How Do Truck Accidents Differ From Car Accidents?

Bill Allen | August 23, 2023 | Truck Accidents

No one wants to be involved in a motor vehicle accident. However, given the choice, most people would take a collision with a compact passenger car over one involving a semi-truck. A commercial truck accident often involves tons of steel traveling at 70 mph slamming into a much smaller car — and it’s easy to see which driver is at a greater risk of being killed or seriously injured. 

Size and weight only scratch the surface when it comes to the differences between car accidents and truck accidents. Complicated factors like professional driving standards and trucking regulations all play a role in identifying who pays for a truck accident and how much is owed. 

Factors That Make Truck Accidents More Dangerous

Experienced drivers are used to spending years sharing the roads with semi-trucks. This can make it easy to forget that large trucks belong to an entirely different category of vehicles than most cars. 

Truckers are well aware of the work that goes into being trained and certified to safely operate large trucks, but the average person isn’t well-acquainted with this process. This means that many drivers don’t have a clear idea of the many dangers truck drivers must work to avoid. 

Some of the most significant factors that can make truck accidents more dangerous than car accidents include the: 

  • Risk of rollover
  • Risk of a jackknife accident, which involves cargo getting ahead of the cab
  • Risk of spilled cargo causing a crash
  • Need for greater stopping distances
  • Larger blind spots involved for truck drivers

In addition to the physical factors that increase the risk of a truck accident, truck drivers must also be factored into the equation. Unlike most passenger car drivers, truckers are professional drivers. However, they often drive under conditions that can further increase the risk of a crash. 

Truckers drive for much longer distances at a time than the vast majority of other drivers on the road. This puts them at higher risk of experiencing driver fatigue. A trucker may also be in a rush to arrive at their location, either due to pressure from the company they work for or because a client is waiting for their delivery.  

Holding Truck Drivers To a Higher Standard

It’s no secret that the size and weight of a semi bring a greatly increased risk of death or serious injury when a smaller car is involved. However, what other drivers might not realize after a crash is that truckers aren’t subject to the same expectations as regular drivers. 

As driving professionals, commercial truck drivers are held to certain standards. When these standards are violated, it can be easier to recover truck accident compensation than it is in an accident involving two passenger vehicles.   

Factors that come into play when seeking to prove liability for a truck crash include: 

  • Trucker licensing, training, and experience
  • Weight carried
  • Number of consecutive hours driven
  • Proper truck maintenance
  • Previous accident involvement

Because truckers are subject to more rules and regulations, it can sometimes be simpler for a truck accident attorney to prove the trucker was at fault for the crash. When a lawyer demonstrates liability, it means the insurance provider for the truck driver or the company they work for must pay for the injuries that resulted from the crash. 

It’s hard to anticipate what the consequences of a car or truck accident might be. If you’ve been involved in an accident, the safest way to protect your finances is to consult a car accident or truck accident lawyer as soon as possible. 

A lawyer can help safeguard you against liability and explore your options for recovering compensation to offset the cost of any losses or injuries you may suffer.

Contact Our Gainesville Truck Accident Law Firm in North Central Florida

If you need legal assistance, contact the Gainesville truck accident lawyers at Allen Law Firm at your nearest location to schedule a free consultation today.

We have three convenient locations in North Central Florida:

Allen Law Firm, P.A. – Gainesville office
2550 SW 76th St #150
Gainesville, FL 32608
(877) 255-3652

Allen Law Firm, P.A. – Downtown Gainesville
621 W University Ave
Gainesville, FL 32601
(866) 928-6292

Allen Law Firm, P.A. – Ocala Office
112 S Pine Ave
Ocala, FL 34471
(352) 351-3258