There are many ways that things can go wrong on the road when trucks are involved. Among the many types of truck accidents, wide turn accidents are one type of crash that can occur at even low speeds and still be devastating. Passenger vehicles can get crushed under or beside the truck, or get crushed between the truck and a stationary object. Why do these accidents occur, and what can you do if you or someone you love was hurt in a wide turn truck accident in Austin, Texas? Always seek medical attention after a crash, and report the accident to proper authorities. If you have additional questions about your rights with regards to seeking damages from negligent parties or insurance companies, reach out to the Robson Law Firm, an Austin, Texas truck accident law firm that may be able to assist you.
Why Wide Turn Truck Accidents Occur
Commercial trucks, eighteen-wheelers, semi-trucks, and large trucks have a wide turning radius. This means that trucks need a great deal of space to perform a turn, and in most cases, they cannot make a right turn from the rightmost lane. Instead, a truck or bus may need to turn from a left lane into a right lane, which can potentially pose a risk to drivers and cars in the lane to their right. Add to this the fact that this is the side of a truck or bus where the blind spot is largest and it becomes easy to see why these kinds of turns are so risky. Drivers should be aware of this hazard and give trucks and buses room when turning. But sometimes truck drivers may execute these turns too quickly to give drivers a chance to respond, or truck drivers may try to perform these turns on roads where they are not permitted. Because wide turns are so dangerous, some cities limit where drivers can operate their trucks, and may restrict where drivers can turn. The Federal Motor Carrier Administration illustrates the challenges large trucks face in narrow intersections in a helpful animated video. In some cases, roads are so narrow that truck drivers might need to begin or end a turn on lanes of oncoming traffic. When trucks perform this maneuver they may even require additional support personnel to assist them and to keep them and others safe.
Truck drivers are required to hold special licensure and receive special training to address these very situations. When accidents occur, it is usually the fault of the truck driver either failing to properly set up the turn, or failing to check blind spots and surrounding traffic. Driver inexperience can also contribute to accidents. At the end of the day, if you’ve been in a wide turn truck accident, there might be many factors involved. The truck accident lawyers at the Robson Law Firm in Austin, Texas may be able to review the circumstances surrounding your accident, assist you with your case, and help you seek the recovery you may deserve under the law.
Determining Negligence with Wide Turn Accidents
In many cases, when truck drivers make wide right or left-hand turns or attempt U-turns that result in accidents, the fault is often on the driver. Trucks are far larger than passenger vehicles, and when drivers make mistakes, often the people who end up injured are the passengers. How can the Robson Law Firm, in Austin, Texas evaluate your trucking accident to determine who was at fault? Here are some questions we might ask:
- Was the truck driver performing the left or right-hand turn at an intersection or on a road where such turns were illegal?
- Was the truck driver on a road where large trucks are not permitted, or was the truck on these roads during restricted hours?
- Did the truck driver fail to execute the wide turn from the correct lane? Some larger trucks may need to execute a wide turn from the left lane, not the right lane.
- Did the truck driver put on his or her turn signal? And did the truck driver check his or her blind spots?
- Did the truck driver use all available options to execute the turn safely? For example, if there was traffic, would support from other workers have helped the driver safely turn? Or, could the driver have performed the turn more safely at another intersection?
These are just some of the questions that can be asked following a wide turn accident. Were you hurt in a truck accident in Austin, Texas? You may have the right to seek damages from negligent parties and insurance companies. The Robson Law Firm is a truck accident law firm in Austin, Texas that is here for you. Contact us today for a free, initial consultation or reach out to USAttorneys.com to get matched with one of our truck accident lawyers.