Why Do Big Rigs Cause So Much Damage In Virginia Trucking Accidents?
Key Highlights About Big Rigs Cause So Much Damage In Virginia Trucking Accidents:
- The high speeds of major freight transport corridors like I-81 and I-95, as well as the heavy load of a freight vehicle, increase the damage that a big rig accident in Virginia can cause, making it more dangerous than a regular accident.
- An ordinary freight truck can weigh 80,000 pounds, compared to a car’s weight of 4,000 pounds.
- The impact of this magnitude is considerably greater in the event of a crash, while the braking distance is also extended.
- The fact that trucks are higher than cars means that the latter may go under the truck without causing any damage to the truck.
- The occupants of the compact vehicle are likely to get injured more than in other accidents of this type.
There is often an imbalance of power in car vs. truck accidents. A fully-loaded commercial truck, for instance, can be 20-30 times heavier than a passenger vehicle. Unfortunately, victims in big rig accident in Virginia are usually left with serious injuries, hefty medical bills, and long battles in court with large trucking companies.
You don’t have to go through this experience by yourself. Because at Tatum & Atkinson Law Firm, Virginia truck accident lawyers are committed to safeguarding your rights, finding out the truth, and obtaining for you the compensation you deserve.
Don’t delay your potential claim. Get in touch with The Tatum & Atkinson Law Firm for a free consultation today at (800) 529-0804.
The Physics: Weight, Momentum, and Energy
A fully loaded truck can weigh up to 80,000 pounds. In the meantime, the standard automobile weighs about 4,000 pounds, and that makes all the difference. Momentum can be defined as the mass in motion; thus, trucks have far more momentum.
During a crash, a truck’s momentum usually goes to the car that is hit and its passengers. Additionally, the mass of a truck makes it difficult for it to stop. According to the statistics provided by the FMCSA, a vehicle traveling at 65 mph needs as much as 316 feet to come to a full stop.
Height, Underride, and Override
The height of a truck poses unique risks. Since trucks have a high body, smaller vehicles can easily go below them in an underride accident. An underride accident is one of the deadliest incidents that can take place on the road.
The opposite of an underride accident is called “override,” in which a truck goes over the vehicle below it. Cargo plays an important part in these incidents, as a heavy and incorrectly loaded cargo may affect the physics of the collision, and so a moving trailer can cause a second impact after the first one.
The Most Destructive Big Rig Accident in Virginia
The enormous size and height of large trailers contribute to terrible commercial truck accidents. The worst types of truck accidents include:
- Underride accidents: In these collisions, a car is caught underneath the truck.
- Override accidents: In this situation, the truck runs over the car.
- Chain reaction accidents: The weight of the truck continues to move forward, causing it to hit several different vehicles.
- Rollovers: In this case, the trailer or truck flips over and crashes into vehicles next to it on the road.
- Secondary crashes: The trailer has jackknifed and is moving between lanes, hitting other vehicles.
Why the Truck Crash Injuries Are So Severe
The design of a car has not been made to handle strikes coming from a truck, but rather those coming from a similarly sized automobile, which explains why the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety states that in 97 % of the cases where people die in accidents involving two vehicles (one of which is a large truck), the deceased person was in a passenger car. The kind of injuries people obtain include:
- Traumatic brain injury
- Spinal cord injury and paralysis
- Multi-fractures
- Internal injuries
- Crush injuries
- Severe burns.
- Amputations
Such injuries do not heal over time but instead require numerous surgeries and rehabilitation programs.
What Catastrophic Injuries Mean for a Virginia Claim
In order to apply for a successful claim, it is important to estimate not only today’s medical expenses but also some future expenses, lost income, and suffering from injury. Estimation of such expenses needs specialists’ assistance ( treating physicians, medical specialists, life care planners, vocational specialists, and economists).
In addition to that, the laws in Virginia are making it even more difficult to pursue a claim because the slightest fraction of responsibility borne by the injured party (even 1%) results in the rejection of an entire claim.
Hurt in a Big Rig Crash in Virginia? Talk With Tatum & Atkinson
A big rig accident in Virginia may drastically alter someone’s destiny, and the severity of the injuries caused is the source of the damage and the claims that will be pursued. Don’t suffer through lifetime repercussions.
Our Cedar Bluff office serves the southwestern part of Virginia, where our attorney, Jon Ward, handles tractor trailer accidents. Our Heavy Hitters will involve people from medical, life-care fields, and economists to demonstrate the full impact of catastrophic injury and to reject any argument by insurance companies citing 1 percent of damages.
Feel free to reach out to our catastrophic accident attorneys at (800) 529-0804 or the Cedar Bluff office at (276) 242-8181. Once we win your case, our clients do not pay anything to us beforehand.
FAQs: Why Do Big Rigs Cause So Much Damage In Virginia Trucking Accidents?
Why is a truck crash so much worse than a car-on-car crash at the same speed?
The reality is that mass is what counts. A truck can have a weight that is twenty to thirty times greater than that of a car, and hence, the crash energy is not distributed equally. The smaller vehicle and its passengers absorb almost all of the force.
What is an underride crash, and why is it so deadly?
An underride accident takes place when a smaller automobile goes underneath a truck’s trailer. In comparison with a regular frontal collision, the truck trailer bypasses airbags and crumple zones and strikes the windshield and passenger compartment directly, usually resulting in severe injuries.
Why is a catastrophic truck injury claim worth more and more complex?
It is because the repercussions are far-reaching beyond hospitalization. A serious injury can have an impact on the ability to earn money, housing choices, and the care needed for years to come. This need for economic and life care planning means that the people in these types of situations will work with experts who can make a prediction about the cost of the lifelong care and expenses required.
Do severe injuries have any effect on how the trucking company fights for the claim?
Indeed, as the amount of restitution possible increases, so does the effort made by the other party to restrict it. Serious or catastrophic injuries bring a lot of responsibility to the trucking company and its insurers. Thus, the use of aggressive tactics and the immediate involvement of the specialists becomes common.
What does it cost to hire a Virginia truck accident lawyer?
There is no cost beyond what is recovered from your case, as our contingency fee means that you will pay nothing for your case unless it is successful, and initially, your consultation is free of charge. This can be important in cases involving destruction, where our law firm will advance the costs of medical experts, life care planners, vocational experts, economists, etc.
