Types of Truck Accidents in Sandy Springs, GA

Trucks have a very high center of gravity, making them prone to tipping. If a truck driver takes a turn too quickly, they could cause the truck to roll onto its side and crash down onto whatever is beside them, like a guardrail or another car.

Additionally, a truck rollover accident could cause the truck to block one or more lanes of traffic, potentially causing other cars around them to crash into their trailer. These truck crashes could also cause the truck’s cargo to spill onto the road, potentially leading to another accident.

Rear-end collisions occur when a large truck crashes into the rear of another vehicle. Commercial trucks are incredibly heavy and require more time to slow or stop compared to smaller vehicles. When truck drivers notice something in front of their truck too late, they often don’t have enough time to be able to stop before the truck crashes into it. 

Additionally, large trucks have large blind spots, one of which is in front of their cab. If a car moves into a lane in front of a large truck, and they are too close, the truck driver may not even see their vehicle at all. This kind of large truck crash can cause serious injuries, so passenger vehicle drivers should be vigilant and mindful when driving around large trucks.  

A large truck can also crash into the front of another vehicle head-on. Due to the sheer weight and size of large trucks, the vast majority of these kinds of head-on collisions are fatal crashes. A head-on truck accident can also cause serious damage to any vehicles involved. 

Head-on collisions involving a large truck can occur for a variety of reasons, including brake failure, distracted driving, drunk driving, and more.

Underride accidents occur when passenger vehicle drivers crash into the rear of a large truck. Many tractor-trailers are higher off the ground than other vehicles, leaving a large gap between the road and the bottom of the trailer. In underride truck accidents, the front of the passenger vehicle can get trapped under the back of the large truck, depending on the passenger vehicle type.

Jackknife accidents are accidents in which the trailer of the truck and the truck cab fold in on themselves. If a large truck makes a sharp turn or makes any sudden swerves, the cab of the truck can become unaligned with the trailer, forming a “V” shaped angle with the rest of the truck. The trailer basically pushes the cab to the side, making the truck driver lose control of the vehicle and causing jackknife accidents.

Jackknife accidents can cause rollover accidents or cause the cab and trailer to become disconnected. If jackknife truck accidents happens suddenly, and the cab of the truck is pushed in front of other vehicles that are on the road with them, this can also cause an accident. 

Just like with other vehicles, large trucks can cause t-bone accidents. A t-bone accident occurs when truck drivers crash into the side of another vehicle with the front of their truck. These kinds of truck accidents often occur at intersections and can occur if truck drivers or passenger vehicle drivers run through red lights, blow through stop signs, or turn without having the right of way.

In t-bone accidents that involve large trucks, those in the other vehicle that are on the side of the impact are in serious danger of being severely injured or even killed.

Contact our Sandy Springs broadside collisions attorney for a free consultation.

Just like with passenger vehicles, large trucks can sideswipe other vehicles. If the driver of the tractor-trailer suddenly swerves into another lane or merges into traffic without enough clearance, they could scrape the side of another vehicle, causing damage. Sideswipe truck accidents could also cause either driver to lose control of their vehicle, which could cause a more severe accident.

Since large trucks have such large blind spots, it’s important that other drivers try to avoid those blind spots as much as possible. Truck drivers should also check their blind spots every time they move into another lane or merge into traffic to avoid hitting other vehicles on the road.

When large trucks make right turns, they need to swing slightly to the left in order to ensure the trailer has enough space to turn. This can cause a truck accident if another driver mistakes the truck moving to the left as the truck changes lanes. The car may try to get into the right lane to pass the truck on the right, not realizing the truck is about to turn right in front of them.

Squeeze Play Truck Accidents

This kind of large truck accident is often called a “squeeze play” accident because the car may be squeezed between the trailer and the curb, guardrail, or barrier wall. While many large trucks have notices on the back of their trailers warning of wide right turns, other drivers may not know the truck is trying to turn, especially if the truck driver doesn’t use their blinker. Commercial drivers have to be extra vigilant when making right turns in order to avoid these kinds of accidents.

Another type of large truck accident is trucking accidents caused by tire blowouts. Tire blowouts can cause the truck driver to lose control of the truck, which can cause it to swerve into another lane of traffic, jackknife, or even roll over.

Tire blowouts can be caused by a lot of factors, including 

• Dry rotted tires

• Low or no tread on tires

• Incorrect tires

• Poorly inflated tires

• Defective tires

• Large, sharp debris in the road

• Excessive heat

• Speeding

• Overloading

If trucks are not well maintained, they could suffer from a tire blowout while on the road, potentially leading to serious or fatal crashes. Additionally, other cars on the road may drive into tire treads or pieces left in the road, which could cause them to crash. 

Large trucks are often carrying cargo, such as raw materials, equipment, or other goods. If that cargo is not properly secured, or if tractor-trailers are in accidents, the cargo can spill out onto the road or go flying out of the back of the tractor-trailers. This material can hit other drivers, block the road, or make it difficult to drive on the road. 

Unsecured cargo accidents can harm more than just passenger vehicle drivers; if the large truck was transporting volatile or otherwise hazardous cargo, the spill could cause environmental issues or increase the chances of fatal crashes.