Truck drivers must obey all traffic laws, drive safely, and perform basic driving maneuvers like backing up safely. Unfortunately, truck drivers cause accidents when they fail to reverse their truck in a safe manner. If their negligence was the cause of your crash, you might be entitled to compensation for your injuries from the trucking company and driver under Virginia law.
How Trucker Negligence Leads to Dangerous Backing-Up Truck Crashes
You can only recover damages for your injuries if you can prove that the backing-up wreck was caused by the truck driver’s or trucking company’s negligence. Understanding the major reasons these truck accidents occur can help you identify why your collision occurred.
Common Negligent Actions That Cause Backing-Up Crashes
- Not walking around the truck. Commercial trucks have large blind spots that truckers cannot see from their cab. Before backing up anywhere, the truck driver should walk around the back of their truck to ensure they will not hit a vehicle or person when they reverse.
- Not checking blind spots. Truck drivers are required to check their blind spots while in their cab before backing up. Failing to take this safety precaution is a leading cause of a truck reversing crash.
- Backing up too fast. If a trucker reverses too quickly, they are likely to miss a person or vehicle in their blind spot or see them too late to avoid causing a collision.
- Not using a spotter. A truck driver cannot reverse safely unless they have a spotter behind the truck in some situations. They would be negligent if they failed to use a spotter when necessary.
- Reversing into traffic. Reversing into oncoming traffic can be dangerous, especially if the trucker fails to use a spotter, reverses too fast, or fails to check blind spots. Unfortunately, this is precisely what truckers do when making an improper wide turn and have to reverse the truck into traffic.
- Failing to maintain the truck. Working lights, mirrors, and sirens are essential to protect others from being injured when a truck reverses. If a truck driver fails to inspect their truck properly or drives it knowing that maintenance needs to be performed, they may be held liable after a reversing truck crash.
How to Recover the Compensation You Are Entitled to in a Backing Up Truck Collision
If you were injured in a reversing truck crash, you may be entitled to compensation for your medical expenses, lost wages, property damages, and pain and suffering. You need the help of an experienced truck accident lawyer if you want to receive a fair settlement from the insurance company. To find out how our dedicated legal team can assist you, call us at 877-960-3441 or fill out our online form to schedule your free initial consultation today.
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