Accidents that involve commercial trucks are almost always devastating, and one of the most catastrophic types is underride collisions. These accidents happen when a smaller vehicle slides beneath a large truck or trailer, often causing severe and sometimes fatal injuries to the occupants inside. Underride truck accidents raise complex questions about truck safety equipment, driver responsibility, and the adequacy of federal safety regulations designed to prevent these tragedies.
What Are Underride Accidents and How Do They Occur?
A truck’s trailer bed sits higher than a passenger car’s hood. This height difference creates a deadly gap that allows smaller vehicles to slide beneath the truck during a collision, leading to an underride accident.
These accidents most commonly happen during rear-end collisions when you strike the back of a truck, but they can also occur during side-impact crashes when you collide with the side of a trailer. Several factors can contribute to underride accidents:
- Poor visibility that makes it difficult to see trucks, especially at night or in bad weather
- Inadequate or malfunctioning underride guards on commercial trailers
- Sudden stops or lane changes by truck drivers that do not give you enough time to react
- Mechanical failures that cause trucks to stop unexpectedly in traffic
- Speeding by the truck driver that reduces reaction time and increases impact force
The Devastating Injuries Caused by Underride Collisions
Underride collisions are among the deadliest types of traffic accidents. When you slide underneath a large car, the trailer often strikes your car at windshield level or higher. This directly impacts the compartment where you and your passengers are sitting. The roof of your vehicle may be completely sheared off, offering no protection from the massive weight and force of the trailer above.
Victims of underride accidents often suffer from:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Cervical spine fractures
- Severe lacerations
- Amputations
- Decapitation
- Severe burn injuries
Many of these injuries are fatal. Even when you survive the initial impact, you may suffer permanent disabilities from the underride accident. These may include paralysis, permanent cognitive impairment, or disfiguring injuries that require extensive reconstructive surgery.
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Who Is Liable for Underride Truck Accidents in Kansas City?
If you or a loved one was involved in an underride truck accident, speak with a truck crash lawyer in Kansas City to pursue compensation from all parties whose negligence contributed to the collision. Depending on the factors that led to your collision, multiple parties may be financially responsible for your damages:
- The truck driver for engaging in negligent behaviors like speeding, following too closely, making unsafe lane changes, or violating hours-of-service regulations
- The trucking company for negligent practices, such as failing to properly maintain vehicles, inadequate driver training, or pressure to meet unrealistic delivery schedules
- The manufacturer of defective or inadequately designed underride guards that failed to prevent your vehicle from sliding beneath the trailer
- Maintenance contractors who failed to properly maintain or inspect safety equipment, including underride protection systems
Contact Our Kansas City Truck Accident Attorneys Today
Underride collisions often leave victims and their families facing unimaginable trauma and life-altering consequences. If you or a loved one was involved in one of these accidents, trust Dollar, Burns, Becker, and Hershewe to pursue the justice you deserve. Our personal injury attorneys in Kansas City, MO work with leading accident reconstruction specialists and industry experts to prove negligence and pursue maximum compensation for our clients. Contact us at (816) 876-2600 for a free, confidential consultation about your case.