Most people often picture fender benders or typical car collisions when they think of motor vehicle accidents. But truck accidents are in their own unique category—and not in a good way.
Crashes involving commercial vehicles, such as 18-wheelers, are far more likely to result in devastating injuries, extensive property damage or even death. Understanding why these crashes are so dangerous helps shed light on their unique legal, physical and logistical challenges.
Size and weight make a deadly difference
The most obvious reason commercial vehicle collisions are more dangerous is their size. Imagine a fully loaded commercial truck crashing into a passenger vehicle. It’s clear which vehicle takes the brunt of the impact in a collision. That massive weight also means trucks take longer to slow down or stop. A truck might need twice the distance to come to a full stop compared to a car.
Due to their significant size, commercial vehicles also have a higher center of gravity. This makes them more likely to tip over or jackknife during sudden reactions to unexpected changes in traffic. Rollovers are dangerous for the truck driver and nearby vehicles, which can be crushed or pushed off the road.
Limited visibility and large blind spots increase the risk
Truck drivers sit high up in their cabs, but that doesn’t mean they see everything. Commercial vehicles have huge blind spots on all four sides, particularly on either side and directly behind the trailer. A car lingering in one of these zones is likely invisible to the truck driver. Many serious accidents happen when a truck changes lanes or turns, unaware of a vehicle beside it.
More complex causes and liability issues are involved
Truck accidents are also different because they often involve more complex causes—and more potential at-fault parties. While driver error is still common, trucking accidents frequently involve issues like:
- Mechanical failures
- Overloaded cargo
- Violations of federal safety regulations
Trucking companies, maintenance providers, cargo loaders and even the manufacturer of defective parts might all share some responsibility.
This makes truck accident cases far more complicated from a legal perspective. Proving liability requires investigating logbooks and the truck’s maintenance records. It goes beyond showing what happened—it’s about uncovering who broke the rules.
Truck accidents are not exaggerated versions of car crashes—they’re fundamentally different and far more dangerous. Passenger vehicle drivers hurt in a truck accident should enlist legal support to anticipate the high-stakes world of commercial trucking law.