An underride truck accident occurs when a vehicle collides with the rear of a truck’s trailer and goes underneath the bottom of the trailer. Rear-end truck collisions are relatively common, as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports over 15,000 per year. They are also some of the most dangerous types of accidents, as rear-end underride collisions comprised nearly 20% of fatal truck accidents in 2011 alone. If you or a loved one has been injured in a rear-end underride collision with a large commercial truck, you should consult with an experienced Grantville truck accident lawyer to see how you may recover.
In 1998, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) required that newer semi-trucks have underride guards on the back of their trailers to prevent smaller vehicles from sliding underneath the truck. However, a recent safety report published by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has identified many instances in which the underride guardrails do not adequately protect motorists from injury in rear-end truck collisions. Such instances include when:
- The smaller vehicle collided with the side of the guardrail
- The attachment holding the guard onto the trailer failed and the guard came unattached
- The guard came out of proper position due to bucking of the trailer chassis in the collision
As a result of these discoveries, the NTSB recommends that the NHSTA require that manufacturers modify their testing requirements of guards, redesign stronger attachment hardware, examine how to protect cars in side collisions, consider lowering the maximum guard height below the current threshold of 22 inches, and more. Even with these changes, however, it is unlikely that injuries from underride accidents may ever be completely eliminated.
Contact a Grantville personal injury attorney for a free consultation
If you have suffered injury in an underride accident or any other type of commercial truck accident because the truck driver or trucking company failed to put proper protections in place, you may be entitled to substantial compensation for your injuries and losses. Contact the experienced truck accident attorneys at Shane Smith Law to schedule a free consultation and discuss a potential case. Do not hesitate to call today at (980) 246-2656.