What to know if you’ve been injured in an accident involving a semi truck

Whether you call them semis or big rigs, large trucks are one of the bigger dangers on the road. This is not necessarily because of the truck drivers, but because of the nature of these large trucks and how they respond to the driver’s control. Combine these heavy vehicles with smaller cars zipping around them, and you have a problem. When these trucks are in accidents, it can be difficult to tell whether the driver, truck manufacturer, or another vehicle or driver were at fault. What is clear, however, is that the aftermath of the accident can be long-lasting.

Why Truck Accidents Can Be So Devastating

Trucks are generally limited to slower speeds than passenger vehicles when on the highway. While that can help a little when the truck driver needs to slow down, it doesn’t completely erase the need for extra braking time, nor does it make the truck any easier to maneuver out of the way of a sudden obstacle. These trucks are heavy by themselves; when they’re loaded down with cargo, they become even heavier. The force of this weight makes it very hard to stop the truck quickly. This means that if the truck driver has to brake suddenly to avoid an accident, the weight of this truck is going to barrel into whatever is in front of its path as it tries to slow down.

Another issue with trucks is that drivers may be tired and not have the fastest reflexes. Even if the drivers aren’t driving drowsy (which can have similar effects to driving drunk), if they’re tired and not responding as quickly as they would when they weren’t tired, braking time and the ability to maneuver out of the way could be compromised.

Truck accidents can create long-term problems for the people involved, and you’ll need a good lawyer if you’ve been injured in an accident with a truck. Contact Eisenberg Law Offices at (608) 256-8356 to discuss your case.