“Jackknifing” is a type of truck accident that involves the rear cargo hold of an 18-wheeler truck drifting in a way that causes the vehicle to bend. This is dangerous because the back of the truck can drift into cars, or cause the semi-truck to rollover. The effects of jackknifing can include major property damage and severe injury — but what are the causes of jackknife accidents?
Overweight Cargo
One of the top causes of jackknife accidents is overweight or improperly loaded cargo. A truck that is carrying something that is moving around inside can disrupt the balance of the vehicle completely, causing it to jackknife.
Maintenance Issues
A truck that is not operating correctly because it is in need of repairs can jackknife. If the tires are off balance or the brakes are not being properly maintained, it can cause the driver to lose control of the vehicle, resulting in a jackknife accident.
Road Conditions
A road that is uneven, in disrepair, or slippery due to weather conditions can cause a truck to jackknife. The baseline cause of jackknifing is the cargo hold drifting, so road conditions that make the wheels unable to grip the road can make a truck jackknife. The risk of jackknifing on a slippery road can increase if the vehicle has not received proper maintenance.
Driver Negligence
Driving a semi-truck is much more complicated than driving a car, and requires knowledge and acute attention. A driver who is tired or impaired can easily lose control of their vehicle, which can result in a jackknife accident. A person who is new to trucking may jackknife if they are not able to manage their truck. Of course, a person who is driving recklessly can cause accidents and injure others by being negligent too.
Truck accidents commonly result in severe injury of victims. Contact Samster Konkel & Safranfor a free case evaluation if you were injured in a truck accident.
Our lawyers can be reached via phone at (414) 404-5818, or you can send us a message on our website.
