Tractor-trailers make much wider turns than passenger vehicles.
SUV Driver Strikes 18-Wheeler Making a U-Turn
According to a KSAT News report, a driver of an SUV was injured after hitting an 18-wheeler attempting to make a U-turn on the West Side.
Police reported the accident happened at around 5:30 a.m. on Tuesday morning, on South Callahan near Highway 151. A driver of an SUV was headed north when they crashed into a semi-truck attempting a U-turn near the Amazon plant. The big rig dragged the SUV down the street, and the driver had to be cut from the vehicle by firefighters. They suffered a broken femur, and the driver of the 18-wheeler was not hurt.
Did You Know?
The average turning radius of an 18-wheeler is 55 feet, 20 feet wider than a passenger vehicle.
18-Wheeler U-Turn Accidents in San Antonio
If you drive in San Antonio, you’ve probably gotten used to sharing the road with tractor-trailers. Sometimes, truck drivers are forced to make complicated turns on roads that can result in major accidents. A U-turn is an example of one such maneuver.
The Dangers of Tractor-Trailer U-Turns
You may have seen the stickers on the back of 18-wheelers that say, “This vehicle makes wide turns.” Big rigs need more space to turn because of how big they are. Because of this, truck drivers are trained (or should be trained) to navigate those wider turns as safely as possible and to avoid them unless absolutely necessary.
But, sometimes, the turn lanes on San Antonio roads don’t properly accommodate a wide U-turn. This forces the truck to swing wide into a non-turn lane. Or, the truck driver may encounter a low-clearance overpass that blocks their way.
Regardless of the reason for the U-turn, these tricky maneuvers can endanger other drivers on the road. When making a U-turn, the exposed undercarriage of an 18-wheeler increases the risk of another vehicle getting pulled under and dragged. This often results in catastrophic injuries for the passenger vehicle occupants.
Determining Liability in U-Turn Accidents
Like every other kind of accident, the most common cause of 18-wheeler accidents is driver error. But that doesn’t mean that the truck driver is the only one to blame for a negligent accident.
Trucking companies are required to maintain their vehicles and ensure that every driver is properly trained. This means that if a vehicle defect or inexperience contributed to the accident, the company may be to blame as much as the driver.
Truck drivers are often forced to meet tight deadlines and face immense pressure as a result. This pressure from their boss could cause them to be partially responsible for accidents that involve speeding or unsafe maneuvers. Truck drivers can be seen as negligent for making a U-turn:
- Without using a turn signal,
- Without checking their blind spots,
- On a road where a U-turn would be unsafe,
- Without waiting for traffic to clear.
If you were hurt in an accident with an 18-wheeler taking an unsafe U-turn, having an 18-wheeler accident attorney to represent you increases the likelihood of getting compensation.
Hire Carabin Shaw 18-Wheeler Accident Attorneys
Semi-truck accidents can be complicated. If you were injured in an accident with an 18-wheeler in San Antonio, contact the experienced attorneys at Carabin Shaw. We have 30 years of experience representing personal injury and wrongful death claims in San Antonio, and we care. Contact the attorneys who put their clients first today at 800-862-1260 or use the live chat at the bottom right of your screen for a free consultation. We look forward to serving you.