Underride Truck Accident Causes and Injuries

While any type of truck accident that involves a passenger vehicle can have devastating outcomes, underride truck accidents are among the most serious and highlight fatal types of truck accidents that can occur. This is because underride truck accidents, which are collisions in which the passenger vehicle becomes lodged under the truck:

• Can rip off the top of passenger vehicles
• Typically cause serious head injuries to occupants of passenger vehicles
• Can cause occupants of passenger vehicles to be trapped beneath trucks for extended periods of time (which can delay emergency medical treatments and, as a result, may increase the risk of injuries being fatal).

In fact, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, underride truck accidents account for about 1 in 4 truck accident deaths that occur each year in the U.S.

Causes of Underride Truck Accidents

Some of the specific factors that can play a role in causing underride truck accidents include:

• Trucks lacking safety guard rails in the back and along the sides of the trucks
• Trucks lacking reflector lights or tape on the back/sides of the vehicle (or such reflectors being obscured by excessive dirt or wear)
• Trucks having malfunctioning brake lights
• Truck drivers suddenly slamming on the brakes, failing to use their indicators when making turns (or changing lanes), running red lights or otherwise disobeying traffic laws
• Passenger vehicle drivers driving too close behind trucks (i.e., not leaving enough distance between the truck in front of them and their own cars)

Underride Truck Accident Injuries

When occupants of passenger vehicles do survive underride truck accidents, some of the specific types of injuries they may sustain can include (but are not limited to):

• Head and brain injuries
• Neck, back and spinal cord injuries
• Loss of limb
• Severe bruising and lacerations
• Severe nerve damage
• Paraplegia or quadriplegia.

Mount Vernon Truck Accident Lawyers

At the law firm of Hassakis & Hassakis, P.C., our experienced Mount Vernon truck accident lawyers have been providing client-centered representation to our Southern Illinois clients since 1950. Our trusted attorneys focus on our clients’ needs, we are passionate about our clients, and we do everything we can to help them get the maximum possible compensation for their losses and injuries so they can focus on recovery and moving on with their life. We take pride in tailoring our legal representation to specifically meet our clients’ needs and in expertly guiding them through each stage of the complex the legal process. While our attorneys are aggressive and effective litigators both inside and outside of the courtroom, we are also counselors that can provide our clients with helpful legal advice regarding their best options.

If you have been injured in an underride truck accident, or if you have lost a loved one after an underride truck accident, contact us by calling (888) 896-9381 or by emailing us using the form at the upper right-hand side of the page for a free, thorough assessment of your case, along with professional advice regarding the best manner in which to move forward.