Miami Blind Spot Truck Accident Lawyer
One of the first things you learn in driver’s ed is how to check your blind spots. Passenger cars have two such blind spots, which radiate backwards from the rear-quarter panels on each side of the vehicle. These areas cannot be seen by the driver when looking in their rear-view mirrors. This is why you need to check the blind spot by looking over your shoulder before merging into or changing lanes.
Commercial semi-trucks have much larger blind spots on their sides. Even more critically, these big rigs have additional blind spots in the front and back. Many 18-wheeler accidents occur because truck drivers fail to properly check all four blind spots when changing lanes or making a wide turn. If you have been injured due to such carelessness, the Miami blind spot truck accident lawyers at Pike & Lustig, LLP, can represent you in seeking compensation for your injuries and other losses.
Understanding the Four “No Zones” in Commercial Trucking
As previously noted, commercial trucks have four major blind spots–also called “no zones”–that the driver needs to account for when operating in traffic. While the exact size of a given blind spot will depend on several factors, there are some general guidelines you need to know:
- In Front of the Truck: In an average passenger car, the driver can easily see what is going on in front of them. Not so with a semi-truck. There is an approximately 20-foot blind spot in front of a tractor-trailer, which equates to about one-and-a-half car lengths.
- In Back of the Truck: Similarly, there is a rear blind spot of about 30 feet behind a commercial truck. This equals about two full car lengths.
- To the Left: On the left, or driver’s side, a tractor-trailer’s blind spot covers the lane to their immediate length for about half of the trailer’s length.
- To the Right: On the right side, a big rig’s blind spot covers the full length of the cab and roughly half the length of the trailer for the two adjacent lanes.
The fact that a vehicle is in a truck’s blind spot just before a crash does not absolve the truck driver of responsibility. To the contrary, all semi-truck operators have a duty to regularly check their blind spots and take note of any vehicles in their immediate vicinity. A trucker cannot “forget” to check their blind spots and then claim it was not their fault if there is an accident.
Contact Our Miami Blind Spot Truck Accident Lawyers
Blind spot truck accidents are often the result of some other form of underlying negligence, such as the truck driver was too tired, distracted, or impaired to safely operate their vehicle. Our experienced Miami blind spot truck accident lawyers can work with you to fully investigate all of the factors that led to your crash and help ensure that the responsible parties are held legally accountable for their actions. Contact Pike & Lustig, LLP, today at 561-291-8298 to schedule a consultation.
