Texas drivers who see large trucks on the road may feel a little nervous. Such feelings are somewhat understandable since a semi-truck could inflict great harm in an accident. Accidents become unavoidable due to mistakes by the driver of a car or truck. Other accidents may end up averted because a car’s driver understood some essential points about sharing the road with a massive truck.

Driving near a semi-truck

Surprisingly, it is not the truck driver who causes most crashes with smaller cars. Statistics reveal that a car’s driver is at fault for collisions 75% of the time. Perhaps that shouldn’t be surprising, considering the average truck driver’s training and experience.

Cutting down on the chances of a crash might require a driver to perform some basic defensive driving steps. Being more aware of trucks and their intentions, such as signals indicating a turn, might allow a driver to react appropriately and be more considerate to the truck driver. Drivers on alert might react better if an unexpected problem occurs, including the truck hitting another vehicle. Defensive tactics could keep a car’s driver out of a multicar pile-up.

Drivers operating a car, pickup truck or SUV must realize that commercial trucks may have significant blind spots. Staying out of those blind spots could cut down on collisions, such as when the truck changes lanes.

Driving too close to a tractor-trailer or cutting the oversized vehicle off when passing could prove disastrous. These behaviors might cause a crash that harms the car’s driver far more than the truck’s.

Determining who was at fault

If an accident occurs, questions will arise about whose behavior caused the collision. Sometimes both the car and truck’s driver may contribute negligence that leads to a crash. Sometimes, a third party, such as a pedestrian, may file a personal injury lawsuit against both drivers after an accident.

An insurance policy may cover the damages inflicted by the responsible party. A plaintiff might sue several parties, including a driver’s employers if those entities contributed to any reasons for the crash.

We are located at 4201 N McColl Rd, McAllen, TX 78504. You can also follow us on Facebook or Instagram. Contact us today at (956)618-3000 to schedule a consultation or click here and learn more about how we can help with your personal injury claim.