Truck underride accidents occur when a smaller vehicle slides underneath a large commercial truck during a collision, often shearing off the top of the passenger vehicle and causing catastrophic injuries or death to its occupants.
These devastating crashes are among the most dangerous types of vehicle accidents on Modesto roadways, as they bypass many of the safety features designed to protect car occupants. The standard crumple zones, airbags, and reinforced pillars in passenger vehicles provide little protection when a collision forces a car beneath a truck’s trailer.
At Berg Injury Lawyers, we’ve been fighting for injury victims throughout California since 1981. Our experienced attorneys understand the complex nature of underride accidents and the devastating impact they have on victims and their families.
We are committed to holding negligent parties accountable and securing the maximum compensation for those affected by these tragic accidents in Modesto and throughout the Central Valley.
Severity of Underride Accident Injuries
Underride accidents produce some of the most catastrophic injuries seen in vehicle collisions due to the unique mechanics of these crashes. When a passenger vehicle slides under a truck’s trailer, the initial impact often occurs at windshield level, putting vehicle occupants at extreme risk of severe or fatal injuries.
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord damage and paralysis
- Decapitation or severe head trauma
- Facial disfigurement and permanent scarring
- Wrongful death
Survivors of underride accidents often face lifelong challenges including permanent disability, disfigurement, chronic pain, and psychological trauma. Many require multiple surgeries, extensive rehabilitation, and ongoing medical care.
The emotional and psychological impacts extend beyond the direct victim to affect entire families, who must adapt to new caregiving roles and financial pressures. In cases of fatal underride accidents, families are left to cope with the sudden, traumatic loss of their loved ones while facing funeral expenses and the permanent absence of emotional and financial support.
Understanding Truck Underride Accidents
Underride accidents occur in several different configurations, each with unique dangers and causes. Understanding these variations helps identify liability and prevention measures for these devastating crashes.
Types of underride accidents include:
- Rear underride (vehicle crashes into back of truck)
- Side underride (vehicle slides under trailer’s side)
- Front override (truck runs over smaller vehicle)
Common causes of these accidents in the Modesto area include:
- Poor visibility or inadequate lighting on trailers
- Improper stopping distances
- Missing or inadequate underride guards
- Central Valley fog and adverse weather conditions
- Driver fatigue or negligence
- Heavy agricultural and commercial traffic on highways like CA-99 and CA-132
Modesto’s position as an agricultural hub means local roads see high volumes of commercial truck traffic, especially during harvest seasons. The Central Valley’s notorious tule fog creates dangerous low-visibility conditions during winter months, significantly increasing underride accident risks. When combined with inadequate truck safety equipment or driver negligence, these factors create particularly hazardous conditions on Modesto roadways.
Compensation for Underride Accident Victims
Due to the catastrophic nature of underride accidents, victims and their families often face enormous financial burdens. Comprehensive compensation should account for both immediate needs and long-term consequences of these devastating injuries.
- Medical expenses (emergency care, surgeries, hospitalization, ongoing treatment)
- Rehabilitation costs (physical therapy, occupational therapy, cognitive rehabilitation)
- Lost wages and diminished future earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Disfigurement and disability
- Emotional distress and mental anguish
- Wrongful death damages (funeral expenses, loss of support and companionship)
- Household services and family support
California law allows for both economic damages (those with specific dollar amounts) and non-economic damages (such as pain and suffering) in personal injury cases. There is generally no cap on economic damages, but the significant costs involved require experienced legal representation to ensure fair compensation that accounts for a lifetime of needs.
Liability in Truck Underride Accidents
Determining liability in underride accidents requires thorough investigation and expertise in both federal trucking regulations and California state laws. Multiple parties may bear responsibility for these devastating crashes.
Potentially liable parties include:
- Truck drivers (fatigue, distraction, impairment, negligence)
- Trucking companies (inadequate training, poor maintenance, unsafe policies)
- Truck and trailer manufacturers (design flaws, inadequate safety features)
- Guard rail manufacturers (defective or inadequate underride protection)
- Government entities (poor road design, inadequate signage, improper maintenance)
Federal regulations require rear underride guards on most commercial trailers, and these guards must meet specific strength and dimension requirements. However, the standards have been criticized by safety advocates as insufficient, and side guards are not yet mandated despite their potential to prevent catastrophic injuries.
At Berg Injury Lawyers, our investigation process includes securing the truck driver’s logs and qualifications, obtaining truck maintenance records, examining the compliance history of the trucking company, consulting with accident reconstruction experts, analyzing electronic data from the truck’s “black box,” and gathering witness statements and surveillance footage. This comprehensive approach ensures we identify all potentially liable parties and build the strongest possible case for our clients.
Why Choose Berg Injury Lawyers
When facing the aftermath of a devastating underride accident, having the right legal team is essential. Berg Injury Lawyers has been handling complex truck accident cases since 1981, giving us insight into the unique challenges these cases present and the strategies to overcome them.
Our attorneys have in-depth knowledge of federal trucking regulations and local Modesto roadways, allowing us to identify violations and potential contributors to underride accidents that others might miss.
We maintain an established network of accident reconstruction experts, medical professionals, and industry specialists who strengthen your case with authoritative testimony. Our history of successful truck accident settlements and verdicts shows our ability to secure substantial compensation for victims of catastrophic injuries, even when facing the large legal teams typically employed by trucking companies and their insurers.
No Fee Guarantee®
You might be worried about hiring an attorney because of the potential cost, but at Berg Injury Lawyers, if you don’t win, you pay nothing. There’s also no cost or obligation to hire simply to speak to one of our lawyers. We call that our No Fee Guarantee®.
Contact Berg Injury Lawyers Today
If you or a loved one has been involved in an underride accident in Modesto, don’t face this traumatic experience alone. The attorneys at Berg Injury Lawyers understand the devastating impact these accidents have on victims and their families.
Contact us today for a free, confidential consultation. Our experienced team will listen to your story with compassion, explain your legal options, and help you understand the path forward. Let us handle the legal complexities while you focus on healing and recovery.
