All vehicles have blind spots, which are spaces around a vehicle where the driver’s view is obstructed. When motorists fail to safely check these areas before turning, backing up, or changing lanes, they can collide with nearby vehicles. These collisions can be especially devastating when they involve large semis.
People injured in blind spot truck accidents in Johnstown could seek damages to compensate them for their financial and physical losses. Speak with a Johnstown semi-truck accident attorney to discuss your eligibility for monetary compensation.
Due to their size and features, such as large trailers, commercial vehicles not only take up more space on the road, but the space around them becomes much harder to see. Unlike passenger vehicles, big rigs lack rearview mirrors, making it impossible to see directly behind the vehicle.
Additionally, there are blind spots on both the passenger and driver side, and it is easy for smaller cars to be hidden from view. This is similar to the blind spots on passenger vehicles, but blind spots are much larger in the case of a semi. Lastly, as these vehicles are also much taller than most other automobiles, truck drivers often cannot see directly in front of the tractor.
In Johnstown, in particular, blind spot collisions tend to occur in urban settings. The downtown region surrounding Central Park, for example, has a lot of businesses, restaurants, shops, and banks. These businesses are often receiving deliveries from large semi-trucks. This area also has a lot of one-way streets, such as Main Street and Locust Street, which means that a vehicle may need to make multiple turns in order to reach its destination.
As this is an area of dense population, truck drivers need to be aware of both vehicle and foot traffic in a relatively small area. This especially hazardous in situations where a truck driver is backing out of a parking space or lot. Pedestrians, cyclists, and smaller vehicles can all be hidden from the truck driver’s view, resulting in devastating if not deadly accidents.
Downtown Johnstown also has a lot of one-way streets, intersections, and narrow roadways lined with parked cars on either side. Drivers of big rigs have to maneuver through tight spaces, making it difficult for them to see everything and everyone around them.
However, these blind spot wrecks can also occur on the open road, interstates, and turnpikes. If a truck driver is changing lanes and does not see nearby vehicles in the adjacent lane because they are in his or her blind spot, a collision could occur.
When a big rig collides with a nearby passenger vehicle that was hidden in a blind spot, the truck driver is often the liable party. This is because truck drivers are required to adequately check their blind spots before making movements that could result in them crashing into others.
Additionally, under the theory of vicarious liability, if the commercial vehicle driver is found liable in a truck crash claim, his or her employer will also assume liability. This only applies if the truck driver was acting within the scope of his or her employment at the time of the wreck.
A hardworking attorney could establish truck driver liability by providing evidence of negligence. This can be done through witness testimony, police reports, surveillance footage, and accident reconstructionist testimony.
It is the responsibility of the truck driver to safely check his or her blind spots to avoid colliding with nearby vehicles, pedestrians, and motorcyclists. If a truck driver did not practice safe driving and struck you, causing you substantial harm, do not hesitate to contact the law firm of Marcus & Mack. Our team has experience recovering compensation on behalf of people hurt in blind spot truck accidents in Johnstown. Call us today.
