North Denver

Trucking Accident Lawyers

Of all the various kinds of truck accidents, underride may be the most dangerous. In these types of accidents, the occupants in the passenger vehicle often suffer catastrophic or fatal injuries. In fact, some studies indicate that underride accidents may represent one-quarter of fatalities from all types of truck accidents.

If you or a loved one have been injured in an underride accident, it’s important that you speak to one of our Westminster trucking accident lawyers right away. We may be able to help you get fair compensation for any injuries stemming from the accident.

If you or a loved one has been injured in an underride accident, you may be left with a multitude of questions. Our firm has years of experience providing answers to those questions. We are committed to helping victims, and know how to properly investigate underride accident cases.

An underride accident occurs when a passenger vehicle collides with an 18-wheeler. When this happens, the ‘striking vehicle’ as it is called, may slide underneath the trailer of the truck. As a result, the front of the vehicle may be crushed, or the top completely sheared off, destroying anything in the path.

Some 18-wheelers are equipped with safety precautions designed to prevent these types of accidents. These precautions, called underride guards are not, however, present on all trucks and trailers. And when they are present, they are not always effective.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducted an experiment to test the effectiveness of underride guards. The Institute drove a 2010 Chevrolet Malibu, a mid-sized car- into the back of a parked 18-wheeler at 35 mph. On impact, the underride guard failed and the Malibu slid directly underneath the truck. According to the IIHS, any occupants in the vehicle would have been killed.