Accidents Caused by Wide Turning Trucks

Wide-Turn Truck Accidents

Making a turn in your car is almost second nature. The same cannot be said for a 40-ton, eighteen-wheel tractor-trailer. One of the most challenging maneuvers for a large semi-truck is making a tight turn. Because of the degree of difficulty, many truckers wind up causing wide-turn accidents.

If you or a loved one have been injured in a truck accident caused by a driver making a wide turn, call the experienced Ohio truck accident attorneys of Kisling, Nestico & Redick at 1-800-HURT-NOW today to schedule a free and confidential case consultation.

How Do Wide-Turn Accidents Happen?

Truck drivers must be clear in their intention to make a turn so they avoid possible collisions.

A wide turn accident is more likely to happen if:

• A trucker does not use a turn signal. Drivers must use their turn signals to inform other drivers that they are going to turn. If they make a turn without signaling first, they may crash into nearby unsuspecting vehicles.
• A trucker does not check blind spots. Because of its sheer size, it’s very easy for cars to get in a semi’s blind spot. Truck drivers know this, so they are charged with carefully checking their blind spots before trying to make a turn. Drivers who don’t bother using this caution will likely plow into any vehicle in their blind spot.
• A trucker is fatigued. When you are tired, your memory gets fuzzy and your reaction times slow down. Drivers who spend long hours on the road without getting proper rest run the risk of making more mistakes. A tired truck driver may forget any one of the steps they must take to make a safe turn, and it could be the other drivers that pay the price.
• A trucker does not know the route well. This often happens since many truckers travel through areas only one time. They might not realize that a wide country road will eventually turn into a narrow residential one. A challenge like this should not be too much to handle for a driver who makes it a habit to drive safely and with caution. However, if they choose to speed or drive recklessly, they can wreak havoc on the road.

Many drivers also don’t expect a semi-truck that has indicated it is turning right to swing left into their lane. But that’s what many of the big rigs need to do to make the turn. Truck drivers who lack skills or don’t practice caution can swing so far left that they wind up smashing into another car.

Common Wide-Turn Accident Injuries

You or your passengers could experience any number of injuries if a wide-turning truck collides with your vehicle. The injuries we routinely see in these types of accidents include:

• Broken bones
• Lacerations or amputations
• Spinal cord injuries
• Soft Tissue Injuries</li?
• Whiplash
• Traumatic brain injury
• Death

Wide Right-Hand Turn Truck Accidents

A semi truck’s shape and size make it nearly impossible to make tight turns, so a right-hand turn involves a bit of work. The driver must swing to the left to negotiate the turn. Otherwise, they may run off the road or even tip over.

If a right turn is not done correctly, a semi-truck can also strike a vehicle next to them or trap a car between the semi and the curb, possibly crushing the smaller passenger vehicle in the process. In the case of a road with two right turn lanes, a truck can get too close to the other turn lane, trapping or even crushing any car that is also trying to turn. Your 4,000-pound car is no match for a fully loaded, 80,000-pound tractor-trailer.

Left-Hand Turn Truck Accidents

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association, 61% of crashes that happen while turning or crossing an intersection involve left turns. Vehicles involved in left-turn collisions often make head-on or T-bone impacts, which can cause serious injuries to drivers and passengers.

Left-hand turn accidents involving semi-trucks happen when a truck attempts to make it across traffic, but the vehicle doesn’t make it across before oncoming traffic reaches it. Left-turn accidents also frequently involve head-on collisions with cars stopped at the lane next to the one the truck tries to enter.

Left-hand truck hand accidents typically happen because drivers misjudge how close the on-coming traffic is or the width of the lane they’re attempting to enter.

Determining Fault for a Wide-Turn Truck Accident

The vehicle making a wide turn is almost always found at fault. The logic being is that vehicles traveling in their lane almost always have the right-of-way through an intersection.

Basically, the driver turning must wait until all oncoming traffic is clear. When a truck driver fails to turn their vehicle safely, it can be an example of negligence.

Examples of a truck driver being at fault for a wide-turn accident include:

• The driver failed to use turn signals
• The driver improperly revered to make a turn
• A truck entered a lane too fast
• The truck failed to ensure the roadway was clear
• The driver attempted a right turn too far from the curb

Who Is Liable for a Wide-Turn Accident?

If a truck driver makes a wide right turn in front of you and crashes into you, then you’re now the owner of a damaged, inoperable car. Worse, you sustained injuries and find yourself in considerable debt from medical bills you can’t pay because your injuries have left you unable to work. Who is to blame?

• The truck driver. The truck driver is supposed to go through rigorous training so they can correctly operate the enormous rig, whether on the highway or in a town. If they don’t signal, check their blind spots properly or wait until they can safely turn, they are considered negligent.
• If a driver works for a trucking company, the business that employs them could be considered negligent as well. The driver was operating within the scope of their employment when they failed to exercise a duty of care for other vehicles on the road. Or, it could be that the business failed to have its employees undergo the important and necessary training before sending them out on the road. Both scenarios could put the trucking company at fault, in addition to the driver.

Discuss Your Case with Kisling, Nestico & Redick

If you were hurt in a wide-turn accident, you are entitled to seek compensation. It isn’t fair that you should be stuck paying your medical bills or that your family suffers because you’re unable to work and cannot provide for them. The truck accident attorneys at Kisling, Nestico & Redick are here to help you get what you deserve so you and your family can heal.

Contact us today at 1-800-HURT-NOW for a free, no-obligation review of your case.