When someone is talking about a trucking accident, he or she is typically referring to an 18-wheeler, semi-truck or tractor trailer. If you ever hear about a trucking accident, it may sound a lot worse than the typical car accident, but why is that?
Heavy Weight
A semi-truck is going to weigh a lot more than a sedan. The average sedan weighs about 5,000 pounds. The legal weight for a semi is 80,000 pounds. Even if the big truck is empty, it’s going to weigh anywhere from 16,000 to 20,000 pounds. If you were to put the two vehicles up against each other, you can make the clear assumption the semi would win. It’s going to hit harder because of the weight, it’s going to crash harder because of the weight and it’s going to hurt more because of the weight.
Stopping Distance
The distance needed for a tractor-trailer to stop is about 200 yards. This is almost as long as two football fields. The distance needed for a small passenger vehicle to stop is only about 100 yards if the vehicle was traveling at 65 miles per hour. When a car stops suddenly in front of a semi-truck, there’s a greater chance the truck will run into the car. If an accident happens down the road or there is another obstruction in the road, it might be a while before the truck can stop, and that’s not going to end well.
Dangerous Loads
There are a lot of 18-wheelers on the road that carry dangerous loads. If a truck carrying a flammable material is involved in an accident, it has a higher risk of causing more serious damage. Most cars and pickup trucks aren’t hauling great amounts of dangerous materials, so you can see why a trucking accident would be worse.
Large Size
Because of the sheer magnitude of a semi-truck, they’re going to cause more damage. If the trailer fishtails and wipes out the cars to the side, the length of the trailer will generally hit more cars. If it rolls, it’s going to cover a greater area, causing more property damage. If it catches fire, it’s going to be a bigger fire with a greater risk to spread.
Contacting a Lawyer
Whether you were the driver in a trucking accident, or an innocent bystander, you deserve proper representation. Contact a truck accident lawyer, like from MartinWren, P.C., today to learn more about your case and what you need to do to succeed.
