Call Us atTractor-trailers and semi-trucks have large blind spots that can create deadly accidents. These drivers are trained to be careful of these blind spots but too many of them are negligent while on the road. They might be exhausted from long hours, distracted by something else, or driving recklessly in order to meet their timetable. If you were injured in this way, you may be owed compensation from the truck driver or their employer.
Our law firm knows how to pursue compensation for blind spot truck accidents in Anchorage. Allow an experienced truck accident attorney to help you pursue your claim.
The Locations of Truck Blind Spots
Truck drivers should be familiar with where their blind spots are. Nearly every vehicle has a blind spot that a mirror cannot see. For cars and motorcycles, this usually requires the driver to turn their head to see if these spots are clear. Truck drivers are often unable to do this and their blind spots truly are blind for them. They do not know who is in these spots and must take other reasonable precautions when changing lanes. The four main blind spots on a semi-truck or tractor-trailer include:
- Approximately twenty feet from the front of the cab
- Right behind the trailer, for around thirty feet
- Right behind and under the driver’s side window
- Diagonally backwards from the right side of the cab
These blind spots are dangerous areas to drive in. If a trucker is not cautious when changing lanes, they could crash into another motorist whom they did not see, causing a major accident. Failure to properly account for a blind spot in Anchorage is negligent behavior that may create liability, necessitating the need for a lawyer.
Common Reasons for Anchorage Blind Spot Truck Accidents
Drivers are supposed to check blind spots to the best of their ability. They should also account for the fact that they cannot always see a vehicle that may be there. The primary causes of blind spot accidents often include, but are not limited to:
- Changing lanes within an impermissible area (i.e. construction zone, solid lines, et cetera)
- Failure to check mirrors or available cameras
- Unexpected and sudden lane changes
- Vehicles that are following too closely
- Failure to signal in advance of changing lanes
- Aggressive driving or braking
Many truck drivers might truly have not seen the vehicle. However, this is not an excuse from liability if reasonable precautions would have avoided the accident. Drivers must be aware of blind spots and are legally required to account for them in a reasonable way.
Compensation for Blind Spot Truck Collisions
Drivers in Anchorage who have been injured in a truck driver’s blind spot could be owed financial compensation. Economic damages reflect those costs that can be ascertained through documentary evidence and given a definite number. This might include property damage, medical bills, future medical care, lost income, and other definite harms.
Non-economic damages seek compensation for those injuries that cannot be assigned a definite number through documentary evidence. These include pain and suffering in performing daily activities, loss of companionship and support, loss of enjoyment of life, wrongful death, and more.
Work with a Blind Spot Truck Accident Attorney in Anchorage
Truck drivers should account for their blind spots and their failure to do so could be why your life was turned upside down in an accident. The high costs and pain you have faced may deserve substantial compensation through a personal injury claim. A qualified truck accident attorney is able to help you after a blind spot truck accident in Anchorage. Contact us today.
