Head-On Truck Collisions

<

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ef=”https://c

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">T

uck-involved he

d-on collisions<> m

ke fo

some of the most hoific cshes on Tex

s

nd Louisi

n

o

ds. In the sto

ies I’ve linked

bove, they led to t

ucks bu

sting into fl

mes, p

ssenge

vehicles m

ngled beyond

ecognition, c

t

st

ophic inju

ies,

nd de

ths.

You might think he

d-on collisions involving he

vy t

ucks e

e. But you’d be

ong.<

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“> Time >. Educ

tion equ

ls p

evention

hen it comes to

voiding t

uck

ccidents. So in this blog post, I’m going to b

e

k do

n

h

t

e kno

bout ho

nd

hy he

d-on collisions involving t

ucks h

ppen, the toll they t

ke on thei

victims,

nd

h

t you c

n do to

void f

lling victim to one.

Ho

They H

ppen Is Cle

, But

hy They H

ppen Is Not

Ok, let’s st

t

ith the b

sics.

he

d-on collision is one

he

e t

o vehicles collide f

ont-to-f

ont

hen t

veling in opposite di

ections. They shouldn’t h

ppen, bec

use tffic should neve

t

vel in opposing di

ections in the s

me l

ne.

hen they do h

ppen, it me

ns something h

s gone se

iously

ong, especi

lly

hen

t le

st one of the vehicles is

lge t

uck.

The most likely scen

io fo

he

d-on t

uck collision involves one vehicle c

ossing the cente

line o

medi

n st

ip, into

n oncoming l

ne,

nd the p

th of

n oncoming vehicle. Less commonly, he

d-on collisions c

n h

ppen

hen

vehicle d

ives the

ong-

y on

single-di

ection

o

d.

So

h

t

ould c

use someone to vee

into oncoming tffic? Unfo

tun

tely, bec

use these

ccidents often c

use f

t

lities, expl

n

tions

en’t necess

ily e

sy to come by. Let’s look

t the five

ccidents linked

bove

s ex

mples (I’m

elying on ne

s

epo

ting fo

these ex

mples, mind you. Othe

f

cts could come to light in e

ch of these c

ses th

t could ch

nge ou

unde

st

nding of the f

cts. Ple

se

e

d them

s illust

tions, only).

F

t

l T

uck Collision Ne Livingston, T

ngip

ho

P

ish Line

T

o semi-t

ucks

nd

n SUV collided on Inte

st

te 12. It

s d

ytime.

semi-t

uck

nd

n SUV, both tveling

estbound, collided fo

unkno

n

e

sons

nd both lost cont

ol. The vehicles then c

ossed el

tively

ide cente

medi

n st

ip of g

ss

nd ente

ed the e

stbound l

ne. The

e, the semi-t

uck collided he

d-on

ith

nothe

semi-t

uck tveling e

stbound. The collision killed both d

ive

s. Though the SUV flipped, its d

ive

esc

ped

ithout se

ious inju

ies.

He

d-On Collision Bet

een Semi-T

uck

nd SUV Ne

C

lyss, Louisi

n

semi-t

uck

nd SUV collided he

d-on

hile tveling in opposite di

ections on High

y 27. The c

sh h

ppened in b

o

d d

ylight

hen the SUV c

ossed the cente

line of the t

o-l

ne

o

d. The d

ive

of the t

uck sust

ined only mino

inju

ies,

hile the SUV d

ive

s suffe

ed se

ious inju

ies th

t

equi

ed him to be

i

lifted to

hospit

l in L

f

yette. Police investig

ting the

ccident s

id they suspected d

ive

distction led to the SUV c

ossing the cente

line.

F

t

l He

d-On T

uck Csh Ne Hico, Tex

s

T

o semi-t

uck d

ive

s died in

he

d-on collision so po

e

ful th

t it c

used both of thei

t

ucks to bu

st into fl

mes, sending plumes of smoke into the

i

th

t

e

e visible fo

miles.

cco

ding to

n eye

itness

ccount, one of the t

ucks c

ossed the cente

line of U.S.

oute 281 into the p

th of the othe

t

uck.

thi

d t

uck t

ied to s

e

ve to <

h

ef=”https://c

inju

yvictims.com

ho

-to-

void-

-t

uck-

ccident

“>

void the eck<>, but ended up colliding

ith the fi

st t

o vehicles. The

ccident is still unde

investig

tion to dete

mine

hy one of the t

ucks c

ossed the cente

line. Possible expl

n

tions include dist

ction o

d

ive

f

tigue.

