Lakewood Blind Spot Trucking Accidents Lawyer

Truck drivers are held to higher safety standards in comparison to regular drivers since they are operating massive vehicles at high speeds. Due to their size, truck drivers are required to make sure that their blind spots are clear before changing lanes or making a turn. If they do not, an accident could occur.

If you would like to file an injury claim against a truck driver who failed to check their blind spots resulting in an accident, get in touch with an experienced attorney. A Lakewood blind spot trucking accidents lawyer can sit with you to review the details of your case and help you build a convincing argument for obtaining compensation. Call today to get started.

What Characteristics of Trucks Contribute to Blind Spot Accidents?

Truck blind spots are bigger because the vehicle being driven is bigger. Unlike a car, where blind spots extend a few feet back, a truck’s blind spots can extend almost the entire length of the trailer on the right side, plus several yards in the back. Even when a vehicle is in front of the truck, the driver may not be able to see how much room he has between the front of his truck and the other vehicle because of how high up the truck driver is sitting.

Blind spots make it nearly impossible for truck drivers to see other drivers who are in the blind spot. That is why it is important for passenger vehicle drivers to attempt to avoid pulling up next to a truck on the highway or driving directly behind a truck. If a passenger driver is in the next lane, they should attempt to travel ahead of the cab or well behind the trailer, so that the passenger vehicle is at an appropriate angle for the truck driver to spot the passenger driver in the side view mirrors.

Common Scenarios of Blind Spot Collisions

Blind spot accidents can happen when a trucker attempts to change lanes and they do not see the passenger vehicle in their blind spot. They may be attempting to get off on an exit or they may simply be attempting to change lanes.

Truck drivers have a responsibility to be as cautious and observant as possible before changing lanes or turning. Truck drivers must be familiar with their blind spots and check multiple times to make sure the lane is clear before passing or changing lanes. Speeding, failing to yield, and not using warning lights can contribute to these accidents.

Truck accidents involving blind spots can be the cause of several types of accidents, which would include an underride collision, a sideswipe accident, a rollover accident or a passenger vehicle being run off the road by the truck.

Severity of Injuries Frequently Sustained in Blind Spot Accidents

The fact that large trucks have a mass size and weight means that they cause more severe accidents with more property damage, more severe injuries and a higher likelihood of fatalities than accidents involving only passenger vehicles.

Consequently, victims can suffer bone fractures, deep lacerations that leave permanent scars, burns when a collision causes a fire, crushed limbs, internal bleeding, head injuries and spinal cord injuries.

Impact of Shared Negligence on a Compensation Award

If the victim is found to be 51% or more negligent, a jury may determine that the truck driver was not at fault. Frequently, as a defense to the blind spot accident, the attorney for the truck driver may argue that the accident victim was at fault for driving in a truck’s blind spot.

While it is true that if a passenger driver stays in the blind spot, the passenger driver can increase the odds of being involved in a truck accident. However, riding in a truck’s blind spot does not always make the passenger driver responsible for the accident. If the truck driver failed to check his mirrors and clear his blind spots before maneuvering the truck, the truck driver may still be at fault for causing the crash.

Schedule a Consultation Today

The injuries victims commonly sustain as a result of a truck driver failing to check their blind spot before making a turn or switching lanes are often serious and catastrophic. As a result, injured individuals should do all they can to make sure they are properly compensated for their damages.

For help with holding a negligent truck driver accountable for their actions, get in touch with a Lakewood blind spot truck accident lawyer today.