The trucking industry is responsible for shipping goods all over the country. Ohio has the fourth largest trucking industry in the nation, and 78 percent of goods from Ohio are shipped via truck. Ohio also has some of the largest road and interstate systems in the U.S., making it very common to see commercial trucks on the road. Even though truckers go through extensive training, accidents still happen. Unfortunately, fatal trucking accidents in Ohio are on the rise.
When collisions with large trucks happen, you’ll want to hire a Dayton truck accident lawyer from Bey & Associates, LLC to represent you in your claim. Our experienced team knows exactly how to handle your case and will keep you informed and prepared every step of the way. We are ready to investigate your truck accident to figure out if the driver, their company, or a part manufacturer is at fault, and what fair compensation would be for your injuries, damages, and any other costs you incurred.
Types of Truck Accidents in Ohio
Since Ohio has such a large trucking presence, it’s important to be aware of all the different ways that commercial trucks get into accidents with other trucks and regular-sized motor vehicles. When a large truck collides with another large truck, the accident can be serious. But when a large truck collides with a regular-sized car, the accident can be catastrophic because of the vast difference in size and weight of the two vehicles.
When truckers and regular drivers collide on the road, the accident is more likely to be deadly. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), over 4,000 people died in large truck accidents in 2018. Only 16% of those deaths were truck occupants versus the 67% of passenger vehicle occupants who died from the collisions.
To better understand why these accidents can be so dangerous for drivers of regular-sized vehicles, let’s look into what types of accidents are common in Ohio:
- Jackknife. When a tractor-trailer brakes too quickly the brakes can lock up and cause a jackknife—which is when the cab and the trailer form a 90-degree angle. This can also happen when a truck encounters bad road conditions. When a truck jackknifes, it is at a greater risk of rolling over and colliding with other vehicles because the driver won’t be able to maintain control.
- Rollover. Truck rollovers are dangerous for the trucker and other drivers on the road. Rollovers can be caused by similar circumstances that cause jackknifes and can also be caused by taking turns too quickly for their curvature. Since tractor-trailers have a high center of gravity, and sometimes their truckloads are not loaded evenly, they are at a greater risk of rolling over.
- Override. Occupants of passenger vehicles are at a greater fatality risk in an override accident. This is when a large truck drives over a smaller car. This could happen if the rig does not stop in time or doesn’t see the car in their blind spot and merges or drives into them.
- Underride. Underride accidents are similar to overrides but at the other end of the truck. Underride accidents are when a passenger vehicle slides under a large truck. Typically with these accidents the passenger compartment of the smaller car is crushed. Underrides can easily be fatal for the occupants in the passenger vehicle.
- Rear-end collision. While this accident is similar to an underride, rear-end collisions are usually less serious. When a driver is speeding, tailgating, driving drunk, or distracted, they may not stop in time before crashing into the truck in front of them. While the passenger cabin is not crushed in these accidents like in underrides, they can still cause serious injuries.
Although these are the most common types of truck accidents that happen in Ohio, there are other ways that you could collide with a tractor-trailer that causes injury to you or a loved one. You might be wondering if your accident with a large truck is worth the undertaking of a legal claim. Talking to a Dayton truck accident lawyer from Bey & Associates, LLC about your experience can help you determine if you have a case.
FMCSA Trucking Regulations
In order to decrease the number of truck accidents that happen in the United States, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) established regulations for truckers to follow. While these regulations cannot completely eliminate accidents, they do put laws into place that make it easier to find fault when driver, company, or manufacturer negligence causes a collision.
Included in those regulations are weight limits, information that needs to be displayed on the trailer, loading instructions, driver training, random driver drug tests, hour limits and requirements, and many other rules to keep everyone on the road safe. For example, a truck driver can only drive for 11 hours straight before they must take 10 consecutive hours off. This keeps drivers from hauling for long hours without a break, which can lead to drowsiness at the wheel.
When you hire a Dayton truck accident lawyer, they will look at any regulations that were disregarded, as they could have been what caused your accident. Whether it was a truck driver, their employer, or a truck manufacturer who did not follow the rules, we’ll ensure that you see justice for their negligence.
Our Dayton Truck Accident Lawyer Will Fight for You
Taking out a legal claim against anyone can be an intimidating process. It can be even more intimidating when you’re going up against a large entity, like a trucking company. That’s why your best choice in a trucking accident claim in Dayton is to hire a truck accident attorney from Bey & Associates, LLC. Our experienced team knows you are likely dealing with physical and emotional injuries while attempting to recover financial compensation from this accident, and we will do everything we can to help you.
We will investigate all aspects of your claim to ensure that you get the outcome you deserve. Truck accident claims can be complex and can take a long time to finish, but we are dedicated to getting justice for you. Reach out to us today so that we can start discussing your potential claim and deciding the best way to proceed with legal action.
