Dangers Of Underride Truck Accidents

When it comes to car accidents, no two collisions are the same. Sure, most do not involve injuries or death, but simply a hassle for both parties involved. However, the ones that do cause injury may leave a victim in need of immediate medical help and cause a world of grief for the survivors’ family.

Your typical car accident usually follows a predictable pattern, ranging from very minor to severe. In the case of an accident involving a large truck, semi-truck, big rig or 18-wheeler, the variability is much smaller. These collisions are less common, but almost always devastating for people in passenger vehicles.

Even when both vehicles are traveling at low speeds, accidents or collisions involving large trucks are brutal. Because of the forces involved are so huge, these incidents are almost always life-threatening and cause heavy damage to smaller vehicles.

Underride accidents are perhaps the most dangerous type of collision involving a semi-truck. This is when a passenger vehicles goes partially or entirely under a truck or trailer. These collisions result in damage to the passenger compartment of the vehicle, oftentimes to the head or neck area.

Trucks do have underride guards on them to mitigate the risks of these underride incidents. These guards are essentially bars that extend below a truck’s tailgate that stop a car from sliding underneath. However, these guards are not perfect – if a car collides with a truck’s rear on the side, at an angle or on the side, the underride guard may not do enough.

The federal agencies that oversee the trucking industry have made underride guards mandatory on all vehicles. Every year, new mandates are being put forth that will strengthen or extend these guards, though progress can be slow.

In reality, no amount of safety equipment can completely protect people in passenger vehicles from the dangers presented by large trucks. The size disparity and the difficult situations drivers encounter on the road make these accidents inevitable.

If you or a family member has been involved in a serious accident involving a large truck, it may be in your best interest to contact an experienced semi truck accident attorney as soon as possible.