Blind Spots Cause Truck Accidents in Maine

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has waged a public awareness campaign to increase driver understanding about the hazards of large truck blind spots since 1994. These blind spots are known as the “no-zone” on commercial trucks. These large blind spots mean that a trucker may not be able to see an entire vehicle driving close to the tractor-trailer. However, this does not mean that the trucker is not liable if he gets into an accident by impacting a vehicle in the “no-zone.”

A commercial truck may have three distinct blind spots, which are:

• Side blind spots – these are the most dangerous of the three because they are the largest and encompass the side of the truck where an unseen car can be impacted if the truck changes lanes or turns. The “no-zones” may extend from the back of the cab all the way to the rear of the trailer.
• Rear blind spots – since a large truck does not have a rear-view mirror (which would not be helpful with a large trailer blocking the line of sight), there is no way for the truck driver to see the cars behind him.
• Front blind spots – although most drivers do not think about this, the size of the cab may lead to a significant area directly in front of the grill of the truck where the truck operator does not have a clear view.

A blind spot accident may include situations where the tractor-trailer is merging onto a highway or attempting to exit, making a right turn, or failing to brake when a much smaller vehicle pulls in front of the truck and then slows or stops.

A truck driver may be liable for a blind spot accident when he does not take proper precautions before moving in the direction of a blind spot. A driver who decides to back up a tractor-trailer must take steps to be certain that no person or vehicle has moved into the space behind the vehicle. When a truck is going to make a tight right turn, it often will move to the left before turning to the right. While there are some crashes that happen when the truck moves to the left, more often than not, the collision happens when a car moves up into the vacated space created by the truck when it moved to the left. That car will then be crushed in a “squeeze play” when the truck turns into the car. This type of accident often leads to severe injuries. “No-zone” accidents also result in serious side-swipe impacts and rear-end collisions.

A person who was driving a passenger vehicle and was impacted by a large commercial truck often is not at fault in these blind spot accidents. However, attorneys for the truck driver may try to make the passenger car driver believe that the crash was his fault. Knowledgeable truck accident attorneys can use accident reconstruction experts to demonstrate that it was the negligence of the truck who actually caused the crash.

A large truck accident leads to serious damage to a passenger car and harm to the occupants, even at low rates of speed, simply as the result of the huge difference in size and weight between the two vehicles. The injuries suffered in a truck crash may take years of recovery to recapture even a small part of the quality of life enjoyed before the accident. The skilled and compassionate Maine truck accident attorneys at Peter Thompson & Associates will work with you and your family to achieve the best possible outcome for you. To schedule an initial consultation, call us at 800.804.2004.