Even though any kind of truck accident can have a disastrous outcome, there’s nothing worse than an underride truck accident. An underride will almost always result in catastrophic injuries or tragic deaths. What makes matters even worse is that they often occur due to an act of negligence that could have been easily prevented.
The attorneys with Sand Law hope that you’ll always be able to safely share the road with huge commercial trucks. But if you’re ever severely hurt, or you lose a loved one due to another party’s negligence, we’ll be here to provide the expert legal representation you need. We’ll work tenaciously on your behalf, and aggressively pursue the compensation you deserve for the suffering you’ve experienced.
Don’t hesitate to contact us online or give us a call at 651-291-7263 to schedule a free consultation.
Underride vs. Override: What’s the Difference?
Thousands of people suffer catastrophic injuries every year due to truck accidents – and underride and override accidents play a huge role in these terrible statistics.
An underride truck accident happens when a passenger vehicle strikes the back of a truck. The truck might be on the side of the road, or may have to stop suddenly for whatever reason. In most cases, this will result in the top of the car being ripped off. These accidents often gravely injure passengers.
Another type of underride is a side underride. If a truck makes a sudden turn, surrounding motorists might not have the time to react, causing them to slam into the body of the truck. Whatever the cause, the consequences are typically the same.
An override accident, on the other hand, occurs when the truck rolls over the car. It could be due to the driver of the truck being unable to stop in time due to driving too fast on wet or icy roads. It could be due to a brake failure, the truck driver being distracted and not realizing traffic has slowed, or some other reason.
Causes of Underride Truck Accidents
One of the most common reasons an underride accident occurs is a truck parked on the shoulder of a highway at night without having its hazard lights on. The driver may not be familiar with their route, and could suddenly slam on the brakes in an attempt to make an exit. Or, the driver could be fatigued, or under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Injuries Associated with Underride Truck Accidents
The accidents that result from an underride truck accident can be life-changing. Here are just a few that take place on a regular basis.
- Amputations
- Broken bones
- Burns
- Organ damage
- Spinal cord injuries
- And many others
As stated earlier, both underride and override accidents also carry a significant risk of death.
Who’s At Fault for an Underride Accident?
Every truck accident carries with it the potential for multi-party liability. This simply means that several parties could contribute to the accident, and are responsible for paying the victim.
For example, the person driving the truck could be liable for the distracted driving mentioned above, or for being impaired due to drug or alcohol use. Drivers also may become fatigued when they spend too long behind the wheel, and this can cause accidents as well.
The trucking company could be responsible because they failed to fix the truck’s brake lights, and the motorist traveling behind didn’t know the truck was slowing down as a result. Those lights may have been designed negligently. In that case, the manufacturing company liable.
Evidence Used to Determine Fault
As you can see, there are a lot of complexities associated with an underride truck accident. In fact, truck accidents in general are more complicated than car accidents, where there is generally only one liable party – the at-fault driver.
So, how do you go about determining fault for a collision involving a truck? You have to hire a skilled lawyer as soon as you can. Your legal representative will immediately start an investigation into the wreck to determine not only how it happened, but also to determine blame.
This can be a lengthy process, so acting quickly will be of the utmost importance. The earlier you hire an attorney, the earlier that investigation can begin, before key evidence disappears forever.
One of the most critical pieces of evidence is the so-called “black box,” the data recording device that contains vital information regarding the operation of the truck when the accident took place. The black box, for example, will show the speed at which the vehicle was moving, whether or not the brakes were applied, whether or not important components were working correctly, and more.
Your attorney may be able to obtain footage from surveillance cameras near the site of the wreck. These could show how the wreck happened. If there’s a chance the driver was using their phone, your lawyer could request their phone records as well.
Steps to Take After an Underride Truck Accident
If you’re in this incredibly scary type of accident, it can seem almost impossible to be able to gather yourself and take the steps necessary to not only get medical help, but also to gather proof that can help your case. But if you’re able to do so, immediately call 911 so emergency personnel can take you to the hospital.
If you’re able to take pictures and videos of the accident scene with your phone, do that as well. These photos could prove invaluable to proving your case. Finally, as stated above, contact an attorney as soon as you can so the investigation can begin.
Contact Sand Law ASAP to Schedule a Free Case Evaluation
A Sand Law underride truck accident attorney is ready to fight on your behalf to help you obtain maximum compensation. Contact us online or call 651-291-7263 for a free case review.