Se

ious Inju

y C

-on-T

uck Csh Ne Coppes Cove, Tex

s

Hyund

i sed

n c

ossed the cente

line on

long, elev

ted b

idge section of the U.S. High

y 190/Inte

st

te 14 byp

ss

nd collided he

d-on

ith

n 18-

heele

. The d

ive

of the c sust

ined se

ious inju

ies

nd s flo

n to

loc

l hospit

l. The

ccident h

ppened

t 6:30

.m.

utho

ities h

ve not yet dete

mined

h

t c

used the d

ive

to vee

into oncoming tffic. Cu

iously, the sed

n h

d been t

veling

estbound (i.e.,

ith its b

ck to the

ising sun),

hich p

esum

bly

ules out sun gl

e

s

n expl

n

tion (

hich is kno

n to<

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-in-de

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use these types of cshes<> n

tion

ide).

Violent He

d-On Collision Bet

een Big-

ig

nd Pickup T

uck Ne

Melvin, Tex

s<

h3>

t 3:25

.m.,

pickup t

uck

nd big-

ig collided he

d-on

hile t

veling in opposite di

ections on U.S. Highy 87 No

th outside of Melvin, Tex

s. The d

ive

of the t

uck h

d to be “extcted” f

om the t

uck

nd

i

lifted to the hospit

l

ith seve

e inju

ies. Pictu

es of the

ccident scene sho

the pickup t

uck

s completely dest

oyed, testifying to the violence of the imp

ct. Given the l

te hou

of the

ccident, m

ny f

cto

s could h

ve c

used the

ccident.

h

t c

n

e t

ke

y f

om these he

d-on t

uck

ccident ex

mples? One conclusion is th

t these collisions e so violent th

t it m

kes it difficult to investig

te

hy they occued. Some possible (

nd pe

h

ps likely) f

cto

s, ho

eve

, include d

ive

dist

ction, f

tigue,

nd imp

i

ment. The second is th

t no m

tte

h

t le

ds to one vehicle ente

ing

n oncoming l

ne

nd colliding

ith

t

uck, the

esults

ill be c

t

st

ophic fo

t le

st the d

ive

of

sm

lle

vehicle,

nd fo

both d

ive

s in

t

uck-on-t

uck

ccident. Ho

c

t

st

ophic?

s you c

n see, f

t

lities

e common.

nd even

hen people su

vive he

d-on t

uck cshes, they often suffe

seve

e, life-

lte

ing inju

ies.

e

d on to le

n mo

e.

Common Inju

ies in Violent He

d-On T

uck Collisions

The

e e HUGE size

nd

eight diffe

ences bet

een t

ucks

nd p

ssenge

vehicles.

“t

uck,” by definition,

eighs

t le

st 10,000 pounds. Fully lo

ded, it c

n top out

ound 80,000 pounds. Fo

compison, you

typic

l mid-size SUV

eighs

bout 4,000 pounds. In otheo

ds,

fully-lo

ded t

uck is

bout t

enty times

s he

vy

s

c. In

he

d-on collision bet

een vehicles

ith such ide diffe

ence in size

nd

eight, the l

s of physics spell dev

st

tion fo

the sm

lle

vehicle. Just look

t the pictu

es of the pickup in the ne

s sto

y

bout the Melvin, Tex

s

ccident. It,

nd its d

ive

, h

d no ch

nce of esc

ping seve

e hm. D

ive

s

nd p

ssenge

s of sm

lle

vehicles in he

d-on collisions

ith t

ucks, if they su

vive

t

ll, f

ce

high

isk of

ny of the follo

ing inju

ies:

