You want to avoid having a collision with any kind of vehicle when you are out on the roads, but the one that people rightly fear the most is a collision with a truck.
Some people hate the thought of getting hit by a truck so much that they literally tailor their routes to avoid sharing the road with them wherever possible. So what is it that is so bad about these crashes?
1. There’s a big size difference
In the average collision between two cars, both parties have a relatively similar chance of injury or death. While this can be skewed by things such as differences in safety features or the size difference between a small two-seater and an SUV, the difference is nowhere near as great as between any kind of car and a semi-truck.
Trucks weigh so much more than personal vehicles that they will impact you with much greater force. They are also much higher off the ground, which brings the danger that you slide underneath them. In short, trucks can keep going right through you with little damage to themselves or to their driver, while you could easily be killed or maimed.
2. Claiming compensation can be more complicated
If a car crashes into you, you claim against the driver’s insurance. If a truck hits you, you might need to claim against several different parties, all of whom try to blame each other. For instance, you can start by trying to claim against the driver’s or their employer’s insurance. They might claim it was something to do with how the vehicle was loaded, so you may need to go after the people who loaded it up. Or there might be evidence that one of the many tires or mechanical parts failed, so you need to look at claiming against the mechanic who worked on the vehicle or the parts manufacturer.
Truck crashes tend to require more compensation, due to the seriousness of the average injury, so claiming against multiple parties may be crucial to get the amount you need. Having legal help to build and present your claim will be wise.