Thousands of people are injured and killed in truck accidents each year, with the majority of those injuries and deaths involving passenger vehicle occupants. While we know some of the most common causes of truck collisions relate to poor vehicle maintenance, overloaded trucks, and distracted driving, we’re often less familiar with how these accidents play out. You can learn about the most common truck crash types in the United States below. This knowledge may just help you remain safer on the road.

Rear-End Collisions

After a report was published on 141,000 trucks involved in accidents, it was determined that 33,000 of them, or 23.1%, were rear-end collisions. If you or someone you know was in a truck accident, there’s a reasonably high chance that it involved a vehicle rear-ending a truck or a truck rear-ending a vehicle.

The injuries sustained in rear-end collisions can be severe, such as whiplash, neck strain, headaches, and spinal injuries. If you’ve recently been involved in a rear-end collision with a truck, consider contacting a personal injury lawyer to learn about your compensation options. They can evaluate your case’s specifics and determine whether you have a valid claim against the alleged at-fault party or parties in a truck accident.

Depending on the degree and extent of your injuries, your personal injury lawyer will calculate fair compensation for your economic and non-economic losses. These include medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other related damages.

Running Off the Road or Out of the Lane

There are many reasons why a truck driver might run off the road or move out of their lane. They might have been trying to avoid an obstacle, suffered a medical emergency, fell asleep, or were distracted. However, the outcome of such a maneuver can be that they collide with another vehicle, causing injuries or even death.

According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), 17.8% or 25,000 of the previously reported 141,000 trucks were involved in an accident after running off the road or out of their lane.

Hence, if you’ve sustained truck accident injuries due to someone else’s negligent actions, it’s best to seek legal assistance from an experienced truck accident lawyer. They can help you file a personal injury claim against the at-fault party or parties to recover the right amount of compensation.  

Moreover, they can also use their knowledge, skills, and expertise to determine who is liable for the truck accident. To prove the other party or parties’ liability and negligence, they can assist you in collecting valuable information, such as police reports, photos of the accident scene and the damage, medical records of the injured victim, witness statements, and expert testimonies.

These pieces of evidence can be used to strengthen your claim and improve your chances of getting a favorable outcome.  

Side Swipe in the Same Direction

No one is exempt from making mistakes on the road, including truck drivers. Sometimes, passenger car drivers and truck drivers can take up more space in their lanes than they realize, leading to a sideswipe accident even when driving in the same direction.

While no one likely means for this to happen, this type of accident can see you in need of the assistance of a law firm to help guide you through the process of seeking compensation for your accident-related injuries. 

If you’re looking for the right law firm, conduct thorough research to ensure the one you pick has the experience, expertise, and knowledge you need to win your case. Check their websites to learn more about your prospects or read client reviews online. This way, you’ll know whether your prospect can handle your case more efficiently.  

Rollovers

Rollovers are one of the most common truck crash types in the United States, but they happen for many different reasons. A truck can roll over when it’s traveling too fast for a curve in the road or when it has poor stability. Sometimes, a load shifting while the truck is moving can also cause a rollover.

In the FMCSA’s Large Truck Crash Causation Study, there were 13,000 rollover accidents, making up 8.9% of all truck crash types. Injuries sustained in rollover accidents can be severe, with at least five main areas of the body affected.

Turning Across or Into the Path of a Vehicle

Passenger vehicle and truck drivers can be injured when either vehicle turns into or across the other vehicle’s path. Such accidents make up 8% of all truck accident types. Many factors can be involved when these accidents occur, such as speed, a blind spot, an obstacle, or a moment of inattention.

While there are thousands of truck accidents on United States roads each year, they don’t all happen for the same reasons. Any number of causes can be identified, such as the most common ones mentioned above.