What Are the Most Common Truck Accidents in Connecticut?

When driving or being a passenger in a car, few sights are more frightening than witnessing a truck accident unfold before your eyes. Every driver in Connecticut should take extra caution when sharing the roads with these 18-wheelers and other big trucks because a collision with vehicles of this size can lead to serious injury or death. In fact, according to the most recent large truck report from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety-Highway Loss Data Institute, 68% of truck accident fatalities involve occupants of passenger vehicles.

Unfortunately, there are also concerning statistics from the National Safety Council Preliminary Estimates, indicating that in the first six months of 2022, Connecticut experienced a 29% increase in deaths due to accidents on the road compared to the previous year. You don’t need statistics to know that accidents happen far too often. However, with big rigs frequently sharing tight highways and crossroads throughout Connecticut with passenger vehicles, it's critical to be aware of the types of accidents that most commonly occur involving these larger vehicles so you can be on the lookout and not end up as a statistic.

This blog post will look at some of Connecticut's most common types of truck accidents. If you or a loved one are involved in a truck accident, contact the truck accident lawyers at The Doctor Lawyer Team at (833) DLT-WINS or (833) 358-9467 to schedule your FREE case evaluation. We combine legal and medical expertise to help you obtain maximum compensation for your injuries.

Head-On Collisions

Head-on collisions between large trucks and passenger cars in Connecticut are often due to driver negligence. When road conditions make it difficult for drivers to see one another, such as during snowstorms or at night when visibility is limited, the chances of these types of accidents increase significantly. Truck drivers can drift out of their lane and directly into the path of oncoming traffic when they are distracted, reckless, lose control of their trucks, or have mechanical issues. If they disregard the proper right-of-way at stop signs, red lights, or other intersections, head-on collisions can also occur. Head-on collisions with commercial trucks can be fatal for other vehicles, particularly those significantly smaller than the truck.

Rear-End Collisions

Rear-end crashes are the most frequently occurring collision, accounting for approximately 29% of all crashes. The huge disparity in size and weight between commercial trucks and passenger vehicles makes rear-end truck accidents particularly dangerous when you consider the average passenger vehicle weighs about 4,000 pounds compared to an average weight of 80,000 pounds for large commercial trucks. Often rear-end collisions happen when truck drivers are not following the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s guidelines on following distances putting other passenger vehicles at risk and leading to devastating injuries or death if rear-ended.

Side-Swipe Accidents

Truck drivers can unintentionally put other motorists in peril when they don't take the necessary precautions to check their blind spots. Sideswipe collisions between trucks and passenger cars are particularly hazardous. A vehicle forced sideways into another traffic lane could cause catastrophic multi-vehicle crashes that lead to extensive damage, injury, and even death.

Rollover Accidents

If the truck driver loses control, the truck may slide and roll over. This poses a significant risk to vehicles following or driving parallel to the truck. Some causes of rollovers are:

• Speeding
• Driving too fast on a curve
• Colliding with another object on the roadway
• Over-correcting
• Mechanical issues
• Uneven load
• Poor weather conditions

Jackknife Accidents

Jackknife accidents can be hazardous due to the speed and momentum of heavy trucks and trailers. When a semi-trailer jackknifes, it happens when the trailer moves at different speeds or directions than the cab. These situations are often caused by bad weather, such as rain and snow, but can also happen when drivers take sharp turns too quickly or cut off other vehicles sharing the highway.

Truck Underride Accidents

A truck underride accident is hazardous and can result in severe injury and often death. An underride accident occurs when a smaller vehicle collides with the side or back of a semi-trailer and slides underneath. In some underride accidents, the car is pinned beneath the truck and dragged, resulting in even more devastating injuries. As truck accident attorneys, we've seen two types of truck underride accidents:

• Side underride collisions are most common when a truck driver is crossing, turning onto a street, or making a U-turn.
• A rear underride collision occurs when a passenger vehicle collides with the back of a truck or semi-trailer.

Weather conditions can also play a role in underride accidents, as cars that lose control on slick or snowy roads may slide under a semi-trailer.

Why You Need the Help of The Doctor Lawyer Team If You’ve Been in a Connecticut Truck Accident

If you or a loved one are involved in a truck accident, The Doctor Lawyer Team is here to help. We have experience with all types of truck accidents, from head-on collisions to rear-end collisions and everything in between. Our experienced personal injury attorneys can help you navigate insurance claims and protect your rights.

At The Doctor Lawyer Team, we are a veteran-owned personal injury law firm with over 40 years of trial experience and a proven track record of success. Attorney Paul McConnell is a former Marine Corps infantry officer, federal prosecutor, and trial judge. Dr. Michael Giordano is a board-certified neurosurgeon with an active background in reviewing personal injury and medical malpractice cases for over 18 years, including several years at one of Connecticut’s most respected personal injury and medical malpractice firms.

This gives you a unique advantage because The Doctor Lawyer Team combines legal and medical expertise to help you obtain compensation for your damages, including medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other issues you may face because of your injury. We also work on a contingency basis, meaning we only get paid from the proceeds if you win your case.

Contact The Doctor Lawyer Team today to schedule your FREE case evaluation by calling our truck accident attorneys at (833) DLT-WINS or (833) 358-9467 to learn more about your legal rights and best options for recovery. We have offices in: Hartford, New Haven, Groton, Bridgeport, New Canaan, and Greenwich. If more convenient, you can also complete our online form here.

The Doctor Lawyer Team - Built Different - Join the Winning Team!

Copyright © 2023. The Doctor Lawyer Team. All rights reserved.

The information in this blog post (“post”) is provided for general informational purposes only and may not reflect the current law in your jurisdiction. No information in this post should be construed as legal advice from the individual author or the law firm, nor is it intended to be a substitute for legal counsel on any subject matter. No reader of this post should act or refrain from acting based on any information included in or accessible through this post without seeking the appropriate legal or other professional advice on the particular facts and circumstances at issue from a lawyer licensed in the recipient’s state, country, or other appropriate licensing jurisdiction.

The Doctor Lawyer Team
638 Prospect Avenue
Hartford, CT 06105
(833) DLT-WINS; (833) 358-9467
https://www.doctorlawyerteam.com/