What is an Underride Truck Accident?

Any kind of truck accident can be horrible, of course, but an underride accident is particularly terrifying. As the name implies, it happens when a car slides underneath a truck, either from behind or from the side. As you can well expect, this often leads to severe injuries as well as deaths, because the top of the car is usually completely sheared off.

If you’ve been hurt or lost a loved one in an underride accident, get in touch with the Jones Law Group as soon as you can. We have helped clients involved in truck accidents for many years, so we know how to identify all liable parties. You can choose us with total confidence, knowing we’ll do everything we possibly can to help you obtain maximum compensation for your suffering.

Please contact us online or give us a call at (727) 571-1333 to schedule a free review of your case. In the meantime, here’s some information on why underride accidents happen, how fault is determined, and how an experienced attorney may be able to help.

The Two Types of Underride Accidents

An underride accident is much different from a regular car/truck accident. While most truck accidents have devastating consequences, an underride accident is almost guaranteed to result in catastrophic injuries – or worse.

The two main types are side and rear underride accidents. The first type usually happens when the driver of the truck is making some sort of turn and an oncoming motorist isn’t able to react quickly enough. Rear underride collisions typically occur when a truck is moving slowly, or is parked on the side of a highway or a city street. The car will slam into the back of the truck as a result.

Requirements in Place to Prevent Underride Accidents

Federal regulations mandate that trucking companies put measures in place to try to prevent these kinds of accidents from taking place. Unfortunately, they continue to happen.

Why is this the case? In many instances, the guards placed on the rear of commercial trucks weaken with age, and don’t provide a sufficient barrier. Also, there are no requirements for side guards to be installed. However, as part of the Infrastructure Law of 2021, the U.S. Department of Transportation is required to research the feasibility of side guards, and to develop standards and regulations if warranted.

The law also requires existing rear guards to be improved. They have to be made in a way to prevent underrides when a vehicle is traveling 35 mph.

Injuries Caused by Underride Accidents

As stated earlier, underride accidents can result in several different kinds of catastrophic injuries, including the following:

• Traumatic brain injuries
• Internal organ damage
• Broken bones
• Spinal cord injuries
• Severe burns
• Amputations
• Death

Victims can also experience severe emotional trauma as well, with the effects lasting for decades.

Who’s At-Fault for an Underride Accident?

As in any sort of truck accident there can be multiple parties to blame when an underride accident takes place. The driver of the truck may have suddenly slammed on the brakes after being distracted behind the wheel. The brake lights may not have worked due to a negligent lack of maintenance, and a motorist slammed into the back of the truck as a result. The truck may not have even had the required rear underride guard installed.

Why Hire a Personal Injury Attorney

The importance of hiring an experienced attorney – and doing it as quickly as possible – can’t be overstated. If you’re going to have the best possible chance of obtaining as much compensation as possible, you’re going to have to be able to deliver solid proof that the accident wasn’t your fault.

The only way to do that will be to have a thorough investigation into the accident launched immediately. There’s no way you can do that on your own – you’re too badly hurt, or you’ve experienced the devastating loss of someone you love. You also don’t have the skill, the experience or the resources that are necessary.

A seasoned attorney will have all of that. An attorney will also be able to gather evidence that the average citizen can’t access. This includes footage from any nearby security cameras that might have caught the accident, or data from the truck that can show how fast it was going when the collision occurred. Your legal representative will be able to do that and much more.

Truck accidents are typically high-stakes cases, with payouts potentially reaching into the millions of dollars. As a result, trucking companies and their insurance companies will sometimes not be above resorting to dirty tricks in order to pay as little as possible. This can often include altering the scene of the accident so that it looks like the motorist was to blame.

Contact a Florida Truck Accident Attorney

Please don’t be victimized twice. Don’t let unethical tactics damage your case beyond repair. Talk to a truck accident attorney as quickly as you can to make sure your rights will be protected.

The expert attorneys with the Jones Law Group will do exactly that. We’ll immediately get to work, uncovering the compelling evidence needed to show that you weren’t to blame, and that you’re entitled to every penny that’s coming to you for the suffering you’ve been forced to endure.

Also, please don’t try to act as your own legal representative. This type of case involves high-powered insurance professionals and high-priced lawyers. They love it when accident victims try to represent themselves, because they know they’ll almost be guaranteed a victory. Self-represented victims can easily make a seemingly minor mistake that could actually ruin their case.

Let a Jones Law Group attorney ensure this doesn’t happen to you. We will show the insurance company that you are entitled to a fair settlement. But if that settlement isn’t forthcoming, we’ll be more than well-prepared to take your case to court.

If you would like to speak with one of our attorneys to learn more about how we may be able to help, please schedule a free consultation by calling (727) 571-1333 or contacting us online.