Underride Trucking Accidents

More than 350 people are killed every year when their car strikes the back of a big semi-truck and slides underneath the rear impact guard. These types of horrific accidents are known as rear underride trucking accidents and they are extremely deadly. While rear impact guards are meant to protect motor vehicles from sliding underneath the back of a commercial truck, they often do not work.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety put rear impact guards to the test and found that at just 35 mph, the rear guard that met U.S. standards gave way, allowing the car to slide right under the trailer. This sheers off the top of the vehicle, effectively crushing it. In the Institute's testing, if there were occupants inside of the car, they would not have survived.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that 312 people died in underride accidents in 2008. The majority of these accidents involved light passenger vehicles, with 40 percent of underride accidents occurring at the rear corners, where impact guards are weakest.

Another type of underride accident occurs when a truck is turning wide and straddling the road. While the sides of trucks do have reflector strips, they often aren’t illuminated until a driver's headlights are shining on them. So, by the time the driver sees the truck it’s often too late to stop and the car slides underneath the tractor-trailer, crushing the windshield and driver's compartment.

While these types of collisions are most common at night, they can also occur on roads with poor visibility, in inclement weather, or during the day—especially when the sun is at a low angle.

There are many causes of underride trucking accidents, including:

• No rear impact guard on the truck
• Impact guard not meeting U.S. standards
• No reflective tape or reflectors on back of commercial trucks
• Dirt or mud-covered reflective devices
• Broken taillights or reflective devices
• Truck driver inattention
• Inexperienced truck drivers

Underride trucking accident victims and their families have the right to pursue just compensation for the impacts of these horrific accidents. The trucking accident attorneys at Corsiglia, McMahon, and Allard, LLP will stand up to the big trucking companies and their insurance companies by aggressively fighting for your rights.

If you or someone you love has been killed or injured in an underride trucking accident, contact the trucking accident lawyers at Corsiglia, McMahon, and Allard, LLP at (408) 289-1417.

The trucking accident lawyers at Corsiglia, McMahon, and Allard, LLP have successfully handled truck accident cases throughout Northern California, including accidents on highways 1, 5, 17, 101, 152, 580 and 680.