Underride Accident Lawyers in Dallas
Did you know that, on average, 350 people each year are killed in what are known as “underride accidents?” These accidents are caused when a vehicle is jarred underneath a truck. Vehicles do not even need to be traveling at a great speed. Underride accidents have been known to happen when vehicles are traveling as slowly as 35 miles per hour. There are many reasons why a car might strike the back of a commercial truck, but when this happens, the federally mandated safety regulations often do not stop the damage that they are supposed to prevent. These safety regulations are called underride bars or rear guards. These rear impact guards are meant to stop a vehicle that is traveling underneath a truck, but recent crash tests prove that the guards do little to stop a vehicle.
When a small passenger vehicle impacts the back of a big rig, rear guard or not, the vehicle is likely to slide underneath the trailer of the truck. This will crush the vehicle and this type of accident can result in serious and permanently debilitating injuries, if not death. Organizations such as the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) are saying that federal regulations need to be stronger, so that these rear guards do not fail at such a high rate. This is not a problem that is plaguing the U.S. alone. Canada has already implemented stronger regulations for rear guard rails, making them 75 percent stronger than U.S. ones. When the Canadian guards were tested, they did their job to prevent vehicles from becoming caught under the trailer of commercial trucks.
According to a statement from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, they are aware of the problem of underride accidents and are taking steps to investigate and implement new technology to lessen the amount of accidents that occur in relation to these guard rails. If those involved in underride accidents survive, they will likely be facing injuries that drastically alter the course of their lives. The trouble with these accidents is finding fault. Why did the accident occur in the first place?
Liability in Rear-Impact Truck Crashes
Typically, the vehicle in front is always considered the “victim” while the one traveling behind is the liable party in the case of rear-impact collisions. There are always exceptions, however. For example, if the truck slammed on its breaks and gave the car behind little room to stop, then the trucker may be considered partially liable for this accident. The truckers break lights may also have been out, leaving the other driver with no indicator of breaking. There have been cases in which lawyers have been able to get the drivers of passenger vehicles compensation in the event of underride accidents. Sometimes lawyers can prove that the rear guard rails did not stand up to the test and work as they should have. There are always options to consider, which is why you should speak with an attorney after your accident.
If you or a loved one was involved in an underride accident with a large commercial truck, then please come speak with a Dallas truck accident attorney from Zinda Law Group. We make it our goal to advocate for the rights of victims who cannot advocate for themselves. We always aim to achieve the highest possible compensation for our clients so that medical bills and other recovery costs can be taken care of. To learn more about representation, call 800-863-5312 for a free consultation today!
