Driving around trucks requires special care. As the person in the smaller vehicle, you will likely suffer serious injuries in any form of collision.
Yet a trucker doesn’t need to drive into you to injure you. Here are three more things that could injure you:
A trailer rollover in bad weather
This can be a real problem in wind-prone sections of highways. A high-walled trailer, or set of trailers, presents a massive surface area to the wind. If the trailer is loaded top-heavy, the risk of toppling over will be much higher, whether due to wind or the driver taking a tight turn too fast.
A falling trailer could land directly on top of you, or it could create a hazard in front that you might not have time to avoid. It could easily lead to a multi-car pile-up as drivers swerve to avoid it and each other.
You go under the back or side of the truck
Underride guards help to prevent this. If the truck driver brakes suddenly, you could slide underneath the rear if the trailer does not have them. It’s best to stay a long way back to give yourself time to brake if needed.
Something comes off the truck
It could be a poorly secured wheel or an exploding tire. Or it could be part of a poorly secured load. Whatever it is, it could do real damage if it hits you or if people around you swerve to avoid it.
The nature of a crash with a truck will determine who you should claim against. Sometimes you can claim against the truck company or mechanic as well as the driver. Get help to understand your options.
