Even with oversized side mirrors, electronic collision prevention systems, and other modern safety features, there are still several areas immediately around tractor-trailers that the drivers of these massive machines cannot see directly from the driver’s seat. Unsurprisingly, these “blind spots” play a role in many collisions between commercial vehicles and commuter cars in Arizona — collisions that, unfortunately, often have serious and even life-threatening consequences for the people involved.
If you were recently injured in a blind spot truck accident in Glendale, you may have a trickier path toward civil recovery ahead of you than you would prefer to think, especially if you have no past experience with civil litigation. Fortunately, you have support available from the seasoned truck accident attorneys at Phillips Law Group, where we are not afraid to take cases all the way to court if necessary to get injured people the restitution they deserve.
How and Where Do “Blind Spot” Truck Wrecks Happen?
In addition to obeying traffic laws and federal trucking regulations, truck drivers traveling through and within Glendale have a “duty of care” to keep a close eye out for other vehicles and people near them on the road. As part of this duty, truck drivers are supposed to make absolutely sure no one is in the following “blind spots” around their truck before they make any kind of roadway maneuver:
- About 20 feet beyond the cab’s front bumper
- About 30 feet beyond the trailer’s rear bumper
- One entire traffic lane out from the cab’s driver-side door, stretching about two-thirds of the way back along the trailer’s left side
- Two full traffic lanes out from the cab’s passenger-side door, stretching all the way along the trailer’s right side to about 10 feet beyond its back bumper
Truck drivers who fail to check their blind spots can cause accidents virtually anywhere in Glendale, but this kind of incident is especially common on highways where trucks are merging at exits or changing lanes.
Establishing Civil Fault for Truck Crash Damages
Because checking blind spots is part of a truck driver’s duty of care, any failure to do that which directly results in a crash qualifies as “negligence.” Someone who is found “negligent” in relation to an auto accident can be held civilly liable for all damages stemming from that wreck, including medical expenses, car repair costs, physical pain, and psychological suffering.
However, people driving near tractor-trailers also have a duty to stay out of other drivers’ “blind spots” as much as possible, and a failure to do so prior to any blind spot truck accidents in Glendale could be held against them during a lawsuit as “comparative fault.” As a qualified legal professional can explain, courts will reduce the total compensation available to an injured person based on the percentage of comparative fault assigned to them, in accordance with Arizona Revised Statutes §12-2505.
Talk to a Glendale Attorney About Suing Over a Blind Spot Truck Accident
Even if you act as responsibly behind the wheel as any driver possibly could, you may still be at risk of sustaining serious harm in a wreck caused entirely by a truck driver’s failure to check their “blind spots” before turning or merging. While you likely have grounds to seek civil compensation for losses you sustained in an incident of this nature, you may have slim odds of achieving a positive case resolution if you try to file suit alone.
At Phillips Law Group, we have spent more than 30 years serving people and families like yours in the Phoenix metro area. We know all the ins and outs of civil claims involving blind spot truck accidents in Glendale. Call today to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with a member of our team and learn more about your legal options.
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