Driving alongside large trucks is incredibly intimidating as a driver of a regular sized vehicle. Tractor trailers, whether pulling a fully loaded trailer or not, are much larger and heavier than passenger vehicles. This makes collisions between 18 wheelers and regular vehicles more devastating because of the difference in size and weight. If you were in a wreck with a large truck, you could use the help of our Glendale, AZ truck accident lawyer.
At Buckingham Barrera Vega Law Firm, you can trust our attorneys to help you take legal action against a negligent party who caused the truck accident you were involved in. We work hard to figure out what happened, who was at fault, and what you can recover in compensation. With our expertise, you can be sure that you won’t be pushed to settle for less than you deserve.
Arizona Truck Accident Statistics
Wrecks with large trucks can cause injuries, property damage, and even death in serious cases. Looking at statistics from the state, you can better understand the types of truck accidents that happen in Arizona and how they relate to what happened to you. The Arizona Department of Transportation released a guide of motor vehicle crash facts in the state in 2020.
In this report, they listed the amount of crashes that different kinds of large trucks have been involved in, and whether they contained fatalities, injuries, or property damage only. Some of the large trucks included are tractor trailers, concrete mixers, dump trucks, garbage trucks, tow trucks, and others. Here are the statistics listed for all of these truck types combined:
- 10,713 crashes in total
- 105 fatal crashes
- 2,411 injury crashes
- 8,197 property damage only crashes
A high proportion of accidents between trucks and cars result in property damage, as shown in the list above. This list also shows that many result in injuries, and some are even deadly. In these accidents, typically the passengers of the regular sized vehicles are more at risk for suffering fatal injuries. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the occupants of passenger vehicles are the victims in fatal truck accidents 67 percent of the time, whereas truck occupants are the victims 16 percent of the time.
A wreck with a commercial truck might cause you injuries and damages that leave you wanting to take legal action. Our Glendale, AZ truck accident attorney is here to help you hold them accountable and get justice for your damages.
Common Causes of Tractor Trailer Wrecks in Glendale
One of the main factors that will go into your truck accident claim will be what caused your wreck in the first place. You might think it’s straight forward and you know who caused it, but it can be much more complicated than the truck driver causing the wreck. Of course, their negligence is sometimes to blame, but there are many other parties who could be at fault that you initially don’t consider.
For instance, the trucking company, workers who loaded the truck, inspection agencies, part manufacturers, and other parties in charge of keeping the truck safe for use could be at fault when something goes wrong and causes a crash. When you immediately assume it was the trucker’s fault and blame them without knowing the full situation, it could make you less credible in the long run.
That’s why it’s important to allow your truck accident lawyer to get to the bottom of what caused your accident with a tractor trailer in Glendale. Here are some of the most common causes of 18 wheeler accidents:
- Inexperienced driver
- Fatigued driver
- Drunk driver
- Distracted driver
- Speeding
- Overloaded trailer
- Unbalanced load
- Blown tire
- Brake failure
- Bad roads
- Poor weather
Any combination of these situations can lead to a serious collision between a large truck and regular sized vehicle. Your lawyer will use police reports, pictures, traffic camera footage, dash cams, and truck black box data to determine the cause of your accident so that they can determine exactly who was at fault. Attorneys might also consult an accident reconstructionist to recreate what happened.
When you hire a truck accident lawyer from Buckingham Barrera Vega Law Firm, you can trust that we will look at all of the pieces so that we can put together the full picture of the accident and get you justice for what happened.
Types of Truck Accidents That Can Occur
Knowing the different categories of truck wrecks can also be helpful in your claim. This can give further insight into what happened, what kinds of injuries occurred, and what damages you suffered. Here are the different types of truck accidents that can occur and cause serious injuries and damages:
- Override. When a truck is cut off, they have less time and space than they need to come to a stop. This can result in an override accident where a large truck crashes into the back of a car and ends up driving over the smaller vehicle.
- Underride. This is similar to an override, except in this scenario, the car crashes into the truck and gets trapped under the trailer.
- Jackknife. When the trailer swings around and forms an L-shape with the cab, it’s considered a jackknife. These accidents are especially dangerous for any other vehicles surrounding the truck because the driver loses control of their trailer.
- Rollover. When a tractor trailer rolls onto its side or roof, it’s considered a rollover accident. These are especially dangerous for the truck driver.
- Lost cargo. When a trailer isn’t loaded properly, evenly, or the hatch breaks, it can cause the load to be released and fall out the back onto the road.
When looking into your claim, your Glendale, AZ truck accident lawyer will have all of these crash types in mind and will consult them to determine what category your situation falls under. From there, they can build you the strongest case possible.
You Can Trust a Lawyer from Buckingham Barrera Vega Law Firm
A collision with an 18 wheeler can leave you devastated. Your injuries and damages could be catastrophic and life-changing. You shouldn’t have to deal with the legal stresses while focusing on healing. That’s where our Glendale, AZ truck accident lawyer can help.
We’ll handle your claim so that you don’t have to worry about it. You can put all of your energy into recover. Reach out to us today to hire us for your case.
