Every type of commercial truck poses risks to other commuters of serious injury or death in trucking accidents. One type in particular, however, appears to be even more dangerous than the others with the amount of damage it can cause in a crash. Out of the approximately half million truck accidents that occur each year, flatbed trucks make up a large percentage of them, either because of unsecured cargo or actual collision.

Flatbed trailers can either be detachable or permanently mounted to the truck frame. Unlike many other types of commercial trucks, flatbeds do not have sides or walls where the cargo is stored for transportation. This allows the vehicle to carry heavy and oversized pieces of cargo, such as building materials, machinery, motor vehicles, and even houses.

 

LEARN MORE

• Shortage of OTR Truck Drivers Looming Across US
• Determining Truck Driver Fatigue in Accidents
• Most Common Types of Virginia Truck Accidents

 

Driving a flatbed truck while hauling these oversized loads can create quite the challenge for the truck driver, especially when he or she needs to slow down or stop the truck. Operators need to be thoroughly trained and have extensive experience in driving flatbed trucks because even the slightest error, such as misjudging stopping distance, can result in tragic circumstances, such as override accidents or rear-end crashes.

Another type of common accident that can occur with flatbed trucks is a jackknife crash. This often happens if the truck’s coupling fails. In a jackknife accident, the trailer of the truck swings out and becomes perpendicular to the cab of the truck, making it look like a jackknife. As the trailer is moving, it can smash into any vehicles or pedestrians in its path. Compounding the perilous situation, jackknifing can cause the driver to lose control of the truck, wreaking even more deadly damage in its wake.

Flatbed accidents can result in even more injured victims if the cargo that the truck is transporting falls off during an accident, landing on the road and in the path of traffic.

Our truck accident attorneys have worked with many victims and their families who sustained catastrophic injuries in truck accidents. Some of the more frequent types of injuries our clients suffered included traumatic brain injuries, burns, dismemberment, spinal cord injuries, and death.

Contact a Virginia Truck Accident Attorney

If you have been injured in any type of truck accident, contact a Virginia truck accident attorney to discuss what legal recourse you may have. Truck accident cases can be complex and it is not uncommon for there to be multiple at-fault parties who are responsible for the payment of financial damages you may be entitled to for your injuries. Our personal injury firm has successfully represented many injured victims and their families and we are happy to meet with you and offer legal guidance on what the best options may be for your circumstances.