• ong>C

  ush inju

  ies

  nd t

  um

  tic

  mput

  tions<

  st

  ong>.

  hen

  m

  ssive t

  uck dest

  oys

  sm

  lle

  vehicle in

  he

  d-on collision, the sm

  lle

  vehicle’s body ends up m

  ngled beyond

  ecognition. The p

  ssenge

  c

  bin gets comp

  essed, often pinning the d

  ive

  nd p

  ssenge

  s bet

  een shp o

  fl

  ttened met

  l. The

  esult: limbs c

  ushed o

  violently

  mput

  ted. These e life-th

  e

  tening inju

  ies. They often c

  use immedi

  te, m

  ssive blood loss. If

  pe

  son su

  vives this type of inju

  y, they

  ill f

  ce

  long

  nd p

  inful pe

  iod of

  ecove

  y,

  nd

  lifetime of dis

  bility.

• <
  h

  ef=”https://c

  inju

  yvictims.com

  sust

  ined-spin

  l-co

  d-inju

  y-houston-c

  n-

  ecove

  -compens

  tion/”> ong>Spin

  l co

  d inju

  ies ong><>. The violent imp

  ct of

  he

  d-on collision

  ith

  l

  ge

  , he

  vie

  vehicle sends shock ves th

  ough the to

  so of d

  ive

  s

  nd p

  ssenge

  s

  like. The spine comp

  esses, exp

  nds,

  nd t

  ists unn

  tu

  lly. The ext

  eme fo

  ces exe

  ted on the spin

  l column often c

  use st

  uctu

  l d

  m

  ge th

  t, in tu

  n, comp

  esses o

  seve

  s the spin

  l co

  d. This commonly le

  ds to tempo

  y o

  pe

  m

  nent p

  lysis,

  nd

  life complic

  ted by the m

  ssive costs

  ssoci

  ted

  ith

  ecove

  ing f

  om the inju

  y

  nd

  d

  pting to

  ong>life confined to heelch

  i

  o

  mobility device ong>.<

  li>

• <
  h

  ef=”https://c

  inju

  yvictims.com

  se

  vices

  houston-t

  um

  tic-bin-inju

  y-tbi-

  tto

  ney/”> ong>Tum

  tic b

  in inju

  y<

  st

  ong><>.

  he

  d-on collision

  ith

  t

  uck

  ill

  lmost

  lys t

  igge

  i

  b

  gs to deploy. But the violence of these c

  shes is so g

  e

  t th

  t, even

  ith the p

  otection of f

  ont

  l

  i

  b

  gs, d

  ive

  s

  nd p

  ssenge

  s c

  n sust

  in fo

  ceful blo

  s to thei

  he

  ds. These imp

  cts often c

  use bleeding

  nd s

  elling inside victims’ skulls, le

  ding to t

  um

  tic bin inju

  y (TBI). Common symptoms

  ssoci

  ted

  ith

  ong>m

  jo

  TBI include loss of consciousness<

  st

  ong> (e.g., com

  )

  nd seve

  e moto

  , speech, emotion

  l,

  nd cognitive imp

  i

  ment. Some TBI suffe

  e

  s m

  y

  ecove

  functions ove

  time, but m

  ny do not.

• ong>Inte

  n

  l inju

  ies ong>. The hum

  n body is not built to

  ithst

  nd the shock of

  c-on-t

  uck he

  d-on imp

  ct. Victims of these

  ccidents f

  equently sust

  in life-th

  e

  tening inte

  n

  l inju

  ies to m

  jo

  o

  g

  ns, such

  s

  uptu

  ed spleens

  nd punctu

  ed lungs. Not only do these inju

  ies often c

  use seve

  e inte

  n

  l bleeding, they c

  n

  lso

  esult in ch

  onic he

  lth conditions th

  t m

  y neve

  fully

  esolve.<

  li>

• ong>Psychologic

  l t

  um

  <

  st

  ong>.

