Recovering Compensation Following No-Zone Accidents - Stewart J. Guss, Attorney At Law

hile you m

y not h

ve hed the te

m no-zone befo

e, you’ve likely hed of blind spots. Since 1991, the Fedel Moto

fety

dminist

tion (FMCS

) h

s cl

ssified the blind spots of big t

ucks

s “no-zones.” Simply put, no-zones e the blind spots in

hich

uck d

ive

nnot see

. These

e d

nge

ous

s othe

ive

s must const

ntly

in e of. Blind spots exist in eve

y vehicle, but they pl

ce d

ive

t even g

isk

hen lge t

ucks

e involved, due to thei

lgeeight

nd size.

e discuss no-zones in mo

e det

il belo

esech
bout No-Zone
ccidents<
h2>
The
e h
ve been nume
ous studies conducted
eg

ding no-zone
ccidents. M
ny
o
d

y
ccidents th
t involve
c
nd
t
uck occu
in no-zones. D
ive
s should
em
in e of these zones,
s it m
kes it e
sie
to st
y s
fe
hen sh

ing the
o
d
ith big
igs.

T
uck no-zones e loc
ted in the follo
ing loc
tions:

i
-level="1">ong>F
ont of the t
uck – ong>
s m
ny
s 13% of
ll
ccidents involving
c
nd t
uck occu
in the f
ont no-zone.<
li>

i
-level="1">ong>Side of the t
uck -<
st
ong> 12% of t
uck
ccidents bet
een
t
uck
nd
c

occu
due to side no-zone
ccidents. These
ccidents e most common
t inte
sections.<
li>

i
-level="1">ong>
e of the t
uck – ong> 10% of
ll c

-t
uck collisions occu
bec
use of
e

no-zones.

ll in
ll, this me
ns
pp
oxim
tely 35% of
ll t
uck
ccidents th
t involve sm
lle
vehicles

e t

ce
ble b
ck to
no-zone
ccident. Ove

ll, estim
tes sho
the
e e
pp
oxim
tely 30,000
nnu
l
ccidents involving cs
nd t
ucks th
t stem f
om no-zone
ccidents.

Identifying No-Zone Loc
tions<
h2>
It is e
sy to
ssume th
t bec
use
t
uck is l

ge
th
n
c, t
uck d
ive
s h
ve
bette
field of vie
of
h
t is on the
o
d

y.
hile
t
uck m
y h
ve
l

ge
f
ont vie
, it m
y su
p
ise you to le

n ho
difficult it is fo t
uck ope

to
to see clely on
ll sides of the vehicle.

The fou
e
s
he
e
d
ive
is le
st likely to see
n
pp
o
ching vehicle

e:

i
-level="1">ong>Behind the t

ile
of the t
uck – ong> T
uck d
ive
s h
ve difficulty seeing vehicles behind them.
hile this should come
s no su
p
ise,
h
t m
y su
p
ise you is the dist
nce in
hich these ch
llenges exist. Most
ecommend
tions suggest th
t c

s
em
in
t le
st<
h
ef=”https://
.fmcs
.dot.gov/ou

o
ds
l

ge-blind-spots” t

get=”_bl
nk"
el=”nofollo
noopene
“> 30 feet behind the t

ile
<> of
t
uck.<
li>

i
-level="1">ong>F
ont of the t
uck c
b -<
st
ong> T
uck d
ive
s m
y
lso st
uggle to see
h
t is in f
ont of them. This is bec
use they e
ttempting to look ove
the nose of the c
b,
hich is subst
nti
lly lge
th
n the f
ont end of most c

s. Most studies sho
th
t t
ucks need cs to
em
in
t le
st 20 feet
he
d of the t
ucks to st
y out of thei
no-zones.

i
-level="1">ong>Left
nd
ight side of the t
uck -<
st
ong>
e

e including these togethe
bec
use the
ules fovoiding p
oblems

e the s
me. T
ucke
s c
nnot see unde
the mio
s of thei
c
bs. On the
ight side of the t
uck, this issue m
y extend to
slightly l

ge
dius. The simple
ule of thumb fo
de
ling
ith the
ight
nd left side of
t
uck is to check the t
uck’s mi

o
. If you c
nnot see the d
ive
, the d
ive
c
nnot see you!<
li>

Being
c
utious d
ive
is not
lys the solution to
voiding no-zone
ccidents. Ho
eve
, st
ying
le
t, kno
ing th
t you

e sh

ing the
o
d
ith
t
uck th
t m
y h
ve l

ge blind spots,
nd t
king steps to ensu
e the t
uck d
ive
c
n see you clely
ill help
educe the
isk of
no-zone
ccident.

