Truck underride accidents are among the most dangerous types of accidents that occur on Sacramento’s roads.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration defines them as “collisions in which a car slides under the body of a truck—such as a tractor-trailer or single-unit truck—due to the height difference between the vehicles.” Because these crashes can cause truck trailers to enter vehicles’ interiors, they’re extremely dangerous and often fatal.
At Berg Injury Lawyers, we understand how dangerous these crashes are and how devastating the consequences can be for victims and their families. If you or someone you love was hurt in an underride accident, we want to be your legal advocate. We’ve helped injured victims since 1981, and now we’re ready to help you, too—contact us today for a free consultation.
Understanding Truck Underride Accidents
There are three primary types of underride accidents:
- Rear override accidents occur when a large truck drives over the back of a smaller vehicle, often crushing it beneath the truck’s front end.
- Side override accidents happen when a vehicle slides under the side of a truck trailer, typically during lane changes or crossing intersections.
- Front override accidents occur when a truck drives over the front of a smaller vehicle, usually during sudden stops or low-visibility conditions.
All three types have the potential to cause devastating and catastrophic injuries for drivers and their passengers. Some of the most common causes of these types of crashes include:
- Poor visibility/lighting on trucks
- Improper stopping distances
- Missing or inadequate underride guards
- Weather conditions
- Driver fatigue or negligence
Severity of Underride Accident Injuries
Because these accidents often involve the bottom of a truck’s trailer cleaving through the top of a vehicle and entering the cabin where the driver and passengers are seated, the risk of extreme and fatal injuries is high. Typical injuries associated with underride accidents include:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord damage
- Decapitation or severe head trauma
- Facial disfigurement
- Fatal injuries
In addition to their extreme physical consequences, these crashes are also often highly emotionally traumatic for victims and their loved ones. Affected families often face difficult roads to recovery, both physically and mentally, due to the extremely violent nature of these accidents.
Liability in Truck Underride Accidents
While these crashes often seem like freak accidents, more often than not, there’s at least one, if not multiple liable parties to blame. When we help truck underride accident victims, we investigate the following parties to determine if or how they may have caused or contributed to the crash:
- Truck driver
- Trucking company
- Truck manufacturer
- Guard rail manufacturer
- Government entities (for road design/maintenance)
Because of the extreme dangers posed by underride accidents, federal regulations require semi-trucks to have rear underride guards that meet specific strength and dimension standards to prevent smaller vehicles from sliding underneath during collisions. California follows these federal guidelines but has also supported additional legislation and advocacy efforts for stricter side underride guard requirements to further reduce the severity of side and front override accidents.
Compensation for Underride Accident Victims
In addition to causing significant physical and emotional injuries, truck underride accidents also put a severe strain on affected families’ finances. At Berg Injury Lawyers, we work hard to ensure victims and their loved ones get maximum compensation for their:
- Medical expenses (immediate and long-term)
- Lost wages and diminished earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Disfigurement and disability
- Wrongful death damages when applicable
The Berg Injury Lawyers Advantage
Truck underride accidents can be difficult from a legal perspective because they involve semi-trucks, often cause catastrophic injuries, and liability isn’t always immediately clear. But at Berg Injury Lawyers, we’ve built many successful cases for families affected by these types of devastating accidents, and we know how to win. With our team on your side, you’ll get:
- Experience handling complex truck accident cases since 1981
- Deep knowledge of federal trucking regulations and local Sacramento roadways
- A network of accident reconstruction experts and medical professionals
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
Underride accidents are among the most terrifying and traumatic types of crashes. If you or a loved one was involved in an underride accident, the last thing you should deal with is the injury claim process and uncooperative trucking and insurance companies on your own. Right now, you need to focus on getting better—and that’s what we’re here to help you do.
The Sacramento truck accident lawyers at Berg Injury Lawyers can take the stress of the crash off your shoulders and mind and let you focus on your recovery. We’ll collect evidence, negotiate a settlement, and handle all communication with the insurance company. Contact us today for a free case review.
