In many cases, semi-truck accidents happen because the truck driver can’t stop the vehicle in time. Perhaps they come over a hill and suddenly see that traffic on the interstate has slowed down ahead of them. They try to hit the brakes, but they can’t bring the truck to a halt and rear-end a passenger car. This could cause severe injuries for everyone in that vehicle.
Part of the problem is that trucks naturally have very long stopping distances due to their size and weight. If someone is driving a passenger car, the average stopping distance is around 300 feet—or the length of a football field. But in a semi-truck, it could take over 500 feet to bring the vehicle to a halt. If the driver only has 300 feet when they hit the brakes, it may be impossible to avoid that rear-end accident.
What else could contribute?
The above assumes that the driver has an excellent reaction time and hits the brakes as soon as possible. But unfortunately, that is not always the case.
For example, distracted driving could contribute. If the driver is looking down at their phone and it delays their reaction time even by a second, that’s going to increase the stopping distance because it takes them longer to hit the brakes. Similarly, if they’re impaired by alcohol, they may not even realize they need to brake immediately. This can also increase both reaction time and stopping distance.
It is often the occupants of other vehicles who are injured in these catastrophic accidents. If this has happened to you, be sure you know how to seek financial compensation for medical bills and more.