Underride Accident Lawyer in Los Angeles, CA

If You Suffered A Catastrophic Injury, Call Our Underride Accident Attorneys For Immediate Help

Any crash involving a semi-truck is going to be dangerous, but an underride is one of the deadliest crashes possible. In these accidents, a smaller car strikes the trailer of a large truck and goes partially or fully under the trailer, sheering off or crushing the windshield and roof of the car.

If you or a loved one has been in an underride accident with a commercial truck, you may deserve compensation – and the sooner you act, the less time the trucking company has to fix the facts. Call NOVIK LAW GROUP, A Professional Corporation, at (818) 305-6041 for a free consultation with a Los Angeles truck accident lawyer.

Types of Underride Accidents

There are two main types of underride crashes:

• Rear Underride – A rear underride occurs when a passenger vehicle, like a sedan, slams into the rear of a semi-truck. The front of the passenger vehicle goes under the rear of the trailer. Depending on the speed at which the vehicle was traveling, it can slide under the truck, causing catastrophic injuries to the driver and passengers.
• Side Underride – In a side underride accident, a passenger vehicle strikes the side of a commercial truck. This can happen in a number of different ways; for example, a driver hitting a trailer while a truck is making a wide turn or performing a U-turn. Side underrides can also happen if a truck driver fails to see a smaller vehicle beside it and merges lanes, striking the smaller vehicle, which then goes under the trailer.

Causes of Underride Accidents

Underrides are usually caused by:

• Poor visibility. If a driver cannot see a tractor-trailer ahead of him, he can slam into it without realizing it. Lack of contrasting colors, lack of reflectors or lights, winding roads like the 110, and poor weather can all reduce the visibility of a tractor-trailer.
• Lack of underride guards. Big rigs are required to have underride guards called ICC bars, designed to keep smaller vehicles from sliding underneath them in a collision. If a truck is lacking these guards, or the guards are faulty, an underride can occur. It is worth noting that studies have found federally mandated guards in the U.S. are not strong enough to withstand a moderate impact.
• Poor truck brake maintenance. Drivers need to be able to see when a truck ahead of them is braking. If the brake lights are not properly maintained, and this warning is not visible, a rear underride accident is more likely to occur.
• Driver error. If the truck driver comes to a stop too quickly because he wasn’t paying attention, or doesn’t check his blind spots before changing lanes, it can be traumatic for the vehicles around him.

Call a Los Angeles Truck Accident Lawyer

If you or a loved one has suffered injury in an underride accident, you may be able to hold the truck driver and trucking company responsible. Call NOVIK LAW GROUP at (818) 305-6041 to tell us what happened and discuss your legal options. If we take your case, you pay no fees until we get you the justice you deserve.