During a rear-ender accident involving a semi tractor-trailer and a passenger vehicle, occupants in the passenger vehicle may be at a high risk of catastrophic injuries when their vehicle is the one colliding with in the truck.   Catastrophic injuries in such accidents can be prevented by underride guards, which are installed at the back of trailer, to prevent the front side of the passenger vehicle from sliding completely under the tractor-trailer.

However, a new study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has found that in low-speed crashes, underride guards do precious little to prevent the front of the passenger vehicle from completely sliding under the tractor-trailer, causing serious injuries to occupants.

The study involved an analysis of more than 1,000 truck accidents between 2001 and 2003.  The researchers found that out of the more than 100 rear-ender accidents, 28 resulted in fatalities, and 23 of these involved severe damage to the front of the passenger vehicle.  In all these 23 cases, the front of the vehicle slid completely underneath the trailer, causing the back of the tractor-trailer to smash through the windshield and into the front seat occupants.  In such cases, victims suffered serious and fatal blunt force trauma to the head and neck region.  These fatalities are not surprising considering the full frontal devastation of the car.

Even in trucks that have underride guards, these aids do not seem to be sufficient to prevent injuries during a low-speed crash.  Besides, not all trucks come with the underride guards.  There are far too many loopholes contained in our federal regulations that let trucks without these safety devices travel the highways.

Vuk Vujasinovic is a Houston truck accident attorney, representing injured victims of 18-wheeler and tractor-trailer accidents across Texas and nationwide.  If you have been injured in a truck accident, consult with an attorney at my office, or download a free copy of my book, The Insider’s Guide to Winning Your Texas Truck Accident Case.

Vuk Vujasinovic is a Board Certified Houston personal injury attorney who practices Houston auto accident and other personal injury cases.

For more info on how Vuk can help you with your potential case please call him at (877) 724-7800 or fill out the contact form on the right.

Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.