Anytime a big rig is mishandled, there is a high chance it will end up in a catastrophic accident. Truckers need to be focused, experienced, and prepared to respond to dangerous road conditions at all times. While truck drivers are trained to handle themselves on long highway roads or packed city streets with smaller cars, they must also pay attention to the safety of motorcycle riders. As the least-protected group on the road, bikers are frequently disrespected by other drivers, and that bias has contributed to numerous fatal collisions.
Consequences of a Negligent Truck Driver
There is no such thing as a minor truck accident. The average semi-truck weighs up to 80,000 lbs. Whether a truck collides head-on or sideswipes another vehicle, those vehicle occupants are bound to suffer catastrophic injuries. But the consequences are even more severe for motorcycle riders who lack the important buffer zones of modern cars. This lack of protection puts bikers at high risk of dying in collisions, and those who do survive must deal with extensive trauma, including:
- Paralysis
- Brain injuries
- Spinal cord damage
- Amputations
- Multiple fractures
- Long-term emotional trauma
- Disfigurements
What makes matters worse is that motorcycle accidents are mostly preventable. Motorcyclists understand the dangers of big rigs. It is truck drivers who must be careful when hauling thousands of pounds of cargo. All it takes is one negligent action by a truck driver to change a motorcyclist’s life for the worse, and these reckless drivers should be held accountable for all the damages that riders have suffered.
How Truck Drivers Injure Motorcyclists
It doesn’t take a degree in rocket science to see how dangerous motorcycle-and-truck collisions are. The sheer size difference says all you need to know about these accidents. But there are steps truck drivers can take to avoid catastrophic accidents. A failure to follow simple procedures should never be acceptable in the trucking industry, and if a truck driver caused your injuries, then they should be held accountable.
- Blind Spots: Truck drivers should always be mindful of their blind spots. Whether hauling a fully loaded cargo container or an open-bed trailer, drivers may fail to check for motorcyclists in their view. Drivers should regularly clean and position their mirrors to ensure maximum visibility. They can also install additional mirrors to their vehicles to minimize the risk of a sideswipe collision. They have no excuse for changing lanes without carefully checking both sides of the vehicle first.
- Distractions: Distracted driving has become a menace on our roadways, and truck drivers are not immune to this reckless behavior. Talking on a cell phone, checking social media, fiddling with a radio, grooming, or eating food can distract a truck driver from the task at hand: safely operating a big rig. All it takes is one glance away from the road for a driver to horribly injure a motorcyclist.
- Reckless Turns: Sharp turns are especially dangerous for trucks, for when truckers take them at high speeds or overcorrect their vehicles, it can cause the truck to roll over. But the other danger is that smaller vehicles like motorcycles may be caught in the path of a swinging trailer, or be caught unaware if a truck turns into their path.
- Inexperience: In addition to being properly licensed and trained to operate a semi-truck, drivers should also be aware of how to handle themselves around bikers. Motorbikes are smaller and quieter than anything else on the road, making them hard to hear from a distance. Truck drivers should keep an eye on their mirrors and surrounding traffic at all times, especially at intersections and mergers, to avoid collisions with motorcyclists.
What Options Do Motorcycle Riders Have After a Collision?
The costs of a motorcycle accident are astronomical, and riders often face uphill battles in getting their medical bills, lost wages, and other damages covered. Even if you have decent health insurance, you may still be left with hundreds of thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket expenses. But if your injuries were caused by a negligent truck driver, then you should not have to bear them alone. The driver who injured you is responsible for paying full compensation for your trauma.
At The Lenahan Law Firm, our Dallas motorcycle injury attorneys have spent decades fighting for bikers after terrifying run-ins with negligent truck drivers. We take a no-nonsense approach to these cases and never accept anything less than the best for our clients. We can sit down with you in a free consultation, listen to how you were injured, review all of your options, and put in the hard work to get you compensation for your injuries. We will not rest until we get you the best outcome possible.
Call us today at (214) 295-1008. You have seen enough suffering. Let us fight for your future.