Any type of accident involving a vehicle is dangerous–but are truck accidents more dangerous than car accidents? The answer is yes, and there are several reasons why. In addition to the higher level of danger, truck accidents are also more complicated.
The Size and Weight of a Vehicle
It’s not hard to imagine how devastating a truck accident can be when you think about the sheer size of the truck. A semi-truck can weigh up to 80,000 pounds and measure 70 to 80 feet long. Some semi-trucks are even bigger. They require oversize or overweight permits to be allowed on the road. In comparison, a regular-sized passenger car weighs around 5,000 pounds and is rarely considered oversized.
Different Gears
Cars in the United States are automatic, where the car automatically shifts gears for you, or manual, where you have to shift gears as you drive manually. Cars usually have five gears, while trucks can have as many as 18 gears. Having more gears means it takes longer to change how you operate your vehicle. Need to back up? Give your truck extra time to shift gears. Meanwhile, it only takes a few seconds to shift gears to back up, even with a manual car.
Other Factors
Not only do trucks take longer to shift gears, but they also take longer to make turns. Their turns are very wide because of the size of the vehicle. If a truck driver tried to make a right-hand turn the same way a car does, there would be a horrible accident.
Different Laws to Follow
Commuting to and from work is very different from driving a truck for a living. Because of how dangerous it is to stay on the road for hours at a time, truck drivers have strict laws and protocols they must follow. Breaking those protocols could be held against them in a lawsuit if they caused an accident.
For example, they must follow Hours of Service Regulations, which mandate how long they can drive without taking a break. With today’s technology, the old-fashioned logs that truck drivers used to fill out are nearly obsolete. Instead, electronic logging devices automatically do the work for drivers. This makes it easy to tell if a driver was on the road longer than they should have been.
Multiple Parties in an Accident
Normal car accidents usually involve two drivers and their passengers, if they have any. But because trucks are so big, they can cause devastating, multi-car collisions. And it’s not just about whether vehicles make unwanted contact with each other. Many large trucks carry goods or cargo. An accident can cause that cargo to spill, causing even more damage. The loading company may be equally liable for the accident in those cases.
Flickinger Sutterfield & Boulton
Were you recently involved in a truck accident? Not sure how to respond? Look no further. Flickinger Sutterfield & Boulton can help. We’ll guide you through the entire process and help you get the compensation you deserve for your injuries and your pain and suffering. Contact us today to get started.