Under federal law, tractor-trailers traveling on interstate highways and/or across state lines can stretch up to 80 feet long from the front of the tractor to the back of the trailer attached to it. As a result, there are large areas immediately around a semi-truck that the truck’s operator cannot easily see from their position in the driver’s seat. Other drivers who end up inside those blind spots for any length of time can be in much more danger than they realize.
Truck drivers are expected to act responsibly on the road by checking their blind spots carefully before making any kind of road maneuver, and a skilled truck crash attorney could help demand civil compensation from any trucker who fails to meet this duty of care. If you were hurt recently in a blind spot truck accident in Merrillville, seeking legal support from The Law Offices of David W. Holub should be among your top priorities.
Where Are the Blind Spots on a Typical Tractor-Trailer?
Generally, there are four “blind spots” in the immediate vicinity of a semi-truck in the following locations and with the following approximate dimensions:
- From the cab’s front bumper to about 20 feet in front of the truck
- From the trailer’s rear bumper to as much as 200 feet behind the truck
- From the cab’s driver-side door out one full traffic lane and stretching back diagonally to about halfway down the left side of the trailer
- From the cab’s passenger-side door out two full traffic lanes and stretching back diagonally to several dozen feet beyond the trailer’s rear bumper
In addition to oversized side mirrors, many modern tractor-trailers are also equipped with automated collision detection systems, which should warn the truck driver whenever someone is in one of their blind spots. Truckers have a duty of care to act lawfully and responsibly on the road at all times. They are expected to use these and all other safety devices at their disposal in order to make sure they will not cause a blind spot truck wreck in Merrillville while turning, switching lanes on a highway, merging onto a highway exit ramp, or merging off of a highway entrance ramp.
Getting Paid for Short-Term and Long-Term Losses
If a truck driver irresponsibly causes a traffic accident by failing to check their blind spots regularly, both they and their employer may be civilly liable for all damages any other person suffers from that accident. Primarily, cases like this focus on economic losses like medical bills and expenses stemming from personal property damage, which can have objective financial values assigned to them.
However, it is also possible and often important to recover for non-economic forms of harm as well, such as physical pain, emotional anguish, and other intangible effects of a long-term disability or disfigurement. Support from legal counsel could be key to both identifying these sorts of losses after a Merrillville blind spot truck crash and demanding a fair amount of money for all of them through an ensuing lawsuit or settlement proposal.
Get Help from a Merrillville Attorney with a Blind Spot Truck Accident Claim
Being in a truck’s blind spot can be unnerving, even if you and the truck driver are both as responsible behind the wheel as anyone could be. If a truck driver is reckless or careless in this kind of scenario, though, they can wind up causing life-altering harm to someone who was not doing anything wrong themselves.
Representation from a dedicated truck injury lawyer can be all but essential to recovering fairly and fully for the effects of a blind spot truck accident in Merrillville. Call today to discuss your legal options.