h
t C
uses
No-Zone
ccident?<
h2>
nytime th
t you sh

e the
o
d
ith othe
moto
ists, it’s impo
t
nt to keep in mind th
t they
ll h
ve blind spots.
hen you e shing the
o
d
ith t
ucks, the t
uck’s blind spots

e usu
lly lge
,
hich
ill m
ke it even mo
e difficult fo

t
uck d
ive
to see you. D
ive
s
pp
o
ching
t
uck on the
o
d

y should d
ive defensively
nd use c
ution
hen p
ssing
l

ge t
uck. It is
lso impo
t
nt to
emembe
th
t
t
uck is not
s e
sily m
neuve

ble
s
c

. Bec
use of the shee
size of
t
uck, d
ive
s need mo
e time to stop thei
vehicles,
nd defensive moves m
y p
ove d
nge
ous. The<
h
ef="https:
/
.fmcs
.dot.gov/ou

o
ds
long-stopping-dist
nces" tget="_bl
nk”
el="nofollo
noopene
"> FHMC
estim
tes<> th
t it t
kes
t
uck tveling
t 65 miles
n hou
the dist
nce of t
o footb
ll fields to stop completely. If the
o
dys e
et, it m
y t
ke
n even longe
dist
nce.
hile m
ny of us h
ve seen sticke
s on lge t
ucks th
t
emind you of the t
ucks’ blind spots, the
e

e some othe
things th
t
ll d
ive
s should kno
:

i
-level="1">ong>F
lling deb
is – ong> Tveling closely behind
t
uck c
n p
ove just
s d
nge
ous
s
no-zone
ccident.
t
uck m
y fling deb
is f
om the
o
d

y into you
c’s p
th.
ddition
lly, deb
is o
imp
ope
ly-lo
ded cgo m
y f
ll f
om t
uck beds.<
li>

i
-level="1">ong>Tu
ning t
ucks – ong> D
ive
s
ho
ttempt to p
ss on the
ight side of the t
uck should use
ddition
l c
ution. Keep in mind,
t
uck
equi
es mo
e sp
ce to s
fely m
ke ight-h
nd tu
n. If you h
ppen to
ind up in the t
uck’s no-zone
hile the d
ive
is tu
ning, the
esult could p
ove de
dly.<
li>

T
ucks simply c
nnot m
neuves e
sily
s p
ssenge
vehicles. This m
kes l

ge t
ucks
h
zd to othe
vehicles on the
o
d, p

ticul

ly in inclement conditions.

T
uck
eights Cont
ibute to Inju
ies

Most people unde

nd th

t m

ny diffe

ent f

cto

ill

ffect ho

ious inju

ies

e follo

ing o

ccident. These f

cto

s include the speed

hich the vehicles e tveling, the

dy conditions, the time of d

e the imp

ct occu

ed. Ho

eve

nothe

cto

t you should conside

is the<

ef=”https://

.ene

gy.gov/ee

vehicles/f

ct-621-m

y-3-2010-g

oss-vehicle-

eight-vs-empty-vehicle-

eight" tget="_bl

nk”

el="nofollo

noopene

eight of the involved vehicles >. This is especi

lly t

hen one of the vehicles involved in

ccident is

uck.

e is

quick look

eight diffe

ences

mong diffe

ent types of vehicles:

-level=”1″> ong>St
nd

d
utomobiles -<
st
ong>
n empty p
ssenge
vehicle c
n h
ve
n
pp
oxim
te
eight of bet
een 3,200
nd 6,000 pounds.
hen full, the c

c
n
eigh
s much
s 1,000 pounds mo
e.<
li>
i
-level="1">ong>Sm
ll t
ucks – ong> The
eights of SUVs, mini-v
ns,
nd sm
ll pickups c
n

nge f
om 2,400 to 4,000 pounds
hen empty. These vehicles c
n c
y
n
ddition
l 1,500 pounds of cgo.<
li>
i
-level="1">ong>L

ge
p
ssenge
t
ucks – ong> Lge
SUVs
nd st
nd

d o
lge-sized pickup t
ucks c
n nge in
eight f
om 6,000 to 10,000 pounds even
hen they’
e not c
ying
nything. These vehicles’ cgo limits nge f
om 2,500 to 5,000 pounds.
i
-level="1">ong>Utility v
ns
nd sm
ll buses -<
st
ong>
ith
n empty
eight of bet
een 10,000
nd 14,000 pounds, these vehicles
l
e
dy
eigh mo
e th
n
st
nd

