Side Underride Accident in Stockton
I’m Ed Smith, a Stockton truck accident lawyer. A collision between a passenger sedan and a semi on 99 Frontage Road led to serious injury on Friday, September 22. The accident remains under investigation at the time of this report.
Accident Details
The daytime crash occurred as a semi-pulling a trailer flatbed completing a left-hand turn onto Hwy 99 off of Loomis Road was hit by the sedan. The flatbed trailer was in both the southbound and the northbound lanes as the trucker navigated the turn. A Maxima traveling in the southbound lane slammed into the trailer, passing under it. The Nissan remained lodged under the flatbed and a forklift in the vicinity of the accident was used to pry the vehicle free. According to a spokesman from the California Highway Patrol, the Maxima was speeding at the time of the accident.
The aftermath of the Accident
The driver of the Maxima suffered serious injury and was taken by emergency responders to a hospital but no information about the nature of her injuries was provided. According to authorities, no one else was injured in the collision. Although an investigation is proceeding, the CHP noted the absence of skid marks as the Maxima approached the semi and that the Maxima driver was without a driver’s license. There is no word at this time whether alcohol or drugs were involved.
Side Underride in Truck Accidents
According to reports from a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration causation study, side underride occurs in a minimum of 50 percent of truck collisions where side impact occurred. The incidence of underride, where a passenger vehicle passes under the side of the truck, is influenced by the height of the truck clearance and the absence or presence of underride guards. Such accidents often occur when a truck is attempting to make a turn at an intersection, backing onto a roadway or making a U-turn.
Dangers of Side Underride
Side underride can cause significant injuries such as head trauma or death to the occupants of a passenger vehicle. Crushed roof injuries, which happen when the roof of the passenger vehicle lacks the structural support to withstand the pressure from the truck, are also a concern.
Preventing Underride Accidents
Underride guards can be used to prevent underride accidents. While using guards is common, studies have shown that many are below the standard to prevent a car from passing under the truck. Due to the seriousness of underride accidents, a clamor for stronger guards has risen from many groups, including insurance safety groups. In the year 2011, of the 2,241 occupants of passenger vehicles who died in truck accidents, 260 were killed in rear underride accidents.
Why Side Underride Accident Happen
Some of the reasons a side underride accident happens range from speeding, falling asleep at the wheel, distraction and drunk driving. Inability to visualize a truck or driving on a dark road are others. One of the biggest problems with seeing a truck is target visibility or the extent to which a truck is pronounced against the backdrop. This includes the color of the truck, its size, movement of the truck and shape. While most underride accidents occur at night, if the sun is at a low angle daytime accidents are more probable.
Absence of Skid marks
Skid marks are used in accident reconstruction to determine why an accident happened. The marks resulting from braking are generally long but under 100 yards and straight. The absence of skid marks usually points to a vehicle where the driver failed to brake.
Stockton Truck Accident Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a Stockton truck accident lawyer. Underride accidents are among the most dangerous and can cause significant injury or death. The shearing mechanism evidenced in such crashes is capable of removing the roof of a vehicle exposing occupants to catastrophic injury. Being in such an accident or losing a family member is traumatic and numbing. In the hour and days after a crash having a seasoned attorney can relieve the stress of not knowing what to do and allow the person or their family to deal with the consequences of the crash. I can help you through those difficult times, providing friendly and free advice. Just call (209) 227-1931 or (800) 404-5400.
I have been helping my neighbors in Stockton and Northern California for more than 35 years as an injury lawyer. They’ve come to me for car accidents, dog bites, wrongful death cases and when traumatic injuries have resulted due to an accident. I’ve given them the compassion they need and the compensation they deserve.
If you are on my autoaccident.com web page, chances are you or someone in your family has been injured. Browse some of the other topics to get a better understanding of the law.
Hiring an attorney is just one more thing to do after an accident. It is always helpful to get to know how other clients felt about them and their practice. Check me out on Yelp, Google and Avvo.
Photo Attribution: https://pixabay.com/en/crash-test-frontal-collision-1620603/
:cd [cs 855] cv