A semi truck accident can be very violent, and sometimes people get seriously hurt. But despite perceptions held by some people that most truck accidents are caused by the truck driver, many collisions that occur happen because of events beyond the driver’s control.
There are freak occurrences like an object suddenly appearing in the road, or a defective part on the truck failing with no warning. Other times, third parties on the road cause the trucker to lose control. Despite his or her best efforts, the truck driver cannot avoid crashing into a passenger vehicle.
Unfortunately, some motorists do not know how to be safe around 18-wheelers and cause a truck accident as a result. Mistakes they make can include:
- Driving in the truck’s blind spots, which are behind and beside the vehicle
- Abruptly changing lanes in front of a truck
- Driving to the right of a truck as it is making a right turn.
- Not making room when a truck changes lanes or merges
- Turning left at an intersection and not properly judging an approaching truck’s speed and distance away.
When a commercial vehicle is involved in an accident that causes injury to others, and the driver was engaged in the course of their work duties, their employer may find itself a defendant in a personal injury lawsuit. However, the evidence could indicate that the truck driver was not at fault for the accident. Perhaps, as we discussed above, the collision was unavoidable, or a third party negligently created the conditions for a wreck.