Truck Accidents Caused by Wide Turns

Truck accidents often occur during wide turns. Some refer to these accidents as squeeze crashes. They can be devastating. They often result from drivers not signaling or from other vehicles failing to yield the right of way. Wide-turn truck accidents are complex claims to pursue, especially when you need to prove fault. Call a Lexington truck accident lawyer at Gary C. Johnson, Attorneys at Law, P.S.C., today.

Types of Wide Turn Truck Accidents

Wide-turn accidents can be either left or right. In a wide right turn, the truck needs added room to make the turn. The driver swings to the left, often into the next lane. This provides the driver with a large gap on the right side of the vehicle.

Typically, the following driver recognizes that the trucker is turning and waits for the turn. If they fail to do so and try to enter that gap, the trailer will swing back towards them, pinning the car.

Less common, a left wide turn truck accident typically occurs when the driver is turning left across multiple lanes of traffic. When they do, the rear trailer may track inward. This can potentially sideswipe any other vehicles in the adjacent lanes.

The Blind Spots on Trucks

One of the concerns about turns with trucks is that they have large blind spots, or areas along the sides of the truck that the driver cannot see well. These blind spots extend on the right side of the truck and directly behind the trailer itself. If the driver fails to check these areas carefully before turning, an accident can occur.

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Why Wide Turn Truck Accidents Happen

Multiple factors contribute to truck accidents like this. Police will investigate to determine what caused the accident and who is at fault. Either driver could be at fault, depending on the circumstances. Some of the most common causes include:

• Lack of signaling. Truck drivers must communicate with other drivers on the road about the risk, and to do that, they need to signal early and consistently. Without signaling, a driver behind the truck does not recognize that the vehicle is turning, which means they may enter that blind spot.
• Driver error and inexperience. These two often go hand in hand. Turns take practice when you have a long tractor-trailer to pull. When roadways and intersections are narrow, it becomes even more complex. Sometimes the driver makes a mistake.
• Encroachment. In some situations, a truck driver may encroach into oncoming traffic or traffic adjacent to them in order to make those turns. When they do this, they are operating illegally outside of their marked lanes. They may do this to clear the curb, but it can put others at risk.

As you share the road with increasing numbers of large trucks, it becomes very important to know your rights. Not all truck accidents caused by wide turns are the fault of the car operator. Many times, trucks make mistakes that put others at avoidable risk.

Schedule a Consultation with an Attorney If You Were Hurt

In these cases, insurance and trucking companies will do what they can to prove you are at fault. That may not be the case. When you hire an injury attorney in Lexington, you gain legal insight into your rights. Your attorney helps seek the evidence you need.

Speak with a Lexington truck accident lawyer from Gary C. Johnson at (859) 268-4300 during a free consultation about your accident.