If you met with an accident that involves 18-wheeler trucks, then you will need a lawyer for sure to handle your case and give you the compensation you deserve. You can look for the best Houston 18 wheeler accident lawyers, and take their consultation to know all the details of this legal assistance.
Driving 18 wheeler trucks are itself involving a lot of risks. The size of the vehicle and the speed of operation, is liable for causing a lot of damage on roads. As per the statistics are concerned, large trucks are accountable for most of the fatal crashes on the road, and 18-wheeler trucks are an evident part of those accidents.
Every time an accident occurs that involves a large truck, there are many complications that might come up. You might get injured or have expensive vehicle damages that need compensation. These are just a few complications out of the many that might arise. Therefore, to help yourself deal with such situations, you can look for Houston 18 wheeler accident lawyers.
Dangerous Aspects of 18-Wheeler Trucks
There are a few aspects that make the 18-wheeler trucks more dangerous than the other average vehicles. Some of the evident reasons include:
Combination of Weight & Speed
The average passenger car weighs no more than 1.5 tons, but the average loaded tractor is around 40 tons, which is around 27 times heavier than the car. Now, you can imagine upon how dangerous it will be when a 40-ton vehicle is gushing at a speed of 60mph on the roads. And imagine the consequences when it hits a small car or vehicle! The consequences will definitely be dangerous in a long tenure.
Stopping Distances
Large trucks such as 18 wheelers, need optimal time in order to stop at a particular distance than that of a car. As per physics is concerned, an average passenger vehicle that is traveling at an optimal speed of 65mph, will need 316 feet to stop at a location upon ideal weather and road conditions. Keeping that in mind, it will take around 52 feet for a 40-ton truck that is traveling at the same speed.
Moreover, the large 18 wheeler trucks also have to go through brake lag problems. It is because, air breaks in big vehicles work with different functionality. There is a substantial lag time from the moment driver hits the break to the time brakes are applied. Hence, it means that 18 wheelers will demand much more of a stopping distance than cars, which might be an evident reason for causing accidents.
Blindspots
The 18 wheeler trucks come with four large blind spots that include front sides, two sides, and back sides of the truck. Due to the height of the truck and the big bulky size, the drivers can possibly have a very tough time spotting the smaller cars in those areas. Therefore, these situations become really tricky for truck drivers to prevent accidents, if they miss out on checking the blindspots.
Hence, these are three evident reasons that make 18 wheeler trucks dangerous on roads. Therefore, if you are traveling through highways and have an idea that it is a passage for big trucks, then you should have the assistance of Houston 18 wheeler accident lawyers beforehand. You never know when the situation might not go in your favor! Therefore, having a backup in mind is always a sensible decision!
Possible Causes of 18 Wheeler Truck Accidents
They are dangerous, and you have the reasons to believe that fact on priority! Before you decide upon taking the appointment from Houston 18 wheeler accident lawyers, you might be keen to know the possible causes that might trigger your not-so-memorable encounter with 18 wheeler trucks. It is because, you would like to imagine the consequences of the accident and the complications when you don’t have the lawyer’s support. The possible causes are:
- Lack of experience of drivers with large trucks.
- Fatigue symptoms in drivers during the transit.
- Distracted or careless driving; texting, chatting, eating, and doing other activities without conscious mind on roads.
- Lack of maintenance for the trucks might trigger unwanted breakdowns and accidents.
- Bad weather is liable for compromising drivers’ control over large trucks.
What to Do Immediately After Truck Accident?
Here are the steps that you need to acquire if you are meeting with an accident that involves 18 wheeler truck:
Get out of the situation and move to safety.
Exchange your information with the truck driver and take his details.
Create a document for the scene.
Get the necessary medical attention.
Consult your 18 wheeler accident lawyer to hand him over the rest of the job.
Conclusion
Hence, this explains how dangerous 18-wheeler trucks can be for the small cars that are driving in their transit lanes. Therefore, it is important to get the legal backup in hand at all times. Even if it is not the 18 wheeler truck but an average tractor accident, you will still need some legal assistance to get the compensations.