A commercial truck can cause massive damage. Driving a large truck is more complicated than driving a standard passenger vehicle. Commercial truck drivers have a responsibility to help maintain safety for themselves and other drivers on the road when they are making deliveries.
A commercial truck driver must follow the rules of the road, properly maintain their rigs, and operate the vehicle with care. One of the most significant ways a commercial truck driver can avoid accidents is to factor in the probability that much smaller vehicles may be in their blind spots.
If you have suffered an injury in a truck accident, call an accident lawyer today. Truck accident lawyers help accident victims get the compensation that they deserve. You deserve to heal in peace without harassment and pressure from an insurance company. If you suffered an injury in an accident in a commercial truck’s blind spot, call an injury lawyer today.
What Is a Blind Spot?
A blind spot is an area of the road where a driver’s field of vision is limited. The driver cannot see the blind spot through the rearview mirror. Blind spots create dangerous conditions on highways because it may be difficult for drivers to avoid blind spots. Because of the size of a commercial truck, it may seem that the driver has a vast field of vision, and they can see you, but the fact is that the bigger and more prolonged the vehicle is, the bigger its blind spot.
Where Are a Commercial Truck Driver’s Blind Spots?
Commercial trucks have four common blind spots. A big truck’s blind spots are located directly in front of the truck’s cab, right behind the trailer, along each side of the truck, and below and behind the driver’s side window.
Other drivers should avoid these areas around commercial trucks.
A truck driver’s blind spots extend for 20 feet in front of the truck and 30 feet along each side of the truck. You may have seen bumper stickers that warn drivers to stay 100 feet behind a commercial truck. You should heed those warnings to avoid injuries from an accident with a commercial driver.
“No Zones”
A commercial truck’s blind spots are sometimes called “no-zones.” The no zones are the areas another vehicle should avoid. There is no way for a commercial driver to see a person in their no-zones. An accident can result in tragedy; by trying to avoid blind spots, the rate of commercial truck accidents decreases.
Can You Avoid Blind Spots?
You cannot always avoid a commercial truck’s blind spots. However, there are some actions a motorist can take to try and avoid blind spots.
Actions that drivers can take to avoid injuries from blind spots accidents include:
- Don’t assume that the commercial truck driver can see you
- Don’t linger when changing lanes
- Follow the speed limit
- Use your rearview mirror to observe the vehicles around you
Is It Safe to Pass on the Right?
The right lane on the highway allows vehicles to enter and exit the highway. While it is generally safe to use the right lane to pass a vehicle, observe your circumstances before changing lanes. If a commercial truck has its indicator lights on and is attempting to merge, it is not safe for a car to pass. It may not be safe to increase your speed to pass.
Common Injuries FAQ
What Kind of Physical or Obvious Injuries?
Even if you don’t think your physical injury is severe, it may indicate a more serious problem.
Even a small problem can develop into a painful condition that requires long-term care, including:
- Burns
- Bruises
- Broken bones
- Whiplash
- Strain and sprain
- Scrapes and cuts
What Kind of Catastrophic Injuries?
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Head trauma
- Amputation
- Spinal cord injuries
When an injury is so severe that it changes the course of someone’s life, it is catastrophic, it can result in wrongful death.
What about Wrongful Death?
Wrongful death lawsuits are civil actions. Survivors file lawsuits because their loved one died due to the actions or inactions of another person, business, or entity.
Typically, the property owner failed to fix or remove a dangerous condition or hazard, which resulted in death.
- Funeral and burial expenses
- Pre-death medical expenses
- The loss of financial benefits that the deceased provided
- Loss of services, support, and consortium
Common Losses Truck Accident Victims Suffer
A court will decide the money paid to a victim by the combined amount of financial and non-financial damages an accident victim can prove during settlement negotiations or trial.
Monetary Damages
Monetary losses are easily quantifiable. Your lawyer will include all the tangible losses you suffer from an accident in the monetary damages claim.
Monetary damages include:
- Lost income
- Lost earning capacity
- Out of pocket expenses
Lost Income
Past and future lost income and lost earning capacity are monetary damages. You might miss work and lose income if you suffered an injury in an accident. In an accident where someone else was negligent, the law entitles an injured person to compensation for lost wages due to not working. Keep a record of your lost work time.
