Common Types of Fatal Truck Accidents

The sheer size and weight of a commercial truck, tractor-trailer, semi, or 18-wheeler makes it much more likely to cause a fatal accident when it collides with a car.

What are common types of fatal truck accidents?

There are many unique factors in a fatal truck accident, but you can usually classify it as one of the common types:

• Head-on collision - where two vehicles collide while traveling in opposite directions;
• Underride accident (including rear underride and side underride) - where the smaller vehicle crashes into the back of the truck, sliding under the rear of the trailer;
• Override accident - where the truck rides over the smaller vehicle, commonly caused by tailgating;
• Jackknife accident - where the truck cab bends back toward the trailer during a turning maneuver (accounting for more than 10% of fatal truck accidents); and
• Rollover crash - where the truck rolls over because of imbalanced cargo or overweight loads (accounting for more than 9% of fatal truck accidents).

How common are fatal truck accidents in Kentucky?

A study by the National Center for Statistics and Analysis reported Kentucky accounted for 2.1% of the fatal truck accidents in the United States within a 4-year-period.

With more than 74,000 miles of public road, Kentucky ranked 22^nd in the nation for number of fatal truck crashes in relation to miles of road. In 2006, more than 81,000 people in the United States were injured in truck accidents, with 120 fatal crashes occurring in Kentucky alone.

Why are fatalities more common in truck accidents?

Commercial trucks are much larger and more difficult to operate than a standard passenger vehicle. Their large size means they have more weight and power, so they are likely to do a greater volume of damage. They are also more difficult to control, making evasive maneuvering difficult when faced with a potential collision.

The safe operation of a truck is also a more complicated matter. Drivers have to carry special licenses and complete training and safety courses to operate a commercial truck. Many fatal truck accidents are attributed to driver negligence caused by fatigue or mishandling of equipment.

How a Kentucky Truck Accident Attorney Can Help

When you lose a loved one in a fatal truck accident in Kentucky, their untimely passing is your main concern, but you have the right to pursue a wrongful death claim to ensure your family receives the compensation you deserve to pay for funeral expenses and other non-economic factors such as, loss of companionship.

When building your wrongful death case, you'll want the experience and knowledge of a truck accident lawyer at Gray and White Law. Our attorneys will give your case the personal attention it requires and work with our team of experts in re-creating the accident to fight for your case. Contact us today for a free case consultation - 1-800-634-8767.