It is impossible to say exactly what percentage of all accidents large trucks backing up are involved in, but the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration states in their 2017 Traffic Safety Facts Sheet on Large Trucks that 22% of fatal, two-car accidents between large trucks and passenger vehicles involve a truck’s rear colliding with the other vehicle.
Large trucks, including tractor-trailers and garbage collection vehicles, have larger blind spots than standard cars, trucks, and SUVs. Large trucks are also bigger, more powerful, and more destructive. When they are involved in accidents, the damage tends to be severe.
It is a good idea when driving near a large truck to assume that the driver cannot see your vehicle. If you encounter one in a parking lot, assume they could start backing up at any time, and when passing a large truck on the highway, try to give it a wide berth and spend as little time as possible in a position where the driver might not be able to spot you.
If you were involved in a truck accident, a lawyer from Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers may be able to help you recover compensation. For a free, no-obligation case evaluation, call Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers at (337) 777-7777.
Backing Up Accidents Involving Large Trucks
Backing up accidents are more common than many people realize, especially in parking lots and on private property, where the flow of traffic is less defined. Of the backing up accidents that occur in a given year, a certain percentage of them involve large trucks—semis, garbage trucks, dump trucks, and so forth. Backing up accidents involving large trucks can be especially severe because of the size, weight, and power of the vehicle.
If the backing up accident involves a pedestrian, such as a small child who goes unseen by the driver, the outcome is usually particularly tragic—not because truck drivers are less skilled or more careless than other drivers, but because their vehicles are more capable of causing destruction.
For a free legal consultation, call (337) 777-7777
How to Avoid a Backing Up Accident
You can minimize your chances of getting into a backing up accident with a large truck by always remaining aware of your surroundings. You have likely seen the signs on the backs of trucks proclaiming that if you cannot see their mirrors, they cannot see you. This is absolutely true, and even if you can see their mirrors – or even the driver himself or herself through the window – it does not necessarily mean they can see you. Trucks have much less visibility than passenger cars do, particularly when they are loaded up with cargo.
If you have already been involved in a backing up accident involving a large truck, a truck accident lawyer can help you build a case and recover compensation.
Determining Liability in Your Backing Up Accident
It can be difficult to determine fault for a backing up accident. For one thing, many of them occur on private property, such as in parking lots or parking garages. Police officers and insurance adjusters are often hesitant to assign fault for accidents occurring on private property, as the rules of the road tend not to be as well-defined as they are on public thoroughfares.
Backing up accidents are also tricky because it is often not clear what happened just from looking at the scene of the accident. For instance, if you have a collision where the front of one car struck the back of another, how can you prove that it was the front car moving backward and not the back car moving forward?
A truck accident lawyer in Lafayette, LA, can help you build a case and collect compensation for your backing-up accident, whether you were the front or back driver and also if your accident involved a large truck.
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Call Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers for a Free Truck Accident Case Evaluation
The Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers team is ready to get to work for you today. If you were injured in a backing up accident involving a large truck, we will build a case on your behalf and help you collect the compensation you deserve. There is never a fee until you get paid. To speak with a member of our team right away and receive a free consultation, call us at (337) 777-7777.
We want to help your family in any way we can. Reach out today. We work on a contingency fee basis, meaning that you never owe us anything before you get paid. Do not wait to call, as Art. 3492 of the Louisiana Civil Code imposes a one-year statute of limitations on most legal actions after a large truck accident like the one you may have suffered. The sooner you speak with a member of our team, the sooner we can get started working on your case.
Call or text (337) 777-7777 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
