Trucks play a critical role in New York City’s economy, transporting goods to and from businesses across all five boroughs. However, their presence on city roads pose a very real threat to other motorists. Every year, thousands of car accidents involving tractor-trailers, 18-wheelers, and semi-trucks are reported in New York, New York.
Most often, it’s the occupants of smaller vehicles that suffer the most catastrophic consequences. Nationally, 11 percent of fatal auto accidents involve large trucks. In of those fatal truck accidents, 70 percent of the victims are drivers and passengers in smaller cars.
No two truck accidents are the same. In fact, there are several different ways in which a truck accident can unfold. The type of truck accident in which you’re involved can influence the types of injuries you’re more likely to suffer, the severity of your injuries, and the overall impact the crash has on your life. Here’s a breakdown of the types of truck accidents that occur most often in New York:
Blindspot Truck Accidents
Large commercial trucks have massive blind spots that prevent truck drivers from seeing around their vehicles in traffic. Truck blind spots, which are known as the “no zones,” include 20 feet in front of a rig and up to 200 feet behind it. 18-wheelers also have blind spots on the sides of the rig. The driver’s side blind spot spans one lane of traffic, while the passenger’s side blind spot can span up to two lanes of traffic.
As a general rule of thumb, if you can’t see the truck driver’s face in one of their mirrors, they cannot see you. If a truck driver can’t see you, they’re more likely to strike your vehicle when braking, changing lanes, or making turns. It’s estimated that up to 14 percent of all large truck accidents occur due to “inadequate surveillance,” which can happen when a truck driver can’t see what’s going on in a blind spot or fails to check a blind spot before making a maneuver on the road.
Jackknife Truck Accidents
Jackknife accidents involve articulated vehicles like tractor-trailers. In a jackknife, the rear end of a vehicle’s trailer swings out to the side and folds toward the front of the vehicle, forming a sharp angle at the joint.
The force of the trailer’s sideways and forward movement can cause the truck driver to lose control of the rig, increasing the chances of a collision with a fixed object and/or other vehicles on the road. Trucks are most likely likely to jackknife when:
- Driven at speeds exceeding 55 MPH
- They are turned sharply, especially while speeding
- A driver hits the brakes aggressively
- Vehicle components, such as the brakes, malfunction
- Vehicle tires blowout
- Road surfaces are slick or wet
- Vehicle cargo is not loaded evenly
Jackknifing is also more likely to occur when a trailer is unloaded or carrying light cargo. The heavier a trailer, the lower the risk of jackknifing.
Underride Truck Accidents
Large tractor-trailers are considerably larger than other vehicles on the road. A standard 18-wheeler is about 13.5 feet tall, average SUV is 6 feet tall, and a sedan is roughly 4.5 feet tall. Not only are trucks taller than other vehicles, but they sit much higher off the ground, too. The discrepancy in height between trucks and other vehicles can be incredibly dangerous. There are times when a vehicle or part of a vehicle will slide under the front, rear, or side of the body of a truck. These are known as underride accidents. Underride accidents can also involve bicyclists, pedestrians, and/or motorcyclists.
The smaller vehicle can become crushed by the weight of the truck and sustain significant damage as it is dragged under the tractor or trailer. As a result, underride accidents can be catastrophic for the occupants of smaller vehicles. Trucks can be outfitted with something called Mansfield bars or underride guards to prevent underride or override accidents. These bars are installed on trucks – in front, in the rear, and/or on the sides – below the lowest part of the vehicle. Other vehicles would make contact with these bars rather than sliding under the large truck.
Federal truck regulations do not currently require underride guards on 18-wheelers and other commercial rigs. However, many safety advocates call for a mandate due to the thousands of deaths that are attributed to underride accidents across the nation every year.
Truck Rollovers
Truck rollovers occur when a tractor-trailer or another large rig turns onto its side or roof. These types of accidents tend to happen when:
- Trucks are driven at speeds exceeding 55 MPH
- Truck drivers make sharp or tight turns without slowing down
- Tires are underinflated or blow out while driven
- Truck cargo is loaded unevenly or shifts during transit
- Truck tires strike a hazard or defect on the road surface, such as a pothole or curb
- Oversteering or understeering
- Failing to downshift to decrease speed
Trucks are much larger, heavier, and longer than other vehicles on the road, which means they have a much higher center of gravity. The higher a vehicle’s center of gravity, the more prone it is to rolling over. Every year, truck rollovers account for about 4 percent of all truck accidents and 2 percent of fatal big rig collisions. In New York City, that translates to about 270 truck rollovers annually.
T-Bone Truck Accidents
While any type of truck accident can cause devastation, T-Bone truck accidents are among the most catastrophic. In a T-Bone collision, a large truck collides directly with another vehicle. As a result, the crash looks like a large “T.”
Vehicles are designed to absorb force in the front and rear. The sides, however, are left largely unprotected. Passengers can benefit from side-impact airbags, if the vehicles are equipped, but that’s about all there is to protect them when a vehicle is struck squarely from the side.
Large trucks can weigh up to 80,000 pounds and stretch up to 72 feet in length. As a result, the force of impact made by a large truck is much greater than the force of impact generated by a car in a collision. When a car is T-Boned by a large truck, it’s not uncommon for these collisions to be fatal.
Most T-Bone truck accidents in New York occur in the city’s busy intersections. They tend to happen when drivers are distracted, run red or yellow lights, or make unsafe left-hand turns in front of oncoming traffic.
