Wide Turn Truck Accidents
The size of commercial trucks requires them to make wide turns, which can cause truck drivers to lose sight of passenger cars and pedestrians in adjacent lanes. Failing to judge the correct amount of space needed to make wide turns can result in serious and sometimes fatal accidents. Unfortunately, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and commercial fleet owners try to place the blame on the drivers in passenger vehicles. Victims often face difficulty proving liability for truck accidents as truck drivers try to claim contributory negligence.
The sheer size of commercial trucks makes turns challenging and requires the skills of a well trained and experienced truck driver. Trucks making wide turns in a congested intersection, on a city block, or even into a loading zone or parking lot entrance can be dangerous and cause serious injury if a passenger vehicle or pedestrian gets caught in the path of the truck.
An experienced truck driver will be familiar with how much space they need to safely execute a wide turn. The truck driver must estimate how far they need to swing to successfully make the wide turn. In most cases, it will be necessary for the truck to drive into the oncoming lane of traffic, which cuts off their visibility for vehicles on the sides of the truck. Passenger vehicles are often hit or squeezed between the truck and another vehicle or curb while the turn is in process.
Truck Accident Injuries
Victims typically suffer serious and sometimes fatal injuries. The weight of the truck pressing into the side of the passenger vehicle or cutting into the front or back of the vehicle can pin drivers and passengers in their cars. Broken and crushed bones, head, neck, and spinal injuries, cuts and lacerations from broken glass, and internal injuries are common. In some cases, the truck may jackknife, which increases the damage to the vehicle caught in between the front and rear of the truck.
Compensation for Injuries
Victims of wide turn truck accidents often require prolonged recovery periods and are sometimes left with lifelong complications and disabilities. Trucking companies are armed with large legal teams ready to battle claims of driver negligence that would hold them liable for injuries sustained in the accident. Contributory negligence claims can significantly reduce the amount of compensation awarded to victims.
Consulting with an experienced and knowledgeable truck accident lawyer is critical to a successful claim for compensation following a wide turn accident. The truck accident lawyer will be able to gather pertinent evidence to prove that the truck driver’s negligence or carelessness was directly responsible for the injuries sustained in the accident, thus affording the victim the maximum amount of compensation available.
Piscataway Truck Accident Lawyers at the Law Offices of Harold J. Gerr Represent Victims of Wide Turn Accidents
If you were a victim of a wide turn truck accident, the Piscataway truck accident lawyers at the Law Offices of Harold J. Gerr will hold the negligent party responsible for your injuries. Call us at 732-537-8570 or contact us online to set up a free consultation today. Our Highland Park, New Jersey offices serve clients throughout New Brunswick, Somerset, Piscataway, Edison, South River, Sayreville, Metuchen, East Brunswick, South Plainfield, Fords, Middlesex, Old Bridge, Iselin, Bound Brook, Perth Amboy, and Colonia.