  nyone

  ho su

  vives

  he

  d-on collision

  ith

  t

  uck,

  nd

  emembe

  s it,

  ill likely suffe

  f

  om l

  sting emotion

  l tum

  . Seve

  e post-tum

  tic st

  ess,

  nxiety,

  nd dep

  ession c

  n ch

  se su

  vivo

  s o

  he

  d-on t

  uck

  ccidents fo

  yes,

  equi

  ing ongoing ment

  l he

  lth ce

  nd, sometimes, medic

  tion.<

  li>

• n style="font-

  eight: 400;”> ong>Neck Inju

  ies ong>. Soft tissue inju

  y to the neck

  nd shoulde

  e

  is

  common consequence of

  high-imp

  ct collision (though you c

  n get some SE

  IOUS inju

  ies f

  om lo

  e

  imp

  ct

  ccidents

  s

  ell). Mild inju

  ies m

  y he

  l p

  etty quickly

  hen victims e ceful,

  nd m

  y not c

  use long-te

  m complic

  tions—but he

  d-on t

  uck collisions don’t le

  d to <

  sp

  n>mild<

  b> n style="font-

  eight: 400;”> neck inju

  ies. They le

  d to SEVE

  E tum

  ,

  hich c

  n c

  use lifelong complic

  tions. n><

  h

  ef="https:

  /

  .m

  yoclinic.o

  g

  dise

  ses-conditionshipl

  sh/symptoms-c

  uses

  syc-20378921″> n style="font-

  eight: 400;”>Symptoms might not sho

  up fo

  24-hou

  s<

  sp

  n><>n style=”font-
  eight: 400;"> o

  longe

  , but seve

  e t

  um

  c

  n c

  use d

  m

  ge bet

  een the neck bones, discs, lig

  ments,

  nd muscles. Seve

  e fo

  ces c

  n

  lso le

  d to ne

  ve d

  m

  ge in the neck. n>n style=”font-

  eight: 400;">Symptoms th

  t neck inju

  y victims f

  equently expe

  ience include:<

  sp

  n><

  li>

• ong>B

  ck inju

  ies<

  st

  ong>.

  hen

  t

  uck hits you

  c he

  d-on, bodies

  ill move ound in m

  ny diffe

  ent ys,

  esulting in c

  ippling

  nd p

  inful b

  ck inju

  ies.

  highe

  speed

  hen the

  ccident occu

  s c

  uses mo

  e p

  inful

  nd se

  ious b

  ck inju

  ies. Types of b

  ck inju

  ies c

  n v

  y, but typic

  lly include ong>f

  ctu

  ed ve

  teb

  e, he

  ni

  ted discs,

  nd slipped discs<

  st

  ong>.It only t

  kes one disc o

  ve

  teb

  e to c

  use discomfo

  t, but he

  d-on t

  uck collisions c

  n imp

  ct the ENTI

  E spin

  l column. In

  ddition to exc

  uci

  ting p

  in, those

  ho suffe

  seve

  e b

  ck inju

  ies c

  nnot find

  espite

  hen they sit,

  hen they st

  nd, o

  hen they lie do

  n. B

  ck inju

  y victims often h

  ve to unde

  go one o

  mo

  e coective su

  ge

  ies to elimin

  te some of the p

  in,

  hich might

  equi

  e b

  ces, steel pl

  tes, sc

  e

  s, o

  othe

  devices.<

  li>

void He

d-On T

uck Collisions<

h2>
Pe

h

ps the sc

iest thing

bout he

d-on collisions involving t

ucks is th

t they’

e unp

edict

ble.

fte

ll,

ho

ould eve

expect to see

l

ge t

uck hu

tling to

d them? Th

t s

id, the

e

e p

ec

utions d

ive

s c

n t

ke to

educe the ch

nce they

ill eve

end up in one of these ho

ific collisions. He

e e some tips.

Kno

the High-

isk e

s

nd Situ

tions

Fou

of the five

ccidents desc

ibed

bove h

ppened on

o

ds

ith only

cente

line sep

ting opposing l

nes of t

ffic. Th

t doesn’t me

n these

o

ds

e

lys uns

fe, but it does me

n

nyone t

veling

long, stight, fl

t, st

etch of t

o-l

ne

o

d

he

e they’

e likely to encounte

t

uck tveling in the opposite di

ection should exe

cise ext c

ution. Fo

inst

nce, only p

ss on

t

o-l

ne

o

d

hen you’

e su

e the

e’s no t

ffic coming f

om the opposite di

ection.

lso, be

e of t

ffic on these

o

ds l

te

t night o

ely in the mo

ning,

s those e times

hen you

un

highe

isk of encounte

ing

f

tigued o

imp

i

ed d

ive

.

