Many drivers of passenger cars find it annoying when other vehicles are lingering in their blind spots, but imagine how difficult it is to drive a truck, which has much larger blind spots compared to passenger cars.
Blind spots, also known as “no-zones,” are the areas on all sides of a motor vehicle that limit the driver’s vision in front, back, and to the sides of the vehicle. When operating a commercial truck, entire vehicles can stay hidden in blind spots, which increases the risk of causing a truck crash.
“Unfortunately, rear-view and side-view mirrors as well as backup cameras are not an ideal solution to minimize blind spots, but they are the best we have got so far,” explains our Philadelphia blind spot truck accident attorney at Dan Doyle Law Group.
Many of us underestimate the importance of checking blind spots before performing various types of maneuvers, including but not limited to turning, passing, parking, and changing lanes. The vast majority of truck accidents caused by blind spots occur because the truck driver fails to properly check or forgets to check blind spots.
However, many truck crashes are also caused by a truck driver’s inability to properly adjust his or her rear-view and side-view mirrors, exposing himself or herself to the heightened risk of a motor vehicle collision no matter how careful he or she is when checking blind spots in improperly adjusted mirrors.
Most of you have most likely not learned anything new so far. You have always known that trucks have large blind spots, but what many of you do not know is where those blind spots are. A truck driver may cause a crash when he or she fails to properly check the blind spot:
Do the math yourself. “If a truck’s rear blind spot is more than 30 feet, at least two vehicles can hide in this blind spot if the average passenger vehicle is about 15 feet,” says our experienced truck accident lawyer.
Some of you might wonder, “Is the truck driver always at fault for causing blind spot-related truck accidents?” The answer is: most of the time, yes. You are entitled to compensation if a truck crash was caused by one or several of the following factors:
Under certain circumstances, the trucker’s trucking company may also be held liable for your damages and losses. For example, if you can prove that the truck driver did not receive the required training or the trucker was not qualified to operate the truck, the trucking company may be held responsible for the crash.
Determining liability in a blind spot truck crash is anything but easy when you have a skilled personal injury lawyer by your side. Contact Dan Doyle Law Group to schedule a free consultation about your case.
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