When most of us envision any sort of truck accident, the chilling image formed in our minds invariably takes place on some manner of freeway or highway. This makes sense, of course, as most of our interactions with 40-ton trucks seems to come on these high-speed thoroughfares.
It’s important to understand, however, that serious truck accidents can and do occur at other locations with alarming frequency, including at the types of intersections we travel through every day on our way to work, school or the store.
As to how truck accidents occur at intersections, some of the more common causes include:
- The truck driver failing to abide by a traffic signal or stop sign
- The truck driver failing to wait for cross-traffic to clear before entering the intersection
- The truck driver misjudging the distance of another vehicle while making a left turn
- The truck driver pulling out from a side street without looking
- The truck driver being distracted, fatigued or intoxicated
Given that the intersections of many busy streets often have posted speed limits of anywhere from 40- to 50 miles-per-hour, it’s easy to see just how much damage could be caused in a rear-end accident, head-on collision or t-bone crash involving a semi truck and a smaller passenger vehicle.
All this naturally raises the question as to what drivers can do to protect themselves from this type of accident.
While there is unfortunately no definitive answer, some simple measures that can go a long way include looking both ways before entering an intersection, driving at a safe speed and, of course, minimizing distractions.
It’s important to understand, however, that if you do suffer serious personal injuries in an accident caused by the negligence of a truck driver despite your best efforts that you do have rights and you do have options for seeking justice.