The roadways in New Jersey are crowded with large commercial trucks, weighing up to 76,000 pounds more than the smaller vehicles they encounter. Although freight carriers are critical links in the nation’s supply chain, they present a significant safety risk to other motorists. Over 66% of truck accident injury victims and fatalities occur to the occupants of other vehicles, not the truck drivers. Among the deadliest truck accidents are truck override collisions, sometimes causing severe physical injuries, emotional trauma, and fatalities.
What Is an Override Accident?
Large commercial trucks require longer stopping times than average vehicles, making it more likely for a truck driver to be unable to avoid a collision in an emergency, especially if they are exceeding the speed limit or driving while distracted. They also have much higher ground clearance and larger tires. In an override collision between a large truck and a standard passenger vehicle, the collision occurs with enough speed and power that the truck’s large tires allow it to climb up and over the smaller vehicle, causing destruction to the car and motorists trapped below the crushing weight of the truck.
What Common Injuries Can Occur?
Injuries in truck accidents are often fatal due to the double effects of the initial collision followed by the crushing weight of the truck as the roof and top structure of the car collapse onto the vehicle occupants. Common injuries in truck override accidents include the following:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Head injuries including skull fractures
- Neck injuries
- Back injuries
- Internal organ damage
- Facial trauma
- Fractures
- Soft-tissue injuries to shoulders, wrists, knees, and ankles
- Spinal cord injuries
- Lacerations, contusions, and abrasions
- Crush injuries to the head, neck, and upper body
Many truck override accidents end in the wrongful death of one or more vehicle occupants. Truck drivers in override accidents rarely sustain more than minor injuries, but an override accident is devastating or deadly to the smaller vehicle’s occupants.
Liability in Truck Override Accidents
No one should have to take on a complex truck accident claim in Cherry Hill alone. The no-fault insurance laws compel drivers to file claims against their own personal injury protection (PIP), but the severe injuries and fatalities associated with override accidents result in damages that quickly exceed the state’s minimal required insurance coverage. Fortunately, injury victims may file lawsuits against at-fault parties in cases of catastrophic injuries such as those sustained by victims of truck override accidents. Common liable parties in this type of truck accident include the truck driver—if they are independent contractors—the trucking company, a negligent truck maintenance company, or the manufacturer of a defective truck part. Less commonly, the liable party is a negligent road planning or road maintenance agency responsible for a highway safety hazard, confusing intersection design, or lack of adequate signage that caused or contributed to the collision.
How Can a Truck Accident Attorney Help?
When serious injuries occur in truck override accidents, the medical bills quickly pile up while the injury victims may face temporary or permanent disability. Damages like medical expenses, lost wages, future income loss, catastrophic injury, and pain and suffering deserve compensation. In some cases, the damages include compensation for wrongful death, particularly when it’s the wrongful death of a family provider.
Call the Cherry Hill accident lawyers at Cuneo & Leonetti today so we can quickly take action in your truck override case and develop a strong, individualized strategy for recovering the maximum damages available to you.