After an accident, you may be unable to work at all. Disability can take two forms. Either the person can lose the ability to work completely, or they can lose the ability to work in the same manner as before.
A person might work after an accident, but not in the same capacity or for the same hours as before. For example, If a firefighter’s back or knee injury prevents them from performing their firefighting duties, they cannot earn the same income as before the accident. However, they can work as a receptionist. The accident victim may seek compensation equal to the difference between the salaries of a firefighter and a receptionist.
Changes in how a person earns money can also cause emotional distress. All these factors contribute to the total amount of damage.
After an injury, a person may be unable to work again. If someone cannot work for the rest of their lives due to an accident, they may be entitled to compensation for an estimate of what they would have earned if they had continued to work.
Types of Medical Damages
Many different medical injuries can occur in an accident with a commercial truck.
Soft Injuries
Soft injuries are those that do not require involve broken bones or more catastrophic injuries. Soft injuries include bruises, cuts, scrapes, whiplash, and sprains. These injuries may heal or may become chronic pain injuries, requiring ongoing treatment.
Hard Injuries
The severity of hard injuries is higher. A head injury, amputation, broken bones, paralysis, spinal damage, or death are all examples of hard injuries. A court can decide the case in these situations.
Non-monetary Damages
Non-monetary damages can include emotional trauma.
Injuries for which emotional damages can be recovered include the following:
- Anxiety. An individual’s daily life can be affected by a feeling of intense emotional pressure and worry known as anxiety. Anxiety can manifest in many ways, and a person may develop habits that help them cope with their anxiety symptoms, such as avoiding driving after an accident.
Car accident victims may have to drastically change their lives to cope with overwhelming anxiety.
The at-fault driver should reimburse you for the anxiety they caused.
- Depression. Although anxiety and depression may present in similar ways for some sufferers, depression is unique. An overwhelming feeling of hopelessness, among other symptoms, can characterize depression. After a car accident, a victim may suffer from an overwhelming feeling that they will never live their lives the way they did before they were hurt. For some people, these types of feelings can persist. Because depressed car accident victims feel they will never get better, they may spiral, and their condition can worsen.
Depression can make it difficult for a person to perform the activities of daily living. A person suffering from depression may be unable to eat, sleep, bathe or otherwise care for themselves. They may also be unable to work and support themselves or their families.
A therapist or psychiatrist may treat depression. Therapy sessions and medication may incur expenses. After a car accident, an experienced accident lawyer can help you prove your damages and recover fully.
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. This may prompt flashbacks to the trauma. A sound, smell, or another stimulus may trigger a distressing memory. Auto accidents are traumatic events, and the memory of the accident can trigger strong emotions.
If a person has PTSD following a car accident, they may experience triggers every time they are near or in a car. A car engine backfiring, the sound of traffic, wind rushing past when the windows are down—all of these can debilitate a person and negatively impact their lives. PTSD can affect a person’s ability to perform daily tasks in addition to the triggers. Daily triggers can trigger a memory, and a person suffering from this condition may cope by avoiding the activity.
PTSD has a non-economic value as well as psychiatric value. You can recover damages with the help of an accident lawyer if you suffer from PTSD.
How Can I Pay My Lawyer’s Fees?
Most accident lawyers work on a contingency basis. These fees minimize upfront costs. If there is a recovery in a personal injury case, the lawyer and client usually agree that the lawyer will receive a percentage of the settlement. A client-lawyer agreement will often defer any payment until the case reaches its conclusion.
People who have suffered an injury can pursue justice even if they cannot afford to hire a lawyer through contingency fee structures. For those in that situation, contingent fees are an excellent option. Contact an accident lawyer if you have suffered an injury in a car accident that was not your fault.
Contact a Truck Accident Lawyer Today
A truck accident lawyer can help after a commercial truck driver accident. You may have to deal with a lot of hardships. Accident victims often have a hard time putting their lives back together after an accident.
An experienced truck accident lawyer can protect an accident victim’s rights from big and intimidating insurance companies. Get in touch with a truck accident lawyer today if you have suffered an injury in a collision with a commercial truck driver.
Never wait too long to seek legal assistance following a truck crash. The trucking companies will start investigating right away, and they seek evidence to avoid liability. You need an advocate who will collect evidence to prove liability for your claim, and they should start working on your case as soon as possible. Let a truck accident lawyer help.
