Boston Underride Truck Accident Lawyer

Not only are large commercial trucks a danger to other drivers due to their enormous blind spots, frequent brake failure, and sometimes hazardous cargo, but the height of a truck’s wheels can also allow smaller vehicles to get wedged underneath them.

Underride accidents such as these are devastating, often causing catastrophic injury and death. In fact, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety states that of the 2,241 passenger vehicle occupants killed in large truck crashes in 2011, 260 died when their front end hit the rear of a truck.

If you have been hurt in one of these accidents, a Boston underride truck accident lawyer from Joel H. Schwartz, PC can help you determine the cause and seek financial compensation.

What Causes an Underride Truck Accident?

Underride 18-wheeler accidents tend to happen in a few specific sets of circumstances:

• Rear-End Collision – Normally if a car runs into the back of another car, the bumper offers some protection. However, while most passenger cars are around thirty inches off the ground, a commercial truck can be forty-five inches off the ground or even higher. A car that doesn’t stop fast enough can easily get wedged underneath.
• Lane Change – Not only is the simple act of changing lanes one of the most common causes of collisions, but if a truck is gaining speed or suddenly slows, a car or motorcycle can easily underride.
• Failed Brake Lights – Not knowing that a truck is slowing or stopping can cause a car to rear-end the truck in front.

On Guard

Metal rear-guards are required on some truck models to cut down on underride accidents. Underride guards, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), are “a requirement for rear impact guards on single-unit trucks [and] could save five lives and prevent thirty injuries per year, at a cost of approximately $669 million to equip some 342,000 vehicles.”

However, guards were not as effective when only a portion of the car went under the outer-back truck edge, and while these metal grates do cut down on fatalities from cars sliding under big rigs, they can still fail at relatively low speeds.

The result is that there are too many preventable fatalities and grievous injuries from underride truck accidents. If you have been a victim of a truck underride, it may be time to call a Boston underride truck accident lawyer to explore your legal rights.

Common Underride Truck Accident Injuries

Because the point of impact tends to be at head level for the driver of the passenger car, underride truck accidents tend to have devastating consequences involving serious injuries:

• Paralysis, including paraplegia or quadriplegia
• Amputation
• Broken bones
• Brain damage
• Wrongful death

Speak with a Boston Underride Truck Accident Lawyer

If you or a family member has been hurt in an underride truck crash, call the Law Offices of Joel H. Schwartz, PC to find out how we can help you get compensation for your expenses related to the accident. The call is free with no obligation! Talk to a Boston underride truck accident lawyer today by calling 1-800-660-2270 or completing the form below.