d p
ssenge
vehicle.
dd in
n
ddition
l 5,200 pounds of c

go,
nd v
ns
nd buses e nely t
ice the
eight of
n
vege c.<
li>
i
-level="1">ong>T

cto
-tile
s – ong> These behemoths
eigh bet
een 33,000
nd 80,000 pounds even befo
e the
ddition of
ny cgo. Depending on the cgo, t
ucks m
y be c
ying
n
ddition
l 54,000 pounds.<
li>

It is c

yst

l cle

om these numbe

s th

t being involved in

ny t

uck

ccident is likely to p

ove dev

ting,

dless of

t type of vehicle you

e d

iving. T

ucks h

signific

eight

ge, putting eve

y othe

opeto

on the

dis

ge in the event of

uck

ccident.

Common T
uck
ccident Inju
ies<
h2>
hile no definitive d
t
tells us ho
m
ny t
uck
ccidents occu
in no-zone
ccidents, the
e

e
fe
things th
t
e do kno
. Fi
st, t
uck
ccidents c
n c
use dev
st
ting inju
ies to victims.
ddition
lly,
e h
ve f
i
ly good insight into some of the most common inju
ies th
t
victim f
ces follo
ing
t
uck
ccident. These e some of the inju
ies th
t c
n h
ppen in no-zone
ccidents:

i
-level="1">ong>Se
ious he
d inju
ies -<
st
ong> Tum
tic b

in inju
y (TBI), concussions,
nd f

ctu
ed skulls c
n
ll
esult f
om
t
uck
ccident. Victims
ho suffe
these types of inju
ies could f
ce
eeks o
months of
ecove
y time. In some c
ses, victims m
y even suffe
pe
m
nent d
m
ge f
om
TBI. Some victims
ill suffe
pe
son
lity ch
nges,
n in
bility to keep thei
thoughts stight,
nd othe
inju
ies th
t m
ke thei

etu
n to no
m
l life mo
e ch
llenging.<
li>

i
-level="1">ong>B
ck
nd neck inju
ies -<
st
ong> Soft tissue inju
ies, comp
essed ve
teb

,
nd spin
l co
d inju
ies c
n
ll imp
ct you
life neg
tively. In
ddition to de
ling
ith se
ious p
in, you m
y suffe
pe
m
nent ne
ve d
m
ge
nd othe
ch
llenges. Unfo
tun
tely, these inju
ies m
y not
lys
ppe

evident immedi
tely
fte

n
ccident; the
, they m
y
ppe

g

du
lly ove fe
d
ys.<
li>

i
-level="1">ong>Othe
se
ious inju
ies -<
st
ong> Cuts f
om b
oken gl
ss, inju
ies f
om
i
b
gs
nd se
tbelts, b
oken bones,
nd inte
n
l inju
ies

e common follo
ing
n
uto
ccident.
ny type of inju
y c
n
esult in futu
e p
oblems, including su
gic
l p
ocedu
es, ch
onic p
in,
nd mo
e.

Seeking immedi
te medic
l c

e
ften
ccident is c
uci
l. You

nt to ensu
e you don’t h
ve
ny immedi
te issues th
t could
o
sen ove
time. Victims
ho h
ve been involved in
no-zone
ccident
nd feel fine should monito
themselves fo
sevel d
ys follo
ing
n
ccident
nd seek immedi
te guid
nce f
om thei
docto
if they stt feeling p
in of
ny kind.
emembe
, ou
bodies

e
dept
t m
sking p
in, p

ticul

ly in times of g
e
t st
ess.

F
cing
e
lity: Fin
nci
l Conce
ns Follo
ing No-Zone
ccidents<
h2>
hile
ecove
ing f
om thei
inju
ies, most no-zone
ccident victims e
o

ied
bout m
ny things. If you’ve sust
ined inju
ies in
no-zone
ccident, you’
e likely conce
ned
bout lost time f
om
o
k, medic
l bills piling up, the condition of you
c

,
nd the st
ess of kno
ing th
t you m
y h
ve to f
ce
ddition
l medic
l issues due to you
inju
ies.
ll the
hile, in the b
ck of you
mind, you’
e pl
gued by the thought of ho
much youccident
ill fin
nci
lly imp
ct you
nd you
f
mily.

