Jackknife accidents are a common form of truck accident that can lead to serious injuries or death for other drivers on the road. If you’ve been involved and injured in a truck crash, you might not think the particular accident type matters much, but it often has a direct impact on what sort of compensation you’re able to recover.
With that said, you should know how to identify whether the accident was a jackknife crash or one of the many other types of truck accidents that frequently occur on busy roads like those in Houston, Texas.
How Does a Truck Jackknife?
A truck jackknife accident gets its name from the shape the truck forms. It’s similar to the shape of a jackknife, a type of pocket knife.
While closed, the blade sits tucked inside the knife’s handle. When a user opens the knife, they pull the blade out of the handle in an arch until it’s fully extended. However, before it reaches that point, the blade and handle form an acute angle. In a jackknife truck accident, the truck’s cargo gets ahead of its cab, forming the exact shape of the partially opened jackknife blade.
Why Do Jackknife Truck Accidents Happen?
Jackknife truck accidents happen for a few different reasons. However, the most common factor is that, for one reason or another, the truck’s trailer managed to overtake the driver’s cab.
Some of the most common causes of jackknife truck accidents include the following:
- Speeding
- Overloaded cargo
- Improperly loaded cargo
- Driving downhill
- Taking sharp turns
- Poor weather conditions
- Driver fatigue
- Mechanical issues with the truck
Ultimately, conditions like these lead to situations in which gravity forces the back portion of a truck up in front of the cab. A driver has very little control over a jackknifing truck, meaning there’s not much they can do to protect the other drivers they’re sharing the road with.
A jackknife truck accident can be extremely dangerous. The position the truck ends up in means that it often stretches across multiple lanes, sometimes even blocking travel across both directions on a highway. As a result, these accidents often lead to serious injury or death for multiple drivers and passengers in a single crash.
Who Pays For Jackknife Truck Accident Injuries?
The truck driver and trucking company are always responsible for jackknife accidents.
The reason for this is that jackknife accidents are caused by driver. Less frequently, the accident might be caused by an issue with the truck itself. Either way, when someone else is legally resonsible for causing a jackknife truck accident, they are also responsible for the damages caused to the drivers and passengers who were injured by the crash.
Getting Help After a Jackknife Truck Accident
Even if you don’t believe you weren’t badly injured in a crash, it’s still important to be checked by a doctor. Some injuries, including spine and traumatic brain injuries, can present with delayed symptoms.
It’s equally as important to consult with an experienced truck accident lawyer about your options for recovering personal injury or wrongful death compensation, especially since the truck driver is most likely the person responsible for the crash.
Contact Our Undefeated Houston Truck Accident Lawyers for a Free Consultation
With Billions won and the largest truck and 18 wheeler accident recoveries in Texas, our Undefeated Houston Truck Accident Attorneys have the experience, track record, and resources to take on the largest trucking companies and not only win, but set records.
If you or a loved one were injured in a truck accident in Texas, contact our Undefeated truck accident attorneys in Texas for a free consultation at 1-888-603-3636 or by using the chat or contact form on our website.
We proudly serve Harris County, Midland County, and throughout the state of Texas:
Zehl & Associates Injury & Accident Lawyers – Houston
2700 Post Oak Blvd #1000, Houston, TX 77056
(888) 603-3636
Open 24 hours
Zehl & Associates Injury & Accident Lawyers – Midland
306 W Wall St Suite 701, Midland, TX 79701
(432) 220-0000
Open 24 hours