Tractor trailer crashes are terrifying.
Like a folding knife, a jackknife crash is when the front cab of a semi locks up and brakes, but the trailer keeps moving and swings to the side of the cab.
The trailer becomes like a flipper in a pinball machine and can send other vehicles flying around the roadway.
Jackknife truck accidents in Hackensack often involve multiple vehicles and they can cause other cars to crash across the highways like on Route 80, Route 17, Route 4, and the New Jersey Turnpike.
Fighting trucking companies and their insurance companies takes lawyers with experience.
A dedicated truck accident attorney from O’Cathain Law Group can help you get the compensation you are entitled to.
A jackknife truck can rapidly cross multiple lanes of traffic, hitting other vehicles and sending them colliding with each other.
People die or get injured in different ways from the crash.
Death or catastrophic injury can be caused by direct contact with the big rig, secondary collisions, getting crushed in a trailer rollover, or in secondary accidents trying to avoid the jackknifed vehicle.
Some people may escape with minor bruises, scrapes, or bumps.
More moderate injuries include broken bones, fractures, scarring, knee tears, and shoulder tears.
More severe injuries include concussions, mild traumatic brain injuries, and spinal cord injuries.
Catastrophic injuries include severe traumatic brain injuries, paralysis, amputations, crush injuries, internal trauma, and severe burns.
The type and severity of the injury are crucial in determining appropriate compensation.
Even when two people were involved in the same jackknife truck accident, their financial and physical damages could differ significantly.
A certified Hackensack attorney will evaluate your current condition and future outlook to estimate a fair settlement range.
Tractor trailers are enormous vehicles. While an average passenger car weighs about 6,000 pounds and measures around 15 feet in length, a fully loaded tractor-trailer can weigh as much as 80,000 pounds and stretch up to 72 feet.
Some trailers may even exceed this weight if they have special permits for carrying overweight or heavy loads.
A truck’s size and weight matter in a crash. When a trucker applies the brakes, and the cab’s wheels lock, the heavy trailer tends to keep moving, often swinging out from the rear. At this point, the driver loses control of the trailer, and because it is much heavier than the cab, it can also drag the cab along with it.
During a jackknife, the truck is entirely out of the truck driver’s control. Both the cab and the trailer can collide with other vehicles, which may cause secondary crashes involving additional cars or objects.
A jackknifed truck might veer into oncoming traffic, blocking an entire road or leaving the roadway and striking nearby properties. These types of accidents can injure or kill multiple people.
Sometimes, jackknife vehicles will roll. Rollovers occur when a force affects the vehicle’s center of gravity, causing some wheels to lift off the ground. This is especially likely during a jackknife accident in Hackensack if the truck is speeding or if road conditions are slick.
Jackknife truck accidents in Hackensack can be complicated to sort out since they frequently involve multiple vehicles. You may be dealing with financially, emotionally, and physically overwhelming injuries. Instead of trying to handle it alone, get the help of a personal injury law lawyer from O’Cathain Law Group Personal Injury Law Department who is certified as a trial lawyer. A certified injury lawyer in Hackensack can help you maximize the amount of money you are entitled to receive for the harms and losses you suffered. Contact us today to schedule a consultation.