American commercial trucks drive more than 200,000 million miles per year. Combine this with the fact that a fully loaded tractor-trailer going sixty-five miles per hour takes nearly the length of two football fields to stop, and the result is far too many Salt Lake City truck accident common types.

Any one of these accidents involving an 18-wheeler may result in a number of detrimental outcomes:

  • Injury and disability
  • Vehicle damage
  • Property damage
  • Loss of wages due to time off work
  • Death

Kinds of Truck Crashes

Accidents involving trucks take many forms and have innumerable potential causes:

  • Rear-End Collision – A truck hits the back of another vehicle, often due to driver inattention, tailgating, or inadequate stopping time.
  • Underride – A car crashes into the back of a truck and actually goes beneath the rig, usually from the same causes as a rear-ender. Major damage or destruction to the auto can result.
  • Head-On Collision – Vehicles traveling in opposite directions crash, often due to drowsy or distracted driving or driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
  • Multiple-Vehicle Collision – These pileups frequently involve inadequate stopping time or dangerous road conditions.
  • T-Bone Accidents and Intersection Collisions – One party runs a red light, stop sign, or simply crosses another vehicle’s path and ends up with their front end ramming into the side of the other.
  • Tire Blowouts – This can send an 18-wheeler veering out of control. Tires must be inspected and well maintained.
  • Hit-and-Run – A truck leaves the scene of an accident, whether deliberately or unknowingly.
  • Dropped Load – This occurs when freight is not properly secured and regularly checked. Goods fall out of the trailer and cause damage.
  • Rollovers – An unbalanced load or other factors cause the truck to fall or roll. These types of accidents usually happen at high speeds, often when wheels can’t get a grip on the road.
  • Sideswipe – Two vehicles driving in the same direction hit each other side-to-side. This often occurs due to lane changes, loss of concentration, intoxication, fatigue, or distraction.
  • Faulty Air Brakes – Air brakes can fail due to malfunction or poor service. These often cause crashes after a downhill run. Heavy loads put tremendous strain on the brakes, and they must be well maintained at all times.
  • Jackknife – This often occurs due to loss of vehicle control caused by road conditions, tire blowouts, and similar situations. The cab of the truck gets locked into a side position relative to the trailer.

Big Rig Accident Frequency

In 2006, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Association ran a study with the following breakdown of truck accident frequency:

  • Rear-End: 23.1 percent
  • Ran Off-Road or Out of Lane: 17.8 percent
  • Same-Direction Sideswipe: 10.3 percent
  • Different-Direction Sideswipe: 4.6 percent
  • Rollover: 8.9 percent
  • Turning Into or Across Another Vehicle’s Path: 8.0 percent
  • Intersecting Vehicles: 5.8 percent
  • Head-On: 3.0 percent
  • Hit Object in Road: 1.8 percent
  • Fire or Jackknife: 0.9 percent
  • Backing Into Another Vehicle: 0.3 percent
  • Other: 15.5 percent

18-Wheeler Crash Causes

Accidents can occur due to truckers’ massive blind spots, vehicle or road conditions, load conditions, human error, or negligence. Truckers are not always at fault, and there may be other safety issues that are to blame. These issues could have been caused by the trucking company or some other involved party.

Take Control with Help from a Salt Lake City Lawyer

Determining a crash’s cause is essential for knowing your legal options. Call Craig Swapp & Associates at 1-800-404-9000 for a free case discussion and to learn about our commitment to thoroughly investigating your case.

We have handled many lawsuits involving Salt Lake City truck accident common types and are happy to answer any questions you may have.