While all types of truck accidents can result in serious harm, jackknife truck accidents in San Diego are often the most frightening and dangerous to anyone on the road. If you or your loved ones sustained harm in a jackknife trucking wreck, you could be facing a difficult recuperation filled with doctors’ visits, medical bills, and lost income.
Fortunately, our dedicated truck accident attorneys at Singleton Schreiber could help you seek compensation in a civil lawsuit against the parties responsible for causing the accident.
What Makes a Jackknifed Truck so Dangerous?
A jackknife trucking wreck occurs when the cab and trailer of a massive commercial semitruck travel in opposite directions. When a truck driver loses control of their vehicle and attempts to stop, a jackknife occurs when the cab stops, and the trailer continues moving alongside it. The trailer can reach a 90-degree angle from the cab, where the driver sits. The resulting shape of a jackknifed tractor and trailer resembles a pocketknife that folds and unfolds.
Jackknife collisions have the potential to cause widespread damage to people in multiple vehicles. The jackknifed trailer can slide across multiple lanes of traffic, often sweeping and crushing the smaller vehicles in its path. In addition, cargo in the trailer could spill or fall out, posing a hazard for other drivers. Jackknifed trucks are also at risk of overturning, which could also crush cars caught underneath.
Our compassionate lawyers are familiar with how life-altering the experience of a jackknifed truck entrapping you on the road can be. In San Diego, we would work tirelessly to hold the negligent people of the jackknifed truck accountable for all your injuries and losses stemming from the accident.
Why Would a Truck Jackknife?
Jackknife trucking collisions occur for several reasons, and more than one party could bear legal responsibility.
Truck Driver
Most truck jackknifings result from driver error. When a truck driver tries to slow down quickly or makes a sudden stop, the truck can jackknife if the cab stops, but the trailer’s momentum keeps it moving forward. Jackknifes can also happen when a negligent truck driver makes a sharp turn while traveling at a high speed. An overly fatigued, drunk, or distracted truck driver is more likely to cause a jackknife due to inattention. When a truck driver is not paying attention to what is happening around them, they might suddenly notice a sharp turn or an obstruction in the road, or a change in traffic patterns, which could cause them to try to avert disaster by slamming on the brakes, leading to a jackknife.
Trucking Company
The court could hold the trucking company that employed the driver accountable if the company failed to train or conduct adequate background checks on its new driver, hired someone with a poor driving record, or failed to service its vehicles.
Manufacturer or Mechanic
If a manufacturing defect, such as faulty brakes, or a worn-out part, such as bad tires, led to a jackknife, you could potentially sue the truck’s manufacturer or the mechanic in charge of inspections, maintenance, and repairs.
In San Diego, our diligent attorneys could carefully sort through the accident evidence to identify the party accountable for the truck jackknifing.
Speak With a Lawyer in San Diego After a Jackknife Trucking Wreck
Jackknife truck accidents in San Diego can lead to devastating medical emergencies and fatalities. You could work with a legal team that knows how to help.
At Singleton Schreiber, we know how to help you secure the compensation you need and deserve to pay for your medical bills and make up for your lost wages. We support you and fight for your rights. Contact a skilled attorney today.
