Articles Posted in Truck Accidents

While any type of motor vehicle accident can be potentially dangerous for the victims involved, truck accidents can be especially devastating. They often result in serious injuries and/or fatalities. The sheer size of trucks on Indiana roads make these collisions more dangerous overall. However, vehicle size is not the only factor that can contribute to truck accidents.

Issues involving the truck itself are common. The balance of the load can be a major factor in the safe operation of a truck on the highway. Badly loaded or overloaded trucks can overturn, even if a driver is trying his or her best to operate the truck in the midst of traffic. Defective truck parts create potentially disastrous situations for anyone on or near the road.

Even if the truck is properly loaded, driver negligence or recklessness may cause an accident. Truck driver fatigue is a significant concern on Indiana roadways. The use of drugs and/or alcohol is also responsible for a significant number of tragedies.

The aftermath of a truck accident can be devastating, costly and downright frightening for any victim involved. While the first step in dealing with truck accidents on Indiana roadways is to ensure anyone injured gets immediate medical care, there are other matters to consider. Any possible safety violations on the part of the truck driver or the trucker’s employer must be investigated and any evidence of negligence or wrongdoing needs to be preserved.

Issues with the actual truck or load may be the source of a violation. For example, if the truck is loaded improperly or overloaded, it may swerve and cause an accident. The tires and/or brakes could be defective also. This is a significant safety risk that can easily lead to an accident.

The truck may be safe and in line with all standards, yet the driver may be the source of lax safety and the cause of an accident. Driver fatigue is a common source of truck accidents on the roadways. There are very stringent safety regulations regarding truck driver hours and activity, and any violation of these regulations is a significant risk to others.

Semi-trucks traveling down the highway may have a difficult time coming to a stop if those trucks encounter stopped traffic. If truck accidents occur and several vehicles are hit as a result of a large truck not being able to stop in time, injuries can be extensive. An Indiana highway recently became the scene of a truck accident that involved other vehicles and left several injured.

The accident occurred one late afternoon as a semi-truck was headed north. The truck driver said he could not stop in time to avoid traffic that had stopped in front of him. He first hit Pontiac, which spun around and ended up in the emergency lane. The semi-truck then struck a GMC Yukon, pushing it into a ditch, followed by a Nissan sedan, which was pushed into the rear of a Toyota SUV and a box truck. The Nissan ended up being wedged underneath the box truck.

The semi-truck driver was taken to a medical center for a hand injury. The Pontiac driver needed to be transported by helicopter and had head and leg injuries. The Nissan driver was transported to another hospital with internal injuries. Occupants of the other vehicles were either uninjured or suffered only minor injuries. The road was closed down for hours as result of the accident.