Squeeze Play Truck Accidents
Most large commercial trucks are at least 60 feet long, if not more. While this allows a rigs to haul more cargo than a shorter truck, it makes it much more difficult to turn. Right-hand turns are particularly challenging. When a tractor-trailer needs to turn right, the cab has to swing out to the left before making the right turn to give the rest of the vehicle enough clearance at the corner. Even then, it’s common for the body of the truck and the trailer to cut very close to the curb, run over sidewalks, and block other lanes of traffic during these turns.
If a car attempts to pass a tractor-trailer on the right-hand side while the truck is turning, it can get crushed between the truck and the curb. This is known as a “squeeze play” or “wide turn” truck accident. Squeeze play accidents can typically be avoided, but can happen when:
- A truck driver fails to signal before turning
- A truck driver doesn’t properly assess their blind spots prior to a right-hand turn
- A vehicle consistently drives in a truck’s blind spot
- A motorist is distracted, drunk, or otherwise impaired at the wheel and doesn’t notice a truck is executing a turn
Since squeeze play accidents crush smaller vehicles against a curb or another fixed object, it’s common for crash victims to experience serious physical injuries, including traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, amputated limbs, crush injuries, and severe internal bleeding.
Lost Load Truck Accidents
Cargo – including how it is loaded on and secured in a truck – is regulated by te Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Unfortunately, these regulations can only have an impact when they’re followed. When a truck driver or trucking company ignores loading protocols or fails to check how cargo is secured, it’s not uncommon for cargo to shift in the vehicle’s trailer or exit the trailer during transit.
According to the FMCSA, improperly loaded/secured cargo is the leading cause of truck accidents nationwide. When cargo shifts, there’s a 56.3 percent risk of an accident. Cargo shifts in the trailer can throw the vehicle off balance, thereby significantly increasing the likelihood of a rollover or jackknife accident. When cargo falls out of the trailer because it’s not secured properly, it can cause the truck to jackknife and create hazards that cause vehicles following the truck to crash.
Truck Defect Accidents
Sometimes truck accidents in New York happen because of problems beyond a truck driver’s control. In fact, FMCSA crash data reveals that 10 percent of all truck accidents are caused by problems with the trucks themselves. This might include preventable issues caused by inadequate inspections and maintenance, or because of vehicle defects.
A defect is a problem with the way a truck is designed, manufactured, or marketed. The defect makes the truck or a component of the vehicle unsafe. Defects that are most common in large trucks affect the:
- Brakes
- Transmission
- Steering system
- Tires
- Trailer hitch
- Clutch
- Battery
- Exhaust
- U-Joint
- Suspension
- Electrical system
When a defect contributes to a truck accident in NYC, the company that manufactured the vehicle or vehicle component can be strictly liable for resulting property damage, injuries, or wrongful deaths.
Defects can often be discovered through diligent inspections and maintenance. Others can be completely unknown until they cause a problem.
Tire Blowouts
The average semi-truck logs about 45,000 miles annually. As a result, there’s a great deal of wear and tear on truck tires. If truck drivers and trucking companies fail to replace and/or inspect vehicle tires regularly, tires can be susceptible to blowouts.
A tire blowout occurs when the tire suddenly loses pressure, causing it to explode. Most tires are prone to blowouts when they’re driven beyond their capacity and/or underinflated. When a tire blowout occurs, it can cause the truck driver to lose control of the vehicle as it naturally moves to the left or the right. As the vehicle slows down, jackknife and rollover accidents are likely to occur.
Benefits of Working With The Platta Law Firm After a Truck Accident in NYC, NY
No two truck accidents are alike. Every crash will be different. However, the trucking service and its insurance company will be experts on the matter. They’ll understand the best approaches for investigating your specific crash, know which evidence will be most impactful, and utilize tried-and-true strategies to control the claims process.
When you’ve been injured in a truck accident in New York City, it’ll be important to level the playing field. You can do that by hiring an experienced New York personal injury lawyer with extensive experience handling all types of truck accident cases. Truck accident victims in NYC consistently choose The Platta Law Firm because:
- We’re award-winning New York trial attorneys with a proven ability to win tough cases and shape the law in the process
- Our attorneys are recognized by Super Lawyers, Best Attorneys of America, Expertise.com, the American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys, and other respected organizations as leaders in personal injury litigation
- We’ve won hundreds of millions of dollars for our clients, including some of the top verdicts in the state of New York
- Clients benefit from honest, transparent, and reliable legal representation
- Contingency fee representation means there’s no cost to hire our New York truck accident lawyers until we win your case
Countless reviews on Facebook, Google, and other digital platforms highlight the benefits of having our top-rated personal injury law firm in your corner. When you ask for our help after a truck accident, you’ll benefit from the full force of our resources and experience as we investigate your crash; gather dash cam footage, cell phone records, driver logs, vehicle records, black box data, and other key pieces of evidence; consult experts in the trucking industry, and build a compelling legal claim on your behalf.
If the trucking company attempts to lowball you or refuses to make a fair settlement offer, our truck accident attorneys in New York won’t hesitate to bring your case to a jury. We have over 150 years of collective experience fighting big corporations on behalf of everyday people. We’ve won hundreds of millions in the process. Trust us to fight to have a positive impact on your truck accident lawsuit, too.
Contact our law office in New York City – serving the Bronx, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, and surrounding areas – to the type of truck accident you were injured in today. Your first case evaluation is free.
