Many truck crashes occur on local roads in the Norfolk and Virginia Beach areas. If you were hurt in an accident on a city or neighborhood street, you need to understand how the trucker’s negligence may have caused it. This will help you know if you are entitled to compensation for your injuries and whether you should file a claim with their insurance company.
Common Reasons for Truck Accidents on Local Roads
There are many types of large trucks on our local roads, such as garbage trucks, box delivery trucks, and other large commercial trucks. Their drivers must be especially careful when driving in cities and neighborhoods because of the unique challenges of safely driving a large truck on these streets. When they engage in unsafe or reckless driving practices, they are likely to cause a catastrophic accident with a much smaller car, no matter how careful the motorist is driving. A few of the ways truckers cause these crashes include:
- Sudden stops. Trucks must be prepared to stop suddenly when a traffic light changes or the driver in front of them slows down or suddenly stops. When a driver is speeding or failing to maintain a safe distance behind the vehicle in front of them, they can cause a rear-end collision that can turn into a multi-vehicle wreck.
- Improperly loaded cargo. If the cargo being transported is not properly secured or loaded, the cargo can fall off the truck or cause the truck to jackknife across lanes of traffic.
- Distracted driving. It is extremely dangerous for a trucker to drive while distracted by eating and drinking, fiddling with instrument controls, talking on a cellphone, or texting. They can travel the length of a football field in a few seconds and not realize they are going to cause a truck accident until it is too late to prevent it.
- Wide turns. Truckers must be especially careful when making a wide turn on a busy or narrow local road. They can cause a collision by failing to turn on their turn signal, if they are intoxicated or drowsy, or engaged in distracted driving.
- Blind spots. Even smaller box or delivery trucks have blind spots. When a truck driver is not aware of the blind spots or does not take special care to check for vehicles in their blind spots, they can fail to see an auto in their path before making a turn or lane change.
How to Protect Your Right to Compensation in a Truck Accident on a Local Road
If you were hurt in a truck accident on a local road, you will need the help of an experienced truck accident lawyer to prove the trucker and trucking company are liable to compensate you for your injuries. A lawyer will help collect the evidence you need to prove your case and go up against the insurance company so that you receive the maximum recovery possible in your settlement. Fill out our convenient online form to schedule a free initial consultation to learn more about how we can assist you.
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