Jackknife Accidents on Texas Highways

Tyler Truck Accident Attorney

Consider the anatomy of a commercial semi: they may weigh up to 80,000 pounds with most of that weight loaded in the tractor trailer behind it. This trailer is not attached to the rest of the truck through welds or structural components; rather, it is connected with a hitch so that it can later be removed for storage and loading or unloading freight. Structural issues with this design are evident.

When a truck driver slams on the brakes, the trailer of the big rig pivots on the hitch as if it were a hinge. The end result is a jackknife accident that throws the massive weight of the vehicle across several lanes, often breaking through medians and into oncoming traffic. Out of all kinds of truck accidents, jackknifing tractor trailers are usually considered one of the most dangerous.

Lifelong Consequences

It is unreasonable to expect motorists to be able to react to the catastrophic scene a jackknife accident creates in an instant. As the heavy weight of the vehicle surges forward, its motions become totally unpredictable. Even the most responsible and careful of drivers can find themselves caught in the aftermath.

Injuries reported amongst drivers caught in a jackknife accident include:

• Broken bones
• Severe lacerations
• Disfigurement
• Amputation
• Brain or neck injury (whiplash)
• Paralysis

In particularly violent collisions that send the truck into oncoming traffic, innocent drivers may lose their lives. If one of your loved ones suffered a wrongful death due to a negligent trucker’s actions, you should consider filing a claim against the responsible party or parties.

Compensation for Your Damages

No matter how you approach the situation, a tractor trailer that causes a jackknife accident should ultimately be the truck driver’s fault. Their inability to safely stop the vehicle could indicate that they were speeding, tailgating, or perhaps even using their cellphone behind the wheel. Whatever it is that they were doing that led to the horrible accident, our Tyler, Texas truck accident attorney at The Flowers Law Firm, PC can get to the bottom of it.

When you retain our services, we can build a case that seeks maximum compensation to help pay for:

• Expensive medical bills
• Repair or replacement of your vehicle
• Funeral and burial costs
• Lost wages
• Rehabilitation programs
• Reduced value of living

Oftentimes, we also want to pursue punitive damages after a semi causes a traffic collision. By letting the parent company know that their driver’s behavior was unacceptable, and thereby punishing them for it through additional fees, we hope to prevent similar accidents from occurring in the future. Just let us know what happened to you and we can do our best to set things right on your behalf.