Truck Injury and Who Is At Fault When An 18 Wheeler Jackknifes?

A truck injury can easily happen when a smaller passenger vehicle comes into play with a jackknifed truck accident. I have witnessed such accidents as a driver in Southern California, and it often does not end well for the smaller vehicle. If you, or a loved one, has been in an accident with a truck you should contact an attorney who can assist you with legal counsel and representation should it be necessary to deal with your damages, your medical bills and even long term medical care, if needed. Ask A Lawyer Online Now. Get an Answer ASAP. 12 Lawyers Are Online! Law.JustAnswer.com

There are many 18-wheelers on the highways and mixed in everyday traffic congestion, there are times when they need to stop quickly or are traveling in rain that sudden stopping can cause them to jackknife. This while frightening to the driver is also extremely dangerous to other vehicles around them, so dangerous that it can cause accidents that end in severe injuries. When an 18-wheeler jackknifes who is at fault is a question only an experienced truck injury attorney will have the resources to investigate when it happens there.

When an 18 wheeler jackknifes the back end of the trailer comes around toward the cab of the truck, this leaves the driver little or no control of this large motorized piece of metal weighting thousands of pounds sweeping down the road aiming at any vehicle in its path.

This may not be an every day occurrence for 18wheelers; however when it does happen it often happens so quickly that there is little time to maneuver a vehicle out of its path. Other reasons this may happen is with the schedules these drivers have they often travel at speeds and have a larger load than the truck should, this on crowed highways in California, for example, such as the 405, the 101, the 91 and the 55 freeways are a deadly combination for other motorists on these freeways.

Reasons that an 18-wheeler can jackknife other than weather conditions can range from the truck driver who is aggressive and wants to make his destination on time, being overtired from the schedules they keep to make their loads on time, along with excessive speed, using a cell phone at these speeds and 18-wheelers that do not have the proper maintenance and tires.

A few of these reasons combined can turn into a time bomb on the highways and freeways for motorists, and when this happens the unfortunate driver who is also on the road may be to shocked to avoid it or not the adequate amount of time to veer out of this 18-wheelers path. The injuries that can occur can be anything from whiplash to in some cases death and when an 18-wheeler jackknifes who is at fault, this may seem obvious.

Often injured motorists and passengers or family members will blame the driver and while he assumes responsibility for being behind the wheel, he often is not the owner who has not properly maintained the 18-wheeler. This is when an experienced truck accident attorney will know what should be done to investigate the accident and the owner of the trucking company will be doing their homework.

Author: Michael Ehline

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