Blind Spot truck accidents are extremely dangerous. If a big rig driver fails to see others in their path, they could cause a severe accident. A wide variety of circumstances might lead to a blind spot truck accident, but typically, these stem from the fact that a truck driver did not see a smaller car when changing lanes or turning, resulting in a collision. There are factors that come into play that make semi-blind spots bigger than cars. For example, the length of the average semi-truck spans from 70 to 80 feet, which creates a large space and limited visibility. Also, trucks with triple trailers are more than 100 feet long, which gives them the largest blind spots on the road.
Some common causes include vehicles following each other too closely behind another, aggressive driving, failure to check blind spots before making a lane change, and passenger cars simply traveling in a large truck’s blind spot. If you were injured in a collision, you should reach out to a local blind spot truck accident attorney to determine your eligibility for recovering compensation.
Factors that Can Cause a Collision
Semi-trucks have four primary blind spots. There’s one immediately in front of the truck’s cab, extending forward for about 20 feet. There is another just below and behind the driver’s window. A blind spot is also on the right side of the truck’s cab extending backward diagonally. Additionally, there is another blind spot directly behind the truck’s trailer, extending for about 30 feet. It can be nearly impossible for truckers to see anything located in these areas.
Truckers are expected to do their best to check their blind spot before turning, changing lanes, or braking, but even with conscious effort on their part, they are not always able to see cars or other vehicles in their blind spots.
Truck drivers and the trucking company may be negligent for blind spot accidents if they failed to take the proper precautions. They could be held liable due to the following:
- Failure to have proper training or qualifications to drive the truck;
- Failure to have the necessary mirrors for the truck properly installed
- Failure to properly align the mirrors to reduce the blind spots as much as possible
- Failure to keep a proper lookout for other vehicles around them
- Failure to check all their blind spots before making a maneuver
- Driving while overly tired
- Driving while intoxicated due to drugs or alcohol
- Failure to have the proper technology such as front, side, and rear collision avoidant systems
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Common Types of Injuries a Person Could Sustain in a Crash
Trucking accidents usually result in significant property damage to vehicles, and severe injuries to all involved. The most common injuries include:
- Broken bones
- Lacerations
- Neck injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Back injuries
- Head trauma
- Hemorrhaging
- Crushed limbs that might need to be amputated
- Burns
A local truck accident attorney could help coordinate the injured claimant’s medical needs and help them get the proper treatment.
Who Is At-Fault for a Blind Spot Accident?
Truck drivers are required to exercise reasonable care to avoid any foreseeable risk of harm to other people so that means they’ve got to be careful when they slow down, change lanes, or turn. A driver injured in a truck’s blind spot could suffer catastrophic injuries, and he or she could sue the truck driver for negligence.
Trucking Company Liability
In many cases, it is also appropriate to sue the trucking company that employed the driver, and a company could be held responsible under a theory of vicarious liability, where a driver commits a negligent act within the course and scope of his or her employment with the trucking company, which means a trucking company may not be vicariously liable if the trucker was off-duty and failed to check his or her blind spot.
An individual can be directly liable where a truck driver employee is negligent if the employer knew or should have known that the truck driver should not be hired or had an employment history involving dangerous driving. For example, if the trucking company knows its employee has a drinking problem and chooses to hire them anyway, then it could be responsible under a theory of negligent hiring or negligent supervision.
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Seek Help From a Grand Prairie Blind Spot
Immediately following a truck or big rig crash, you should seek assistance from a seasoned attorney in your community. A local lawyer could investigate your accident and help prove the defendant’s negligence is the cause of your accident.
It is always important to still seek the counsel of an experienced blind spot truck wreck lawyer because even though the car may be thought to have been the cause of the accident or there may be other factors where we could place liability on the truck driver or on the trucking company. Call today to discuss your case.
Call (817) 775-5364 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
