Large commercial trucks move millions of goods across California every day, navigating crowded freeways, busy intersections, and tight city streets. Due to their size and length, these vehicles require more space to turn than passenger cars. When a truck driver misjudges that space or swings too wide, smaller vehicles can get caught, trapped, or crushed in what’s known as a wide-turn accident.

These collisions, sometimes referred to as “squeeze play” or “right-turn squeeze” crashes, can leave victims with devastating injuries and complicated legal claims.

Understanding how these accidents occur and who may be responsible is a crucial first step toward protecting your rights.

If you’ve been hurt in a wide-turn crash, speaking with an experienced California truck accident attorney can help you understand your options and ensure your claim is handled correctly from the start.

Why Large Trucks Need Extra Space to Turn Safely

Unlike passenger vehicles, tractor-trailers often need multiple lanes or a sweeping arc to complete a turn. For example, when making a right turn, a truck may first swing left to avoid clipping the curb. This sudden outward movement can confuse nearby drivers, especially those traveling in the truck’s right lane or riding in the bike lane.

A wide-turn crash occurs when the truck’s trailer pivots or swings into an occupied lane, squeezing another vehicle against a curb, median, or nearby object. These accidents are especially dangerous for motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians who may be invisible in the truck’s massive blind spots.

Common wide-turn accident scenarios include:

  • Right-Turn Squeeze: The truck swings left before turning right, trapping or crushing a vehicle traveling alongside on the right. This can happen in intersections, city streets, and areas with bike lanes.
  • Left Turns Across Multiple Lanes: When a truck cuts a left turn too sharply or too widely, it may drift into adjacent lanes and collide with vehicles already traveling through the intersection.
  • Backing or Multi-Point Turns: In tight areas, such as loading docks, alleys, and parking lots, trucks often make complex turning movements. If a driver fails to check their mirrors or uses an unsafe maneuver, they may back into or swing into nearby vehicles.
  • Blind-Spot-Related Turning Collisions: Large trucks have wide no-zone areas along the sides and rear. If the driver fails to check mirrors carefully during a turn, they may strike a driver who is hidden from view.

Why Wide-Turn Crashes Happen

Most wide-turn accidents are preventable. They often occur when a truck driver:

  • Fails to check mirrors and blind spots before making the turn
  • Misjudges the turning clearance or the angle needed for a safe maneuver
  • Takes a turn too quickly, causing the trailer to swing out of control
  • Is inadequately trained, especially newer drivers unfamiliar with tight city streets
  • Drives while fatigued, distracted, or under pressure to stay on schedule
  • Handles improperly loaded cargo, which can shift the truck’s center of gravity and increase the radius needed to turn safely

Commercial drivers should exercise extra caution when operating massive vehicles capable of causing severe harm. When they don’t, the resulting injuries can be catastrophic.

Who’s Liable When Improper Turns Cause Injuries?

Determining liability in a wide-turn truck crash often requires a detailed investigation. Multiple factors can contribute to the collision, and several different parties may share responsibility depending on what went wrong.

Potentially liable parties include:

  • The Truck Driver: Drivers must follow California traffic laws and federal motor carrier safety regulations. They have a duty to ensure sufficient turning space, signal properly, check blind spots, and complete turns safely.
  • The Trucking Company: Companies are responsible for training, supervising, and monitoring their drivers. They may be liable if they failed to provide adequate training or licensing, pressured drivers to rush, or ignored previous safety violations.
  • Cargo Loaders or Third Parties: If improperly balanced or unsecured cargo contributed to the truck’s turning instability, the party responsible for loading may share liability.
  • Maintenance Providers: Faulty brakes, steering issues, or equipment failures can make turning far more dangerous, and the company that performed negligent maintenance may also be accountable.

When several parties may be responsible, wide-turn truck crashes often involve accident reconstruction experts, analysis of driver logs, black box data, and a detailed review of federal trucking regulations.

With so many technical pieces involved, injury victims are best protected by experienced California truck accident attorneys who know how to build strong, evidence-driven claims.

Don’t Wait After a Wide-Turn Truck Crash—Get Legal Support

Wide-turn truck accidents can leave you dealing with painful injuries, rising medical expenses, and uncertainty about what comes next. While insurance companies move quickly to protect their own interests, Berg Injury Lawyers is ready to step in and protect yours.

When you reach out to us, you’ll be assigned a dedicated team of legal professionals, including investigators, case managers, and support staff, all focused on building the strongest case possible for you.

We believe everyone deserves access to skilled representation, which is why we offer our No Fee Guarantee®: you don’t pay unless you win your case.

Contact us now for a free consultation and let our California truck accident attorneys fight for the justice and compensation you deserve.