A potentially catastrophic type of truck accident is known as an underride accident. This happens because of the size difference between the truck and the passenger vehicle involved in the collision. The smaller vehicle can be crushed or trapped underneath the truck.
For example, imagine that someone is driving down a two-way street and a truck driver is waiting to turn left across the oncoming traffic lanes. The truck driver should yield the right of way, but if they turn at the wrong time, they could cut off the oncoming car. That car then strikes the space between the wheels on the truck’s trailer, and it gets crushed below the lower edge of the trailer.
2 reasons these are such serious accidents
When someone is involved in an underride accident, they are more likely to suffer critical injuries to the head, neck, spinal cord or chest. Many car safety systems also do not work as well. An airbag is helpful, for example, but it does not prevent injuries if the lower edge of the trailer shears off the top of the passenger compartment on the smaller vehicle.
The second issue is that a vehicle trapped under a trailer may be difficult for emergency response crews to access. It often takes a significant amount of time to extricate the passengers, even if they have suffered severe injuries. This can delay their medical care far beyond what would normally be seen in an accident between two vehicles of relatively the same size.
An underride accident can happen in a split second, but it could lead to life-changing injuries. Those who have been harmed due to another driver’s negligence need to know how to seek financial compensation.