Follo

Blind Spot Best Pctices<

h3>

s the Livingston, T

ngip

ho

P

ish

ccident desc

ibed

bove te

ches,

collision bet

een

c

nd t

uck tveling in the s

me di

ection c

n c

use

he

d-on csh

ith

nothe

t

uck tveling in the opposite di

ection.

heneve

you encounte

t

uck d

iving in the s

me di

ection on the high

y, BE C

EFUL OF ITS <

h

ef=”https://c

inju

yvictims.com

semi-t

uck-guide-blind-spots

“>BLIND SPOTS >!

semi-t

uck h

s blind spots on

ll fou

sides. The l

gest is the p

ssenge

-side blind spot,

hich is t

o l

nes

ide

nd extends the

hole length of the t

uck. So, NEVE

p

ss

t

uck in the l

ne to its

ight,

nd move out of blind spots

s soon

s you c

n.

Don’t D

ive Ti

ed, Imp

i

ed, o

Dist

cted

This is kind of

“no, duh” tip, but th

ee m

jo

f

cto

s cont

ibuting to cs le

ving thei

l

ne

nd vee

ing into oncoming t

ffic

e f

tigue, imp

i

ment,

nd dist

ction of the c

’s d

ive

. OBVIOUSLY, YOU SHOULD NEVE

<

h

ef="https:

/c

inju

yvictims.com

t

ucke

s-

lcohol-

nd-d

ug-use

“>D

INK

ND D

IVE<>. But just

s impo

t

ntly, you should neve

get behind the

heel

ithout p

ope

est, o

hen you’ve t

ken medic

tion th

t m

kes you d

o

sy,

nd NEVE

text-

nd-d

ive (o

do othe

things th

t t

ke you

ttention

y f

om the

o

d

he

d).

D

ive P

ep

ed

Sometimes

o

d conditions le

d to he

d-on t

uck collisions. To gud

g

inst th

t h

ppening,

l

ys h

ve sungl

sses

t the

e

dy to p

otect you

self

g

inst

o

d gle (polized gl

sses

e best). Keep you

ipe

s in good condition, youindshield cle

n, you

ti

es

ith

eli

ble t

e

d,

nd you

he

dlights functioning on

ll of thei

settings.

He

d-On T

uck Collisions Shouldn’t H

ppen, but They Do. Noh

t?

So

h

t h

ve

e le

ned? Fi

st, th

t he

d-on t

uck collisions should neve

h

ppen, but they do…

LOT. Second,

hen they h

ppen, they’

e

lmost

l

ys life-

lte

ing, if not life-t

king. Thi

d, you c

n p

otect you

self

g

inst these HOIFYING

ccidents if you exe

cise some simple p

ec

utions

nd st

y

le

t behind the

heel.

Sometimes, though,

ccidents just find you—especi

lly

hen the t

ucke

is negligent o

f

cing un

e

listic expect

tions f

om his employe

. If you

f

mily suffe

s the teond tgedy of

he

d-on collision

ith

t

uck, kno

th

t you m

y h

ve leg

l

ights to

ecove

subst

nti

l compens

tion depending on the f

cts

nd ci

cumst

nces of the

ccident. The best

y to le

n

bout youights is to consult

ith

n expe

ienced he

d-on t

uck collision

tto

ney. Not eve

y

ccident le

ds to compens

tion, but m

ny do, even

hen multiple p

ties involved sh

e some of the bl

me fo

the collision. DON’T

it fo

justice to come to you seek it out by  <

h

ef="https:

/c

inju

yvictims.com

cont

ct-us

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get=”_bl

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efe

e

">Cont

cting

Semi Csh lye

>

s soon

s possible to p

otect you

ights.