Have you been injured in a jackknife accident caused by a truck in Chula Vista, CA? If so, you know how quickly life can turn upside down. These crashes happen when a tractor-trailer folds in on itself, creating a sharp angle that can block lanes and slam into nearby cars.
At Mission Personal Injury Lawyers, we’re here to stand by your side, hold the negligent party responsible, and help you pursue the compensation you need to move forward. We have over 43 years of combined experience and have recovered tens of millions of dollars on behalf of our clients.
Contact our law office today at (619) 722-3032 to schedule a free consultation.
Table of Contents
How Mission Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help After A Jackknife Accident In Chula Vista, CA
Every case is different, but at Mission Personal Injury Lawyers, our Chula Vista truck accident attorneys always work in our clients’ best interests, namely in the following ways:
- Promptly answering all questions and concerns regarding their cases
- Calculating the full extent of their losses
- Educating them about the legal options available to them and the benefits and drawbacks of those options
- Speaking up for them and their interests, both in settlement negotiations and in court
- Proactively pushing insurance companies to resolve claims without unnecessary delay
Successfully handling the legal side of any truck accident is complicated, and jackknife wrecks are no exception. Answering questions about who is liable and the compensation you can expect is made more difficult by potential evidence and defense lawyers aimed at limiting the amount of damages you receive.
When you hire our Chula Vista personal injury attorney to represent you, you do not need to worry about saying the wrong thing or missing a crucial step in the claims process. We will take care of your claim from start to finish.
Contact our law office today in Chula Vista, California, for a free consultation.
What Happens When A Truck Jackknifes?
In 2020, 169 fatal accidents and 1,000 injury crashes in the United States involved a tractor-trailer (or other articulated truck) jackknifing, and 23% of trucks involved in fatal crashes that year ended up in such a scenario due to a loss of control.
Although each of these crashes is unique, a jackknife generally follows a series of predictable events:
The Trailer Begins To Accelerate
The sequence often starts when the trailer loses traction and continues moving forward while the cab slows or changes direction. This can happen for several reasons, including the trailer’s tires losing traction on a slippery road, excessive speeding, or sudden and uneven braking.
The Trailer Pushes The Cab
If the trailer does not decelerate and match the speed of the cab, it continues to travel forward toward the cab and pushes on its tail, where the truck and trailer are joined.
The Trailer’s Momentum Causes The Cab To Pivot And Crash
The continued forward momentum of the trailer causes the truck driver to lose control and pushes the cab itself to the side, as if it were on a hinge. The tractor-trailer then begins to jackknife as the trailer swings around the place where the two are connected. At this point, a collision is highly likely.
The Trailer Comes To Rest
The trailer will continue to move forward under its momentum, often swinging into adjacent lanes of traffic or overturning before it finally comes to rest. The trailer is uncontrollable here, and its movements are difficult to predict. Other nearby drivers who suspect a commercial truck is about to jackknife should safely (but quickly) distance themselves from it.
Negligence Lies At The Heart Of Jackknife Crashes
A jackknife accident is often the result of some form of negligent behavior. Whether the trucker is traveling too fast for current road conditions or a mechanic failed to properly inspect or repair the trailer’s brakes, jackknifes are not an inevitable part of trucking.
In particular, many of these accidents can be traced back to the careless oversight or reckless behavior of one (or more) of the following parties:
- The trucker
- The trucking company
- The business that loaded the trailer for transport
- Another careless driver on the road
- A mechanic or repair shop
- A parts manufacturer
Even municipalities and agencies that are supposed to keep roads in Chula Vista in good condition can be to blame. Identifying who acted carelessly and what role that carelessness played in your wreck can be a time-consuming task, though, and one best left to a seasoned truck accident lawyer.
Contact Our Chula Vista Truck Accident Lawyers For A Free Consultation
Trucking companies and their insurers typically have teams of attorneys ready to do everything they can to minimize the amount of compensation you receive. Fight back with help from our experienced and talented legal team. We are not afraid to go toe-to-toe with large insurance or trucking companies and insist they pay you what you deserve.
Contact Mission Personal Injury Lawyers to schedule a free consultation with a Chula Vista truck accident lawyer.
