Accidents involving large commercial trucks can be devastating, particularly because these vehicles are much bigger than the typical passenger cars on the roadway. There are two types of accidents that can cause significant injuries to vehicle drivers and passengers – override accidents and underride accidents. It is important to understand the mechanisms of both of these types of accidents as well as how they happen so that you can prevent these incidents from occurring on the roadway.
Large Truck Underride Accidents
Larger commercial trucks sit much higher on the roadways than most passenger cars. Unfortunately, this can have significant consequences when it comes to vehicle accidents. Anytime a smaller vehicle collides with a large commercial truck on the roadway, regardless of who caused the accident, this could lead to the smaller vehicle sliding underneath of the truck. This is how the name underride originates – the smaller car essentially “rides under” the larger vehicle.
When an underride collision occurs, this can result in the top part of the passenger car sustaining significant damage. In some cases, the top half of a smaller vehicle could be either partially or completely sheared off, which can lead to significant injuries or fatalities for those inside the vehicle.
Underride truck accidents can occur in a variety of ways. This includes, but is not limited to, the following:
- A truck driver coming to a sudden stop, leading to a rear-end collision
- A truck driver failing to use their turn signals or making a sudden lane change
- Truck drivers failing to follow the flow of traffic
- Drivers not using reflective triangles or flashing lights if they have to stop on the roadside
- Drivers failing to pull all the way off the road if the truck breaks down
Large Truck Override Accidents
An override accident occurs when the front end of a larger truck on the roadway crashes into the back end of a smaller passenger car. As we mentioned above, there is a significant height difference between most larger commercial trucks on the roadway and traditional passenger vehicles. Because of this height difference, it is not uncommon for the front end of a truck to ride “over” the rear end of the smaller vehicle.
Even though these are considered rear-end collisions, the outcomes will be much more devastating than crashes between two vehicles similar in size. Override accidents could result in the truck completely riding over the passenger compartment, which can lead to significant crush injuries and property damage.
Some of the most common causes of override accidents include large commercial truck drivers failing to stop before colliding with another vehicle (tailgating) or drivers inside smaller passenger vehicles stopping suddenly in front of the larger truck (whether due to an emergency or intentional brake-checking).
Working With an Attorney
If you or somebody you love has been injured in an underride or override accident caused by the negligence of a truck driver or trucking carrier, reach out to an attorney immediately. A skilled Santa Ana truck accident lawyer can fully investigate every aspect of your claim and help you recover the compensation you are entitled to. This includes coverage of medical bills, property damage expenses, and pain and suffering losses.
