West Palm Beach Wide Turn Truck Accident Attorney
Large trucks need more space than regular passenger cars to make a turn. Truck drivers must exercise care when making a turn so they do not crash into other vehicles at the intersection or go up onto the sidewalk and run over a pedestrian. Call Pike & Lustig if you were hurt while a truck made a turn. These accidents are common in downtown areas where trucks have less room to maneuver. A West Palm Beach wide turn truck accident attorney with our firm is available to talk about what happened, including the day and time of your accident.
Why Turns Are Dangerous
The larger the vehicle, the more room it needs to turn. Often, trucks need to swing to the left before making a right-hand turn, or they use multiple lanes when completing a left-hand turn. Either way, the trucker must use heightened care so they do not collide with other vehicles.
When a trucker is negligent, they can cause various accidents:
- Head on collisions. When a truck makes a turn, they might crash head on with vehicles waiting at the intersection. For example, a truck making a left might crash into a vehicle waiting at a red light.
- Squeeze play accidents. A truck might swing left to make a right-hand turn, but other motorists think the truck is turning left. When the trucker pulls the rig back to the right to complete a turn, then cars can get “squeezed” and run over.
- Pedestrian collisions. A truck making a wide turn might run up on the sidewalk and mow down pedestrians who are unaware of what is happening. These are usually fatal accidents.
- Rear-end collisions. Other motorists behind the truck might not realize the trucker is slowing down to turn. Consequently, they ride straight into the truck.
- Blind spot accidents. Vehicles might be in the blind spots as the truck makes a turn. These vehicles can be run over.
A truck driver is not always liable for an accident while turning. Other drivers must use care, too. A factual dispute might erupt over which motorist has liability. In Florida, fault can sometimes be shared between two parties.
In our experience, truck drivers are usually liable. They fail to use a turn signal or make an unnecessarily wide turn. Inexperienced truckers often are unaware of how much room they need. They could take a turn too fast and roll over.
Call Our Office to Speak with a Attorney for Free
Despite happening at slow speeds, turn accidents are devastating. The heavy weight of the truck causes significant damage when it rides up over smaller vehicles. Motorists are often unable to take defensive action and suffer the full brunt of any collision.
Call Pike & Lustig to begin talking about legal options with a West Palm Beach wide turn truck accident attorney. Our firm can review if you can file a claim on the trucker’s insurance or if you must file a personal injury lawsuit for a financial recovery.
