Underride accidents are incredibly dangerous. The reason for this danger is that this is an accident where the trailer of a semi pins a car to the pavement. At least a portion of the car ends up under the trailer, and it is a very violent wreck that can lead to a lot of serious injuries for those in the car. Remember that this means the trailer is going to be impacting the windshield and the passenger compartment, rather than the bumper or the other structural areas of the vehicle.
As such, people are often quick to blame semi-trucks themselves. The way that they are designed allows vehicles to become stuck under them in a collision, and this leads to unnecessary injuries and death. Some would even suggest that the roads would be safer without large trucks. But is it fair to blame trucks, or do people cause these accidents?
Some safety features have been developed
The design of the trucks does play a role, but it is worth noting that safety features have been put in place. For instance, if you follow most semis, you’ll see a steel bar on the back. That bar is intended to keep your vehicle from going under the trailer if you were to rear-end the truck. Some vehicles also have these on the sides.
But it’s not just the design itself. In theory, an underride accident shouldn’t happen in the first place. But it can, and some ways that it can happen include instances when a truck driver backs into another vehicle, makes an inappropriate turn and strikes a vehicle or simply cuts someone off so that that vehicle runs into the side of the trailer as it crosses the road.
In a case like that, while it is clear that the design of the truck played a role in creating this type of accident, it’s also notable that the driver of that truck is the one who is responsible. If they wouldn’t have made the mistake, then the design of the truck would not have been dangerous to anyone else. Those who have been hurt due to these mistakes need to know how to seek financial compensation.
