With all the companies and industry in Plano, there’s no shortage of large trucks driving through the city and the rest of the DFW metropolitan area. This means that as a driver of a regular car, you have to share the road with them often, if not every day. If one of you is negligent while driving, it could lead to a catastrophic collision. Our Plano, TX truck accident lawyer is here to help you with the disastrous damages and getting you justice.
Tractor trailers are up to 30 times heavier than normal cars. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), on top of the weight difference, they also take up to 40 percent farther to come to a complete stop compared to regular-sized motor vehicles. This shows just how serious the damages can be when 18 wheelers can’t stop in time or get into an accident in general.
At Buckingham Barrera Vega Law Firm, we’re here to guide you through the claim process so that you can recover what you’re owed for your injuries. After a truck accident, you’re bound to have serious injuries, or your loved one might have been killed. That’s why you need one of our attorneys to help you hold the liable party accountable for their negligent actions that led to your collision.
Plano Truck Accident Statistics You Should Know
Understanding how frequent and harmful truck wrecks are in Plano can help you navigate the city and avoid a collision as best as possible. Unfortunately, though, no matter how careful you are, you could always fall victim to a tractor trailer crash when a trucker or another party is negligent.
Plano is nestled within two counties, Collin and Denton, and in 2020, the two counties had a total of 1,209 crashes involved commercial motor vehicles, which includes commercial trucks. Within those crashes, the Texas Department of Transportation lists these values for the different levels of injuries that occurred in those two counties:
- 911 non-injury crashes
- 148 possible injury crashes
- 98 non-incapacitating injury crashes
- 23 suspected serious injury crashes
- 17 fatal crashes
These numbers may seem small compared to car accident statistics in the same area, but these are still significant when you consider the severity of truck crashes. According to the IIHS, of the fatalities that happen in collisions involving tractor trailers, 67 percent of the deaths are for the passengers of the regular-sized vehicles. Truckers are less likely to sustain fatal injuries, as 16 percent of deaths in truck accidents are the truck drivers.
Now that you’re aware of how many commercial truck wrecks happen in our counties, you should know the different types of collisions that could have been what you were involved in. Our Plano, TX truck accident attorney is here to ensure you’re properly represented and that we get to the bottom of what happened to cause your wreck.
Types of Wrecks Involving Tractor Trailers
There are only so many types of accidents that can happen when it comes to a large truck. That doesn’t make the collisions, your injuries, and damages any easier to deal with, but it does at least limit the situations that could have happened to cause your accident.
Here are the most common types of tractor trailer wrecks that could have been what you experienced:
- Override. Override accidents occur when the cab of a large truck drives overtop of a car that is in front of them. Most of these kinds of collisions happen because a car cuts off the truck, or because the trucker couldn’t stop in time after sudden braking from the car in front of them. Overrides are especially dangerous for the occupants in the back seats of regular vehicles because they can be crushed by the truck cab, and other passengers can be trapped as well.
- Underride. Underrides are similar to overrides but are slightly different. Underrides are typically caused by a car not stopping in time behind a large truck, and the front of their car goes under the trailer. This could also happen if a rig is turning or driving alongside another car, and the car slips under the trailer. These can be especially deadly for the drivers of regular cars because it’s typically the front of the car going under the 18 wheeler.
- Blind Spot. These types of accidents happen when a car is in the blind spot of a truck and since they don’t see the car, the trucker crashes into the car. The blind spots around tractor trailers are in the immediate front of the cab, the back of the trailer, the back of the left side of the trailer, and the complete right side of the trailer. If you’re in these spots, you’re at higher risk of getting hit by a truck because the driver can’t see you.
- Jackknife. Jackknifes are when the trailer swings to form a right angle with the cab. These can be serious crashes because the trailer can swing and hit many vehicles. It could also be dangerous for the truck driver if they get stuck in their seat.
- Rollover. Rollovers are the accidents that are the deadliest for the truck driver because they get stuck in the cab while it’s upside down or on its side. These are just what they sound like—rollovers happen when an 18 wheeler tips over and either rolls onto its side or completely rolls over.
- Overloaded. The trailer on the rig can only be so heavy and must be loaded correctly. When it’s either too heavy or not evenly loaded, there can be an overloaded truck accident. This could cause the trailer to roll, the axels to break, or other parts to malfunction while the trucker is pulling the trailer.
You’ll likely recognize what happened to you in the list above, but if you don’t, it’s still possible you have a claim against the negligent truck driver, trucking company, part manufacturer, or other agency who caused your wreck. Our Plano, TX truck accident lawyer is here to represent you so that you can feel confident in going up against the other party.
Our Truck Accident Lawyers Are Here to Fight for You
After an accident with a large truck, you’re likely dealing with serious injuries that you need to heal physically and emotionally from. The fallout from the damages could be just as bad as your injuries, especially if they include large medical bills, lost wages, repair costs, and future costs that you’ll have to deal with. That’s where our Plano, TX truck accident attorney comes in.
With the help of one of our attorneys, you can focus on your physical and emotional recovery while we handle your financial recovery. At Buckingham Barrera Vega Law Firm, we have experience representing clients who need guidance through the legal process. We’ll ensure you’re comfortable and supported every step of the way. Contact us today so we can schedule your free consultation.
