A Semi That Sideswipes A Standard Car or SUV Can Cause A Major Crash
DALLAS, TX / ACCESSWIRE / June 19, 2017 / Semi-trucks are among the largest vehicles on the road. They dominate the highways, and their wide widths mean they stretch across their entire lane.
These massive vehicles don’t have a lot of room for error. If they veer even a foot over the lane divider, they can sideswipe a vehicle, causing the vehicle’s driver to lose control and cause a serious wreck.
What is a Semi Sideswipe and Why Is It Worse Than a Regular Sideswipe Crash:
A sideswipe accident occurs when one vehicle driving next to another vehicle in the same direction bumps or crashes into the other vehicle. Sideswipes can also happen when a vehicle is trying to enter a highway via an on-ramp and doesn’t see another vehicle approaching. In many cases, a driver sideswipes another vehicle because the driver wasn’t paying attention to their surroundings.
When two regular cars are traveling side by side, a sideswipe doesn't always result in a serious crash.
However, a semi that sideswipes a standard car or SUV can cause a major crash. This is because the accident usually doesn’t end with a sideswipe. Instead, the massive size and weight of the semi has the capability to push the car off the road or into a concrete barrier. On busy multi-lane highways, a semi might even sideswipe a car and force it into the next lane, causing a chain reaction crash involving several vehicles.
If a semi sideswipes a vehicle hard enough, it can even force the car off the road, causing it to roll.
Cars Have Little Protection Against Sideswipe Crashes:
Semi-truck sideswipe accidents are also dangerous because the impact occurs in the least protected area of the vehicle.
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), about a quarter of passenger vehicle occupant deaths in the U.S. are caused by side crashes. The front and rear of a vehicle are the most protected areas. Airbags and bumpers absorb the majority of the impact in a crash.
In a wreck involving a side impact, however, there is little space or density to absorb the force of the impact. The IIHS states that modern vehicles are usually equipped with side airbags, which improve a driver’s chances of surviving a sideswipe accident, but most older vehicles do not.
Texas Truck Accident Lawyer Discusses Semi Sideswipe Crashes:
Texas truck accident lawyer Amy Witherite with 1800 Truck Wreck ® states: "If you have been injured in a tractor-trailer sideswipe wreck, you may be overwhelmed by physical pain and anxiety following your accident. This is normal. Don't delay speaking to an experienced truck wreck attorney about your case." Amy Witherite has created a video to help you ask the right questions when you are looking for a truck accident lawyer.
http://www.1800truckwreck.com/videos/truck-wreck-speak-truck-wreck-lawyer
Protect your important legal rights by working with a legal team that understands semi-truck wrecks. Call us at 1(800)Truck-Wreck, anytime, day or night.
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SOURCE: Eberstein Witherite, LLP via Submit Press Release 123