Big Rig Crashes Cause Big Problems

While big rig crashes are a reality we care not to think about too much, there are things car drivers may do to avoid potentially fatal crashes. In all instances where you have been in such a crash, contact a highly experienced Little Rock personal injury lawyer for advice and assistance.

Collisions with semi tractor trailer units never have a very happy ending. Whether the people involved are seriously injured or they do not survive the crash, this is one area of the law where you need to talk to an experienced Little Rock personal injury lawyer about your rights.

Statistically speaking, it seems to be a bit of a toss-up when it comes to the reasons for devastating crashes involving 18-wheelers and other vehicles. Some schools of thought think it’s largely the truck driver’s fault. Others think it is the driver of the car that causes the collision. Frankly, when push comes to shove, the reasons for the accident really only matter when it comes to putting together a court case. If there was negligence on the part of the trucker or the “other” driver, then you may be able to recover damages for your injuries.

=What on earth are car drivers doing that results in such horrific outcomes when they “meet and greet” a tractor trailer on the wrong side of the road, or are rear-ended? Typically when accidents of this nature take place, it’s the car driver who has lost sight of the fact that 18-wheelers don’t have the same ability to whip in and out of small spaces, or to quickly avoid another car in their way or even come to a quick stop.

Quick and stop when you’re talking about a big rig do not belong in the same sentence. For example, a car is able to come to a rather rapid stop if they’re traveling 55 mph and will accomplish that halt in about 265 feet. A huge truck with a load on will take at least 313 feet to stop, and not all that gracefully either. Herein lies a very crucial safety rule and that is to keep your car a safe distance behind or in front of the truck. If you don’t do that and have to stop suddenly, you will find the semi up the back of your car. This is a two-way street. You don’t want to be following a big rig too closely either in case they have to stop abruptly.

Passing and cutting back in front of the truck is another area that a lot of motorists really don’t “get.” When they cut in too closely, they don’t leave enough distance between the car and the truck. When something like that happens the trucker reacts by slamming on the brakes. This doesn’t only have the potential to affect you, who cut in front of him leaving him no room to move, but also other cars beside and behind the truck. In other words, “think” before you act when you are traveling with big rigs.

Motorists also need to realize that truckers do have blind spots. This shouldn’t really come as too much of a surprise, since cars have blind spots as well. The point here is that you do not want to be traveling in those blind spots or the trucker can’t see you. Stay away from the back of a semi, the right front and left rear. Keep in mind that when you pull out to pass, you can “not” be seen in those blind spots in either the rearview mirror or the side mirrors, and you run the risk of the truck pulling left or right into your lane. The end result is a nasty crash.

If you have been involved in a tractor trailer crash or have lost a loved one as a result of an accident with a semi, speak to a seasoned Little Rock personal injury lawyer. Find out what your rights are, what damages you may be able to claim, and how a case would proceed to court. Time is of the essence in cases like this, so don’t wait too long to speak to that attorney or the evidence in the case will be lost, or the statute of limitations may run out.

Michael G. Smith is a Little Rock injury lawyer and Little Rock accident lawyer, practicing personal injury law in Little Rock Arkansas. To learn more about Little Rock injury lawyer, Little Rock accident lawyer, Little Rock person injury lawyer, Little Rock malpractice lawyer, Little Rock injury attorney, Little Rock wrongful death attorney, visit Arkansaslawhelp.com.

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