Why Truck Accidents Often Involve Multiple Vehicles

Trucks tend to cause more multi-vehicle accidents than cars. Trucks are longer, wider, and taller than passenger cars. Trucks can strike multiple vehicles at one time. Smaller vehicles have a harder time navigating away from large trucks. Many truck accidents involve a primary accident involving just the truck or a truck and one other vehicle, and then multiple secondary accidents as everyone on the road tries to avoid the truck.

An example of a chain reaction truck accident was recently reported by station WUSA9. The station reported on January 25 that all lanes of I-95 had to be closed due to a multi-vehicle crash after a sedan spun out in the rain. Virginia State Police said that the crash occurred on I-95 at the Caroline County and Spotsylvania County line.

Four tractor-trailers and 14 passenger vehicles were involved in the accident. WUSA9 states that “rain is suspected to be a factor in the crashes.” After the initial accident involving the sedan, there were numerous secondary chain reaction accidents. Luckily, only one person was injured and that person’s injuries are not considered life-threatening.

Why do trucks cause so many multiple-vehicle accidents?

Any type of accident can cause secondary or chain reactions. Some, like rear-end collisions, where multiple cars in a line strike the car in front of them – after an initial car causes the first strike – are quite common.

The dimensions of a truck are a key factor in why truck accidents happen and a key ingredient in multiple-vehicle collisions. Commercial trucks require a special driver’s license because they have more complicated and different features (such as different brakes than cars) and they’re much more difficult to control and turn.

The federal government has minimum length regulations for various types of tractor-trailer combinations. The maximum width of commercial vehicles is approximately 102 inches (8.5 feet).  Although there aren’t height limits, trucks should be designed to pass under most underpasses, otherwise, the driver will need to drive on non-overpass roads.

Regarding length, “The minimum allowable length limit for the semitrailer in a truck tractor-semitrailer combination is 14.63 m (48 feet) or the grandfathered limit for a particular State.” There are different minimums for different types of truck-trailer combinations.

States, including Virginia, generally have their own limitations for road access.

When any type of truck accident happens, such as a head-on crash, a broadside, or a rear-end collision, a truck is more likely than a car to come into contact with multiple vehicles as part of the truck enters other lanes or enters intersections.

Even when trucks don’t collide with other vehicles directly, they can cause multiple-vehicle accidents as other motorists try to avoid the truck. Some of the types of accidents (single-vehicle or collisions with another vehicle) that can cause secondary accidents include:

• Jackknifes In this type of crash, the cab of the truck is pushed at right angles to the trailer. A truck jackknife normally means the trailer will be spread out across several lanes of traffic.
• Trucks have different centers of gravity than cars, making them more prone to rolling over, especially when the cargo in the truck moves around. Trucks also often roll over when they are involved in a crash with another vehicle or stationary object. Like a truck jackknife, when a truck rolls over, the truck is likely to take up several lanes of traffic, putting every nearby vehicle in danger.
• Spilled cargo. Improperly secured cargo can spill out onto the highway. When any type of cargo spills from a truck, nearby drivers may be involved in multiple accidents as they either strike the spilled materials or try to navigate a path away from the spill. Spilled liquids and chemicals can cause even more severe multiple-vehicle crashes, because there’s simply no place for a nearby car to hide.

As in the case discussed above, the weather can contribute to multiple-vehicle accidents. Trucks normally require much more time/distance to stop even when the roads are dry and clear. Stopping in the rain is much harder for a truck than a car due to the stopping distance needed and the size, weight, and braking systems of most trucks.

What are the challenges of multiple-vehicle truck accidents?

Our Richmond-based truck accident lawyers understand the special problems involved with multiple-vehicle crashes. Difficulties in these cases include determining in what order the collisions occurred, how the collisions occurred, and who is responsible for each collision. In addition to working with our own private investigators and conducting extensive discovery and questioning of everyone involved, we sometimes work with traffic reconstruction experts who are skilled at slowing accidents down to each second to show the smallest detail.

In most truck accident cases, there are multiple defendants. An employer or truck owner, for example, could also be named as a defendant in addition to the truck driver. The drivers of other vehicles involved in the multiple-vehicle accident may also be responsible.

Complicating your case is that there are likely other plaintiffs and other victims. Normally, each victim files their own claim but some cases could be consolidated. We may work with the lawyers for the other victims to help prove the defendants were responsible.

Another complication when there are multiple victims is how the liability insurance policies work. In some cases, the truck driver and trucking companies may not have enough insurance to pay everyone’s claims. We work to ensure that you get your fair share. We also file uninsured/underinsured claims on your behalf if you qualify.

Truck accidents are generally more complicated than car accidents. Truck accidents involving multiple vehicles are even more complicated. At Phelan Petty, our Richmond-based truck accident lawyers have the experience and resources to fight for personal injury victims, as well as families when a loved one dies. We’ve helped many people in Virginia obtain strong settlements and verdicts. To assert your rights after a truck accident in Richmond or anywhere in Virginia, call us or fill out our contact form to schedule a free consultation.

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