308 West State Street Suite 210 Rockford, IL 61101

Truck Accidents at Intersections: Potentially Deadly and Largely Preventable

Truck accidents can happen anywhere, but they often happen at intersections, such as the one at State Street and Perryville Road in Rockford—an intersection that sees a large number of crashes. These accidents are often side-impact crashes, which are especially dangerous for the occupants of the vehicle struck by the truck. Even with the best safety features passenger vehicles have to offer, such as seat belts and side-impact air bags, the occupants are extremely vulnerable to injury when a truck weighing anywhere from 10,000 to 80,000 pounds slams into the door.

So, why do these accidents occur? Following are some of the major causes:

Causes of Truck Accidents at Intersections

  • Truck driver pulled out into oncoming traffic from a side street
  • Truck driver was driving too fast to be able to stop or slow down safely
  • Truck driver failed to ensure that the intersection was clear before proceeding
  • Truck driver hit a passenger vehicle while making a turn
  • Truck driver hit a vehicle that was making a turn in front of the truck

Preventing Truck Accidents at Intersections

Professional truck drivers have a responsibility to drive in a safe manner and should be taking the following precautions to help prevent a crash:

  • Checking traffic carefully before pulling into traffic from a side street
  • Driving at a safe speed that allows for plenty of time to slow down or stop at an intersection
  • Checking an intersection—even if the light is green—before proceeding through it
  • Driving defensively, assuming that other vehicles may not obey the traffic signals or yield the right of way.
  • Waiting to cross an uncontrolled intersection until the entire length of the truck can clear the intersection without forcing cross traffic to slow down.

When truck drivers do not take proper precautions to prevent accidents at intersections, serious—even fatal—injuries can occur. If you were hurt due to the negligence of a truck driver, contact our office to see how we can help you obtain the compensation you deserve for your injuries, property damage, lost wages, and pain and suffering.

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