Corpus Christi 18 Wheeler Jackknife Accidents

Jackknife accidents can be extremely dangerous. In today’s world, operating large commercial type trucks on Texas highways presents unique dangers. These dangers tend to be uncommon and seem foreign to those used to operating ordinary passenger cars and smaller light trucks. "Jackknifing” accidents occur to tractor type trucks pulling separate trailers. These are usually 18-wheel trucks.

Large eighteen-wheelers have a habit of "jackknifing" when certain conditions exist. It is most likely during hard, sudden application of the brakes. Every year multiple truck accidents happen when an eighteen wheeler truck's axle mounted brakes lock up, during application of those brakes. This problem causes the locked up vehicle to skid. When it does, trailer being towed will swing away from the centerline position and stop to the right or the left, forming into a sharp 90 degree angle away from the cab portion of the truck. Jackknifing truck accidents frequently happen when the powered drive wheels lock up when the truck hits a slick spot and the powered wheels stop while the front unpowered wheels and the towed trailer continue moving forward. A Jackknife accident can happen at high or low speed.

Some trucks have worse jackknife rates than others. As an example, a tanker which is half empty has more than double the chance of being involved in a jackknife truck accident than a tanker which is fully loaded. Also roads slick with water often cause truck accidents involving jackknifing. Carabin Shaw Lawyers, have been involved in many cases in which the plaintiff successfully argued that wet, slippery conditions legally mandated more conservative driving by a truck’s operator given that heavy rain had created slick roads and other hazardous conditions.

Our Truck Accident Lawyers know all too well that prudent braking and additional training can prevent or avoid almost all jackknife truck accidents. It is well known among those experienced with heavy trucks that when braking is required for an eighteen wheel truck, the operator has three options with the brakes in the effort to avoid accidents. The operator can (1) lock the drive axles, (2) lock up the trailer axles, or (3) lock up the steering axle brakes. The outcome of this situation depends upon which option the operator chooses. An attempt to avoid an accident by locking up the steering axle brakes will generally succeed. The tractor trailer will generally straighten out under most usual road conditions. However, if the operator locks up the drive axles to try and avoid an accident, the heavy truck is much more likely to jackknife. A driver’s worst choice, and the most common, is when the operator locks up the trailer brakes. This action has caused numerous truck accidents. When the operator locks the trailer brakes, this often causes the trailer to swing to the right or the left. This swinging by the trailer all too frequently results in a major truck crash.

Have you been the victim of a jackknifed truck accident? We at Carabin Shaw have many years of experience making heavy truck operators pay for the damages they cause. We are ready to talk to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We will do all that the law allows to get you all the damages that you are legally entitled to. Let us be in your corner for the fight against the big truck companies.

Are you in Corpus Christi? Have you been in an accident with an 18 wheeler or other big rig?

Give Carabin Shaw a call. We can help. Call us at 361.444.1111, local if you’re in Corpus Christi.