Causes of Big Rig Underride Wrecks

Data from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) shows that in 2010 there were 1,324 fatalities caused by automobile accidents in PA that year. More than 10 percent of all of those fatalities involved large commercial truck accidents. Due to their immense proportions and weight, big rig trucks can be especially lethal if involved in a highway accident. Large trucks can also be particularly prone to dangerous incidents due to the inherent difficulties in controlling such large vehicles, especially in compromised or negligent situations.

One kind of common large truck accident is referred to as an underride accident. This happens when a passenger motor-vehicle collides with the side or back of a truck, and the result is often devastating as a smaller vehicle’s roof can be totally torn off. Philadelphia underride accidents that occur when a driver crashes into the side of the truck can happen if a big rig driver makes a turn, crosses lanes, or attempts a U turn without adequate signaling or surveillance of the roadway. Underride accidents that occur when a driver crashes into the rear of the truck may happen if a big rig slows down unexpectedly, or is traveling very slow, without proper rear lighting/ reflectors.

The majority of underride crashes happen after dark, and many result from malfunctioning reflective lights (or the absence of such lights), inordinately slow speeds with hazard lighting, or faulty side and back underride protective guards (or the absence of such guards). Those traveling in smaller passenger vehicles, who are involved in a large truck underride accident, may suffer serious injuries as a result. Have you been injured in a big rig underride accident in Pennsylvania? If so, contact an experienced big rig accident lawyer in PA to review your case.