A jackknife truck accident happens when a truck’s trailer moves at an angle to the cab. The trailer can collide with vehicles in adjacent lanes, and a jackknife often causes the truck to overturn.
A San Mateo attorney representing someone hurt in a jackknife accident must identify why the truck crash happened and who contributed to it. In many cases, identifying the cause is easy— truck driver error is behind most jackknife accidents. Excessive speed and sudden or forceful braking are common factors in these collisions. These accidents often occur when the weather is poor, and the truck is travelling too fast for conditions.
When truck driver error causes a jackknife, the company that employs the driver is liable. If the driver is an independent contractor, the trucking company might still be liable if it imposed an unreasonable delivery schedule that required the driver to speed or did not investigate the driver’s training and record before contracting with them to haul the load.
Empty trailers are more prone to jackknife than full trailers, but an unbalanced load could cause a jackknife. In that case, the company that loaded the truck could be forced to pay compensation to anyone injured in the accident. Malfunctioning brakes could lead to a jackknife, and in that case, the manufacturer and maintenance company could be liable.
Truck jackknife accidents are especially dangerous because they often happen at highway speeds. The force of a collision or even a sideswipe from a trailer can destroy a smaller vehicle and cause severe injuries.
In addition, the psychological impact of being involved in a jackknife crash can be long-lasting and debilitating. A person suffering severe injuries might be hospitalized for weeks or even months, require one or more surgeries, and need significant rehabilitation. They are likely to have some permanent disability, loss of function, and pain resulting from their injuries. A San Mateo attorney could help an injured person and their family document the physical and mental impact of the jackknife crash injuries to support a claim for damages.
The parties responsible for causing the accident must cover an injured person’s losses, including their out-of-pocket expenses and the loss of their quality of life. Damages could include payments for the losses the person will suffer in the future due to their injury, such as ongoing medical procedures and nursing care. When the injury impacts the person’s ability to earn a living, compensation will include their lost income and reduced future earning capacity. Physical pain, disability, humiliation, loss of companionship, lost ability to enjoy life, and emotional anguish are also compensable through damages.
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