Any type of collision between a large commercial vehicle and a smaller passenger car has the potential to result in serious and sometimes deadly injuries. There are, however, certain types of truck accidents that are notorious for having particularly devastating consequences. Read on to learn more about the most common types of fatal truck accidents in Florida.
Fatal Truck Accidents are Common
According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), there were an estimated 415,000 truck accidents in 2020. Nearly 25 percent of those crashes caused some sort of injury and tragically, 4,444 of those injuries resulted in a fatality. The majority of those fatal crashes (62 percent) involved two vehicles and in 83 percent, the occupants who lost their lives were the occupants of the smaller vehicle.
Rollover Accidents
While all truck accidents can have serious, life-changing repercussions, certain types are more likely to result in long-term injuries or death. Rollover accidents fall firmly under this category. These kinds of accidents occur when the truck actually rolls onto its side, or all the way over, often multiple times. Because semi-trucks have both a cab and a trailer portion, it is not uncommon for these two parts to separate during a rollover accident, which increases the chances of a collision with other vehicles.
Rollover accidents also often end up causing a truck’s cargo to spill out across the road, blocking traffic, colliding with other vehicles, and significantly increasing the chances of injury. This is especially true in situations where the truck was carrying hazardous cargo, like other vehicles, construction equipment, timber, or heavy machinery. Frustratingly, rollover accidents are often the result of truck driver negligence, such as speeding and distracted driving. Even failing to properly secure a truck’s cargo can cause it to be off-balance and roll over on a sharp turn.
T-Bone Accidents
T-bone collisions, even when they only involve two passenger vehicles, tend to result in severe injuries and significant property damage. These kinds of accidents occur when one vehicle strikes the side of another, creating a T-shape, and often take place in intersections. When the vehicle doing the striking is a truck, the results can be devastating, as the sides of a vehicle are the least protected portions. This means that there is only a thin layer of metal (the doors) between a person and the full force of an 80,000 pound truck. The resulting injuries are almost always catastrophic and sometimes deadly. Again, t-bone accidents are often the result of driver negligence, such as falling asleep at the wheel or attempting to beat a red light.
Jackknife Accidents
Jackknife accidents occur when the trailer portion of a truck swings out at the hitch point at a 90-degree angle. Jackknife accidents are dangerous because they almost always block multiple lanes of traffic, resulting in several collisions, which in turn increases the chances that a person will suffer multiple blunt force impacts. Jackknife accidents are usually caused by driving too fast for the conditions, driver distraction, improperly loaded cargo, or a defective brake system.
Head-On Collisions
Head-on collisions are the most dangerous type of car accident in which a person can be involved and the risks are even more extreme when one or more of those vehicles is a commercial truck. These kinds of deadly collisions can often be linked to drunk driving or falling asleep at the wheel, which means that they also almost always occur at high speeds. The injuries sustained by the occupants of the smaller vehicles are often fatal.
Rear-End Crashes
Rear-end collisions between two passenger cars are often considered relatively minor (“fender benders”). This is not true, however, when one of the vehicles is a commercial truck. When struck from behind by such a vehicle, the truck often rides over the smaller vehicle, crushing the occupants inside. Alternatively, when a passenger car strikes a truck, the smaller vehicle can actually become lodged underneath the truck in what is referred to as an underride accident. Both of these scenarios are often deadly for the occupants of the passenger car.
Call Our Miami Truck Accident Lawyers for Help with Your Case
If your loved one was involved in a fatal truck accident through no fault of their own, it may be possible to hold the at-fault party accountable for causing your relative’s wrongful death. Call 305-371-2692 to set up a meeting with one of the dedicated Miami fatal accident lawyers at Dolan Dobrinsky Rosenblum Bluestein today.