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Undefeated Texas Truck Accident Lawyers
Large trucks and 18-wheelers have huge blind spots that can extend hundreds of feet, easily blocking the view of five or more cars. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) refers to these blind spots as “no-zones” because of the significant danger they pose to smaller passenger vehicles, accounting for a third of all crashes between large trucks and cars each year.
Here is what you need to know about blind spots and how to protect your rights if you or a loved one were injured in an 18-wheeler accident.
What Are a Large Truck’s No Zones & Blind Spots?
Every vehicle has blind spots. But unlike a car, an 18-wheeler has blind spots on every side — extending ahead, behind, and to the side — making it difficult, and sometimes virtually impossible, for a driver to see others on the road.
Though modern big rigs are equipped with extended side-view mirrors, exterior cameras, and blind spot sensors that offer improved monitoring of no-zones, blind spots remain a notorious safety challenge for the trucking industry, resulting in at least 200 Texas truck accident fatalities and over 550 more serious injuries last year alone.
The four main no-zones include:
Right Side No-Zone: Starting just behind the right side of a truck’s cab and extending out an angle, this blind spot can span up to three lanes of traffic and the entire length of the trailer.
Left Side No-Zone: Although the left side is often considered the safest, truck drivers can still lose track of cars in this blind spot, which extends back from the left side of the truck’s cab at an angle and spans up to two lanes of traffic.
Front No-Zone: Extending about 20 feet in front of the truck, this no-zone is extremely dangerous because the elevated position of a truck’s cabin and a large hood can easily obstruct the driver’s view, making cars in front of them virtually disappear.
Rear No-Zone: Extending approximately 30 feet in back of the truck, drivers often have no way of seeing cars directly behind them because there is not rearview mirror inside the cab like those in a passenger vehicle.
Common Texas Blind Spot Accidents
Large truck blind spots — and the truck drivers who fail to safely monitor them — contribute to some of the most horrific truck accidents on the road, including:
- Underride collisions
- Side-impact accidents
- Rear-end crashes
- Rollovers
- Jackknife truck accidents
The most common Texas blind spot truck accidents are rear-ending accidents, both when a truck strikes the back end of a car and vice versa.
According to recent crash data from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, 30% of all fatal truck accidents involved the front end of a truck striking the right side, left side, or rear of another vehicle in 2022. And an additional 21% of deadly truck crashes were the result of another vehicle colliding with the rear end of a large truck.
Common Causes of Blind Spot Accidents
Blind spot accidents can happen for any number of reasons, but the majority occur due to a truck driver or trucking company’s negligence.
Truck drivers have a responsibility to operate their vehicle safely, including checking their mirrors every 8-10 seconds to monitor vehicles entering their blind spots. Additionally, they should scan the road every 15 seconds for traffic issues, work zones, and other dangers.
However, The Large Truck Crash Causation Study (LTCCS) found that 14 percent of large-truck crashes occurred due to a truck driver’s inadequate surveillance.
Common causes of a blind spot accidents include:
- Inexperience: Due to an ongoing and historic shortage of qualified truck drivers, more inexperienced operators are behind the wheel than ever, and many lack the basic skills and know-how to avoid a blind spot accident.
- Fatigue: A fatigued driver can be just as impaired as a drunk driver, leading them to not only be oblivious to their blind spot, but not even care.
- Impairment or Intoxication: Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs impairs judgment and reaction times, significantly increasing the risk of blind spot accidents.
- Distraction: Any activity that causes a driver to take their attention away from the road (texting, talking on the phone,eating, reading a billboard) increases the likelihood that they don’t know if other vehicles are in their blind spot.
- Aggressive Driving: Reckless, aggressive driving, such as tailgating, unsafe lane changing, and improper passing, increase the risk of any type of truck accident.
When a truck driver or trucking company’s careless or reckless actions are to blame, you have the right to hold them accountable — and you should. Contacting an experienced Texas truck accident attorney is the only way to ensure you recover the full compensation you deserve and secure your family’s future. But not all are created equal.
At Zehl & Associates, for instance, we have a track record of using a truck’s black box data and more evidence the trucking company doesn’t want us to find to not only hold them fully accountable, but to consistently achieve the largest record-setting truck accident verdicts and settlements in history.
Common “No Zone” Truck Accident Injuries
Tragically, when a catastrophic blind spot accident does occur, it’s often those in the passenger vehicle who bear the brunt of the impact. Because trucks are often 20 to 30 times heavier than passenger vehicles, their weight often results in far more severe crash damage, injuries, and fatalities than a car accident.
Common injuries may include:
- Spinal cord injury
- Traumatic brain injury or other head trauma
- Severe or fatal burns
- Internal Bleeding
- Fractures
- Amputations
- Soft tissue injuries
- Psychological trauma
After a truck accident, it’s crucial that you receive medical attention right away. Even if you think you are not injured, internal injuries such as brain trauma often have “hidden” symptoms that might not be immediately apparent, but can cause significant complications if left untreated.
How to Stay Safer Around Truck Blind Spots
While truck drivers are often at fault for accidents involving blind spots, it’s crucial for passenger vehicle drivers to also be aware of the dangers of driving near large trucks to help reduce their own risk of an accident.
Here’s how to stay safer from blind spots, per FMCSA guidance:
- Stay out of the no zones. That includes all blind spots around the front, back and sides of the vehicle.
- Pass safely. Always make sure you can see the driver in the mirror before passing.
- Never cut off an 18-wheeler. Large trucks need the length of two football fields in order to stop safely.
- Anticipate wide turns. A large truck turning right may swing wide in the opposite direction before turning, and it has significant blind spots during these maneuvers. Give them ample space.
- Avoid distraction. Stay focused on the road around you. Pay close attention to their signals and movements, and be prepared to react if necessary.
- Be patient. Keep your cool, so you can make the best decisions behind the wheel.
Billions Won: How Zehl & Associates Can Help After a Blind Spot Truck Accident in TX
After a truck accident, a trucking company will stop at nothing to minimize your injuries and pay you as little as possible. From hiding important evidence to discrediting or even blaming you, there’s nothing they won’t do to avoid responsibility. You need truck accident lawyers with the experience, specialization, and resources to stand up to the largest trucking companies in the world and not only win, but set records.
Along with recovering the maximum compensation possible for our clients and families, the undefeated truck accident lawyers at Zehl & Associates are committed to:
- Making sure you receive the best medical treatment possible and have access to the top specialists in the nation for your injuries
- Ensuring your medical bills and reasonable living expenses are paid while your case is pending and offering our support around the clock, whenever your family needs it
- Assembling the best and brightest team of attorneys, engineers, and safety experts to quickly gather all vital evidence, independently investigate the accident, and determine what happened and how it could — and should — have been prevented.
- NEVER accepting an inadequate settlement offer. We do whatever it takes to recover the maximum compensation for you and your family. And we are always prepared to take your case to trial, if necessary.
But don’t just take our word for it. Hear what our clients have to say about working with us.
Undefeated Texas Truck Accident Lawyers: Call 1-888-603-3636 for a Free Consult
Having won Billions, including the largest verdicts and settlements in history, for truck and 18-wheeler accident victims in Texas and across the United States, our Undefeated Texas Truck Accident Lawyers are committed to recovering the maximum compensation you deserve.
If you or a loved one were injured or tragically killed in a blind spot trucking accident, call 1-888-920-8243 or click here to send us a confidential email through our Contact Us form.
We’ll answer all your questions, explain your rights and options, and provide you with all the information you need to decide what’s best for you and your family.
All consultations are free, and you won’t pay a dime unless we win your case.