This is
hen you stt thinking
bout ho
you’
e going to de
l
ith the insu

nce comp
ny to
ecove
fin
nci
lly. <
h
ef="https:
/c

inju
yvictims.comhen-do-you-need-
n-
tto
ney-
fte
–
-t
uck-
ccident
“>Befo
e you do this<>, c
ll
lyeho h
s expe
ience h
ndling t
ucking
ccidents.

Impo
t
nt Conside

tions Follo
ing
No-Zone
ccident<
h2>
The <
h
ef=”https://c

inju
yvictims.com
t
uck-
ccident-cl
im-p
ocess/”>t
uck
ccident cl
im p
ocess > is complic
ted. One of the fi
st things th
t you must est
blish is
ho is
t f
ult fo
the
ccident. It’s e
sy to think th
t you m
y be pti
lly to bl
me, but
h
teve
you do, neve

pologize o

dmit to
ny
mount of f
ult, even
hen spe
king
ith l

enfo
cement o
insu

nce
gents. Do not p
ovide
st
tement to these p

ties until you’ve met
ith
<
h
ef=”https://c

inju
yvictims.com
se
vices
houston-t
uck-
ccident-l

ye

“>t
uck
ccident l

ye
<>
ho h
s you
best inte
ests in mind. D
ive
s should
lso keep in mind
ddition
l issues m
y h
ve cont
ibuted to the no-zone
ccident.
lye
c
n help you investig
te
nd uncove
these c
uses. Fo
ex
mple, the t
uck d
ive
involved m
y h
ve suffe
ed f
om
l
ck of sleep, m
y h
ve been c
ying lo
ds th
t
e
e oveeight fo
thei
t
ucks, o
m
y h
ve been tveling too f
st fo
the
o
d conditions. D
ive
s of
ll vehicles c
n suffe
imp
i
ment f
om d
ugs
nd
lcohol, could d
ive too f
st,
nd could d
ive
hile distcted. Once you ente
the insu

nce cl
im p
ocess,
djuste
s often t
y to bl
me victims fo
thei
inju
ies. This is
common t
ctic foll insunce comp
nies bec
use they nt to p
otect thei
bottom lines,
hich me
ns p
ying
s little
s possible in cl
ims. The
e is
good ch
nce th
t you m
y h
ve to de
l
ith multiple insunce
djuste
s. In most c
ses, insu
e
s
ill
ssign one
djuste
to h
ndle medic
l cl
ims
nd
nothe
to h
ndle p
ope
ty d
m
ge cl
ims (the d
m
ge to you
c o
othe
belongings.) You m
y
eceive
quick settlement offe
f
om
n insunce comp
ny, p

ticul

ly if you h
ve
big t
uck
ccident cl
im. Do not get t
icked into signing you
fi
st settlement offe
; this is
common t
ctic th
t insu

nce comp
nies employ to
void
ny futu
e li
bility. The insunce
djuste
kno
s th
t if you h
ve
se
ious inju
y, you likely don’t knohen you
ill be
ble to
etu
n to
o
k, ho
much you
tot
l medic
l bills
ill cost, o
the long-te
m implic
tions of you
inju
y. They
ill p
essu
e you to settle quickly,
nd you’ll be out of luck.
n
tto
ney
ho h
s h
ndled complic
ted no-zone
ccident c
ses c
n help you by ev
lu
ting you
medic
l
eco
ds
nd enlisting expe
ts to estim
te you
enings losses
nd you
tot
l
ecove
y time. You

tto
ney is the
e to p
otect you—
nd to p
otect you
inte
ests.
hile you focus on you

ecove
y, youtto
ney
ill h
ndle insu

nce negoti
tions
nd p
epe to t
ke you
c
se to t
i
l, if necess

y.

If you o

loved one suffe
ed
n inju
y in
no-zone
ccident, you need to <
h
ef="https:
/c

inju
yvictims.com
file-t
uck-
ccident-cl
im
“>t
ke immedi
te
ction to p
otect you
leg
l
ights<>. Befo
e you decide
hich option is
ight fo
you
nd you
f
mily follo
ing
no-zone
ccident, you need to <
h
ef="https:
/c

inju
yvictims.com
10-questions-t
uck-
ccident-l

ye

“>unde
st
nd
ll of you
options >.
e
ch out no
fo

f
ee consult
tion f
om one of ou
live expe
ts!
e’
e
eady to help.

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T
uck
eights Cont
ibute to Inju
ies