According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), one third of motor vehicle accidents between heavy trucks and passenger vehicles occur due to a truck’s blind spot. Drivers of large trucks or buses (commercial motor vehicles) know they have operating limitations such as large blind spots, long stopping distances, and limited maneuverability.
The FMSCA created a public awareness initiative to alert all drivers about the dangers of blind spots, which is commonly referred to as No-Zones. Passenger vehicles need to stay out of the no-zones. Most drivers are aware that all vehicles can have blind spots, but those on trucks have huge blinds spots. Truck drivers cannot glance over their shoulders to clear a blind spot like other smaller passenger motor vehicle drivers.
All too often, truck drivers and trucking companies often want to blame other motorists for accidents that occur in a truck’s blind spot, which make it essential for other vehicles to put extra focus on safety. However, truckers can cause an accident by not clearing paying attention to their blind spots before they change lanes or turn.
The large mass and weight of a truck make it far more likely for severe injuries and fatalities when accidents occur, making truck accidents among the most dangerous of all traffic collisions.
Being aware about blind spots will help keep you safe when you are share the road with large commercial trucks by avoiding blind spot truck accidents or being a victim to truckers who fail to check their known blind spots.
We often share the road with commercial trucks and knowing where a trucks blind spots are located can save your life. The size and location of the blind spots can be located in different areas, depending on the size of the truck or tractor trailer combination. Semi-truck and trailer combinations are known as 18-wheel truck, which would usually have the largest blind spots. Blind spots for big rigs can be located in the following places:
Blind spots refers to a condition where drivers cannot see other vehicles or motorcycles in these locations. With larger blind spots, truck drivers especially have difficulty seeing other vehicles so checking twice is important for the truck driver. Safe and experienced truck drivers take the time to clear their blind spots by accelerating or decelerating and constantly checking sideview mirrors. Failure to check a blind spot can cause accidents when truckers turn or change lanes.
The truck’s blind spot can be as large as the tractor-trailer combination. Every motor vehicle has a blind spot, but the design of semi-trucks and other large trucks make their blind spots large than smaller passenger vehicles. The composition of the trucks that lead to huge blind spots include:
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration recommends the following safety precautions:
Blind Spot Truck accidents are usually preventable. However, blind spot accidents do frequently occur, because the trucker failed see the vehicle causing a crash. Blind spot truck accidents can be fatal and include the following situations:
If you have been injured in a blind spot accident, contact our expert blind spot accident injury lawyers.
A tractor-trailer fully loaded with cargo can weigh up to 80,000 pounds compared to passenger vehicles and SUVs which weigh between 3,200 and 6,000 pounds. When truck accidents occur, this size and mass makes them more likely to result in severe injuries and deadly injuries. Blind spot crash accidents are even worse because they are more likely to lead to sideswipes, rollover accidents, and dangerous underride collisions. Those who are fortunate enough to live through a blind spot truck accident might experience one or more of the following injuries:
As a Michigan resident you know Michigan’s no-fault insurance laws generally require that you to carry (PIP) coverage if you are an owner or registrant of a motor vehicle. This means your first claim would be with your no fault insurance company. Injured parties file a claim with their own PIP carrier regardless of who caused the accident; however, Michigan’s PIP insurance covers medical expenses, and only 85% percent of an injured person’s lost wages up to the statutory cap. Severe truck accidents almost always rapidly meet or exceed minimum PIP limits, bringing excess economic losses into the picture. Additionally, PIP policies do not pay c non-economic losses an injured party might have sustained and change in lifestyle in the aftermath of a truck accident.
Once determining a truck driver was at fault, investigators and insurance adjusters will go the extra mile to assess the damages. However, truckers, trucking companies, and their insurance companies will commonly contest liability by arguing a blind spot truck accident was caused by the driver of the passenger vehicle. Truckers have the ultimate responsibility to check their blind spots and make sure it is safe to make any turns or lane changes. Depending on the circumstances, a Michigan jury might hold a truck driver fully liable for a blind spot collision with a passenger vehicle.
If you or a loved one sustained injury due to a blind spot truck accident, Michigan law permits to you sue for damages in civil court. If your attorneys negotiate a settlement or the jury rules in your favor during litigation, you could receive compensation for the following damages:
If you have lost a loved one in a blind spot truck collision, you might be eligible for compensation depending on your relationship with the deceased. Family members who file a wrongful death suit might receive some of the previously listed damages in addition to funeral costs, burial expenses, and non-economic costs specific to family relationships. A qualified Michigan commercial truck accident attorney can provide more information about what strategy is best for you and other surviving family.
Who is at fault can be simple in some cases, but it’s more complex when blind spot accidents occur. Often, multiple drivers might share responsibility, or the trucker might share responsibility with the employer for failure to have proper equipment.
Usually, insurance companies fight paying trucking accident claims, so you can rest assured they will do their best to avoid responsibility. The defense might use common strategic arguments to convince the jury or court you are partially or fully responsible for the truck accident.
Regardless of the strategies the defense tries to use to devalue your claim, a skilled truck accident attorney understands comparative negligence in Michigan and knows how to fight them to help you pursue the best outcome for your case.
An experienced Michigan truck accident attorney understands the devastation you might face in the aftermath of a blind spot truck accident. Not only do you have to suffer the physical pain of injury and healing, but you also have to face the financial burdens that accompany a severe or disabling injury. You continue to face growing medical bills, which can destroy your family if you contributed to household finances before the accident.
You can focus on recovering to the fullest extent possible by letting our personal injury lawyers investigate and find relevant facts to help prove your case. Our investigation might include checking driver cell phone records, truck driver logbooks, eyewitness interviews, and gathering relevant documents like traffic crash report and medical records. A trained truck accident lawyer can also handle communications with any insurance company so they take your claim seriously. All these legal steps help maximize your chances of receiving full and fair compensation for injuries you suffered as a result of a blind spot truck accident.
