Philadelphia Truck Accident Lawyers

Truck Accident Statistics

Accidents involving large trucks are particularly dangerous due to the size difference between a semi-truck and smaller vehicles on the road.  Each year, over 5,000 people are killed due to these types of accidents, 98 percent of whom are the drivers or passengers of other vehicles.  Although truck drivers tend to have the proper training to safely operate their vehicles, many of the motorists around them are unfamiliar with the proper precautions to take when driving alongside of these trucks.  Because of this, there are some common scenarios that are more likely to result in accidents, including:

• Driving in a truck’s blind spot
• Merging lanes improperly near a truck, causing the truck to brake or maneuver quickly
• Pulling in front of a truck without properly speeding up

Common Types of Truck Accidents

• Rollovers: Trucks have a higher center of gravity, rolling over other vehicles easily if they lose control or need to swerve.  This is dangerous for everyone involved, including the truck driver.
• Blind spots: Semi-trucks have very large blind spots at the rear and sides.  Accidents often occur when truck drivers attempt to change lanes or turn with someone in their blind spot.
• Underride Accidents: When a passenger car hits a truck and ends up underneath, the people inside might be crushed, decapitated, or otherwise seriously injured.
• Head-on collisions: This occurs when one vehicle drifts into an oncoming lane.  In these collisions, it is unlikely that the passengers of the smaller vehicle will survive.
• Wide turns: Wide turns require the driver to swing the front of the truck in the opposite direction of the turn.  Cars nearby may not realize this, causing chain-reaction accidents.

Getting into an accident that involves a large truck can be a frightening experience.  To find out your best legal options, contact the Philadelphia truck accident lawyers at Galfand Berger at 800-222-8792.