You’ve heard big trucks be referred to as many things, but they’re all pretty much the same when they’re involved in an accident. You have big-rigs, tractor trailers, cement trucks and semi-trucks, and they are all large and heavy. When someone talks about the differences between a car accident and a truck accident, they’re typically referring to some of the following factors, as a truck accident lawyer can explain.
1. The Type of Cargo
Most typical passenger vehicles will be carrying people. There may be groceries or other small items in the car as well; possibly even a bike on a bike rack; but those items aren’t very dangerous when involved in a car accident. A big-rig, however, could be carrying potentially harmful cargo. There are a lot of tankers that carry oil, gasoline and other flammable substances. When involved in an accident, those trucks run the risk of going up in flames.
2. The Distance It Takes To Stop
When a car gets cut off and has to stop quickly, it might only take 100 yards or less, depending on how fast the car is traveling. When a big-rig gets cut off or comes upon another type of issue in the road, it’s going to take around 200 yards for that truck to stop. This can get very dangerous when traffic is bad, people are exhibiting road rage and drivers aren’t paying attention to how close they are to a truck. While a car might just cause a small fender bender, a big truck could cause a huge disaster.
3. The Weight the Vehicle Carries
Without a load, some semi-trucks can weigh up to 20,000 pounds. With a load, the legal limit is 80,000 pounds. Compared to a 5,000 pound sedan, that’s quite the difference. When a small car and a large truck collide, you can imagine the impact the truck will make and the difference in damage, simply based on the force from the weight of the vehicle.
4. The Size of the Truck or Car
A small car isn’t going to do much damage in an accident when compared with a tractor trailer. The size of a big truck makes it more dangerous and more prone to causing serious damage to people, cars and other property. A rollover involving a car might damage the one car and the people inside. A rollover involving a big truck could damage multiple cars, buildings, trees and a lot more people.
Contacting a Lawyer
Any time you’re involved in a motor vehicle accident, it’s important to get a lawyer involved, and especially so if you are hit by a big truck. To learn more, contact a truck accident lawyer today.