or make sudden movements due to inattention, recklessness, inexperience, or fatigue.
The Truck Driver’s Employer
We can also most likely hold the driver’s employer liable for a rollover accident, as long as the trucker was on the clock at the time and is a regular employee, not an independent contractor.
Another Driver
Sometimes, another driver may have caused a truck rollover. Perhaps the offending motorist stopped suddenly, forcing the truck driver to take evasive action. The maneuver caused the truck driver to lose control, causing the rollover accident.
What to Know About Blind Spot Accidents with Trucks in South Carolina
Drivers are most vulnerable when they’re in a trucker’s blind spot. The driver may not see you as they enter your lane. The truck may crash into the motorist or force the motorist off the road. In the worst cases, the truck could crush your vehicle.
Dangers of Blind Spots
Blind areas are “No Zones.” You’re in a No Zone when a driver cannot see you. Many motorists also think blind spots are common only in semi trucks, but other types of trucks have them, too.
Multiple Blind Spots
Truck drivers have a blind spot directly in front of them, directly behind them, and on each side, but especially the right side.
Trash truck accidents often occur when motorists fail to check their blind spots. Large garbage trucks have multiple blind spots. Also, garbage trucks have fewer mirrors.
Large Blind Spots
Semi trucks and other large vehicles have blind spots that are substantially larger than passenger cars, making these types of accidents fairly common in South Carolina.
If you cannot see a driver’s reflection in the side mirror, you may be in a danger zone.
What Are Other Types of Trucking Accidents in South Carolina?
Any accident type can be severe and potentially deadly when a large truck is involved in South Carolina.
Rear-End Accidents
Though often viewed as minor collisions, rear-end accidents involving a commercial truck and a passenger car can be very dangerous. The following are some of the most common injuries victims sustain in rear-end crashes with trucks:
- Facial fractures
- Broken rib
- Broken clavicle
- Bruises
- Lacerations
- Herniated disc
- Whiplash
- Traumatic brain injury
- Spinal cord injury
Underride Accidents
Underride accidents occur when semi trucks don’t have the proper underride bars on their vehicles to prevent a passenger car from going underneath the larger truck, which puts occupants at risk of serious and fatal injuries.
Head-On Collisions
Head-on collisions are very serious, and often occur when commercial truck drivers are fatigued and veer into the opposite lane of traffic or make misguided passing attempts.
Wide-Turn Accidents
Making excessively wide turns in a large semi truck is dangerous for passenger car drivers in the neighboring lane, as their vehicles may be scraped or pushed into traffic.
Tire Blowouts
Blowouts happen suddenly, and truck drivers might lose control of their vehicles, especially at higher speeds on a highway. Tire blowouts might end up involving several vehicles and drivers.
T-Bone Accidents
T-bone accidents happen at intersections and can be fatal for passenger car occupants on the side where the impact occurs.
Defective Part Accidents
Suppose a truck’s brakes were defective, causing your accident. In that case, the driver and truck owner are also at fault for negligent brake maintenance. The driver may have also made improper adjustments to the truck. The brake manufacturer may also share liability.
FAQs About Trucking Accidents
What Are the Most Dangerous Types of Trucking Accidents?
Jackknife, head-on, T-bone, underride, and rollover accidents are among the most dangerous truck crashes for truck drivers and passenger car occupants in South Carolina.
What Time of Day Do Truck Accidents Happen?
Truck accidents are more common at night and on highways, where truckers may be driving while fatigued.
How Often Are Truck Accidents Fatal?
Truck accidents can be fatal for truck drivers and passenger car occupants alike, and resulted in 122 total deaths in South Carolina and 5,472 deaths nationwide in 2023.
Do You Need a Lawyer if You’re Injured in a Trucking Accident?
Getting a lawyer after being injured in a trucking accident is important; otherwise, you risk losing access to important evidence, filing a weak compensation claim, and not recovering the damages you deserve.
Who is Liable for a Trucking Accident in South Carolina?
Even if a truck driver is negligent, their employer may also be responsible for your damages under the legal doctrine of respondeat superior, and our South Carolina truck accident lawyers can determine how this applies to your case and affects your recovery.
Do You Have to Call 911 After a Trucking Accident?
You must call 911 if anyone is injured after a car accident, including a collision with a truck. The truck driver might ask you not to call 911 because their job could be at risk, but you should still inform law enforcement to protect your recovery.
What Damages Can You Recover After a Trucking Accident?
After any type of trucking accident in South Carolina, you can recover economic and non-economic damages. You may even get an award for punitive damages if the lawsuit goes to trial and we present clear and compelling evidence of gross negligence.
Call Us for Help with a South Carolina Truck Accident Case
Call Burriss Ridgeway Injury Lawyers at (803) 451-4000 for a free case assessment from our South Carolina truck accident lawyers.
