We need commercial trucks to transport goods across the country. However, sharing the road with semi-trucks can be dangerous. An 18-wheeler weighs about 80,000 pounds. Most passenger vehicles weigh about 5,000 pounds.
Unfortunately, sideswipe accidents involving large trucks are common because of the truck’s large blind spots. When an 80,000-pound truck sideswipes a 5,000-pound passenger vehicle, the outcome can be catastrophic for the occupants of the passenger vehicle.
Knowing what to do after a sideswipe truck accident in Kansas City can help you recover the money you deserve for your injuries, expenses, and damages. The trucking company and its insurance provider do not have your best interest at heart when negotiating a settlement.
Contact the Law Office of Kevin J. McManus for a free consultation with our Kansas City truck accident lawyer.
Call us today at 816-203-0143 or through our website contact form or chat for more information or to schedule your free consultation to discuss how our legal team can help you with a truck accident claim.
What are Sideswipe Truck Accidents?
Truck accidents generally occur when a large truck collides directly with another vehicle, such as a rear-end accident or a head-on collision. Sideswipe accidents happen when the side of the truck bumps or grazes the side of another vehicle. Common situations that lead to a sideswipe truck accident include lane changes, merging, and unintentional drifting into another lane.
When a truck sideswipes another vehicle, the collision can force the vehicle off the road, into a guardrail, or another lane of traffic. The result could be a rollover accident or multi-vehicle accident. As with other types of truck accidents, the other vehicle occupants have a high risk of severe injuries and deaths.
Five Steps to Take After a Kansas City Sideswipe Truck Accident
If a large truck sideswipes your vehicle, these steps can help you protect your legal rights:
- Move your vehicle to a safe location on the side of the road, if possible.
- Call 911 to report that a commercial truck sideswiped your vehicle
- If possible, take photographs of the accident scene, the damage to your vehicle, and the damage to the truck
- Ask bystanders and witnesses for their names and contact information
- Seek immediate medical treatment for your injuries (delays in medical care hurt your personal injury claim)
- Do not agree to provide a written or recorded statement to the insurance company or the trucking company
As soon as possible, contact our Kansas City truck accident lawyer. The trucking company and its insurance provider have rapid response teams that begin gathering evidence and investigating the cause of the crash.
You need someone on your side protecting your legal rights and gathering evidence proving fault and liability for the sideswipe truck collision. Our legal team has extensive experience handling truck accident cases. We know what steps need to be taken immediately to protect your best interests.
Common Causes of Sideswipe Truck Accidents in Kansas City, MO
Many of the sideswipe truck accidents that happen each year could have been avoided. Driver errors and negligence cause truck crashes. Common causes of sideswipe truck crashes include:
- Failure to check blind spots and mirrors
- Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
- Fatigued and drowsy driving
- Unsafe and improper lane changes and merges
- Lack of adequate training and experience
- Failing to signal lane changes
- Improperly adjusted mirrors
- Distracted driving
- Driving too fast for the conditions
- Aggressive driving or road rage
Unfortunately, the people in the passenger vehicle tend to sustain the worst injuries in a sideswipe truck accident. A negligent or careless truck driver engages in risky or dangerous driving behavior without regard to the consequences for other people sharing the road with the truck driver.
Injuries and Damages Caused by a Sideswipe Truck Accident
Truck accident injuries often require immediate medical treatment to prevent permanent disabilities or death. Common injuries that our legal team sees from truck accidents in Kansas City include:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Amputations
- Broken bones
- Paralysis
- Neck and back injuries
- Internal organ damage
- Disfigurement and scarring
- Severe burns
The damages caused by the truck crash may include physical injuries and pain. However, the accident victim may also incur substantial economic damages because of the accident.
In addition to pain and suffering, a truck accident victim generally incurs expensive medical bills and substantial loss of income. A person may also require personal care or nursing care if their injuries result in a disabling condition.
Because of the high risk of catastrophic injuries, disabilities, and death from a truck accident, the damages could total millions of dollars.
Liability for a Sideswipe Truck Accident in Kansas City
Truck accidents are complex personal injury cases. A truck accident investigation can take months to complete. Our legal team often works with accident reconstructionists and other experts to gather evidence and identify the parties responsible for causing the truck accident. Both the trucker and the trucking company could be liable for damages.
The insurance company and the trucking company actively investigate the crash searching for any evidence to limit liability for damages. Their goal is to limit the amount of money they must pay to the victims.
At the Law Office of Kevin J. McManus, our goal is to hold the parties responsible for your pain and suffering liable for all damages. Our legal team aggressively investigates and pursues all claims to get you the money you deserve.
Contact Our Kansas City Truck Accident Lawyer for a Free Consultation
If you were injured in a sideswipe truck accident, you deserve fair and just compensation for your damages. Call us today at 816-203-0143 or through our website contact form or chat for a free consultation with our truck accident lawyer in Kansas City. We're here for you and on your side!
You may also instantly download a free copy of our traffic accident book and learn more about accident claims in our library of articles, blogs, and videos.
