Many of you may have come across traffic accidents that involve semi trucks and passenger cars or smaller vehicles, and thought to yourself, “I’m glad I wasn’t in the accident”, because of the enormous devastation that it can cause.

Yes, it’s true. Although you end up feeling very badly for the people involved in a semi truck accident, most people can’t help but think that they are lucky not to have been in one. This is because a semi truck accident can be a lot more devastating than accidents involving other vehicles.

What Is A Semi Truck?

A semi truck is a type of a big truck with a gross weight, without passengers and cargo, of more than 10,000 pounds. In the US, a semi truck is also known as an eighteen wheeler or as is commonly referred to – ‘big rig’.

A semi truck is a truck, which comprises an engine and a trailer. The engine (also known as a tractor in the US) tows or pulls the trailer on which the freight, cargo, and goods are carried. A semi truck can weigh as much as eighty to a hundred thousand pounds depending on the kind of cargo that it is transporting.

Due to these dynamics of a semi truck, an accident involving such a huge machine on wheels can have very tragic results.

Semi Trucks and Small Cars

In a semi truck accident, any passenger cars or small vehicles that are involved in the accident are the most vulnerable in such crashes. According to statistics, almost 80% of the deaths resulting from a semi truck accident, are those of the driver of the smaller car involved in the crash.

Although there are many rules and regulations in place for semi truck drivers and trucking companies, which have been designed to increase the safety of the vehicles and reduce semi truck accidents, not all drivers and trucking companies follow these rules.

With an eye on increased profits and higher earnings, the drivers and semi truck companies, often neglect the safety rules laid down by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Board (FMCSB), which puts the semi trucks at an increased risk of accidents, and in turn endangers the lives of many innocent and unsuspecting passengers in smaller vehicles.

Rash driving, driving over the speed limits, overloading the semi trucks, driving long hours, and other negligent acts by truck drivers, puts their lives and also that of others at risk, by raising the chances of semi truck accidents.

Legal Aspects Of Semi Truck Accidents

A semi truck accident is not the same as other traffic accidents because of the increased risk of injuries and death in such accidents. Semi truck accidents are known to have as many as nine responsible parties, thus bringing into contention nine different insurance policies. Having to deal with so many defendants can often be a very harrowing task.

If you have been injured in a semi truck accident, or have lost a loved one to such a crash, you should consult with a lawyer who has experience in personal injury claims and wrongful death lawsuits. You are entitled under the law, to recover actual damages as well as compensatory damages for any injuries sustained because of a semi truck accident.

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