Common Types of Truck Accidents

More than 330,000 truck accidents occur every year in the U.S. Close to 1 in every 4 of these collisions results in some type of injury or death.¹

At Dormer Harpring, our attorneys are all-too-familiar with the devastation that can be caused by truck accidents. Seeing the terrible harm truck accidents can do is one of the reasons why we are dedicated to providing truck accident victims with compassionate support and carefully-tailored representation as we help them recover.

We encourage you to continue reading to learn more about the most common types of truck accidents and their typical causes. And when you need answers about your recovery options after a truck crash, don’t hesitate to contact a Denver truck accident attorney at Dormer Harpring.

Top 5 Most Common Types of Truck Accidents

1. Jackknife truck accidents, which occur when a trailer swings out alongside the truck and closes in towards the cabin (similar to how a pocket knife would be closed). Jackknife accidents can trap smaller passenger vehicles between the trailer and truck cabin, increasing the risk of underride crashes.

   Common contributing factors may include (but aren’t limited to) speeding, brake (or other equipment) failures, driver inexperience or recklessness, and slick roads (which may be due to weather conditions).

2. Underride truck accidents, which involve smaller vehicles becoming lodged underneath larger trucks. These types of truck accidents are often catastrophic, if not fatal; that’s because the point of impact is usually at the chest and/or head level of those in the passenger vehicle. In the most serious cases, the tops of smaller vehicles can be completely sheared off in underride collisions.

   Common contributing factors may include (but aren’t limited to) driver distraction (on either motorist’s part), truckers’ failures to replace broken taillights, and a lack of underride guardrails on trucks (to prevent these collisions).

3. Rollover truck accidents, which occur when trucks (or other vehicles) are flipped and rolled as a result of an impact. As one of the deadliest types of truck accidents, rollover crashes account for at least 1 in every 3 traffic-related deaths in the U.S.²

   Common contributing factors may include (but aren’t limited to) speeding, failures to properly secure truckloads, trucker fatigue or impairment, or any motorist’s violation(s) of traffic laws.

4. Rear-end collision truck accidents, which can involve trucks being rear-ended or rear-ending other vehicles on the roads. When trucks are involved in rear-end collisions with smaller vehicles, the outcomes tend to be far more devastating when, for instance, the collision occurs at higher speeds and/or causes an underride crash.

   Common contributing factors may include (but aren’t limited to) driver distraction, driver impairment or fatigue, traffic violations, and road conditions (like icy roadways).

5. Fatal truck accidents – Nearly 4,000 deadly truck accidents take place each year in the U.S.¹ When a passenger car is involved in these crashes, the people in the smaller, lighter passenger vehicle are at least four times more likely (than the occupant(s) of the truck) to suffer life-threatening injuries.

   Common contributing factors may include (but aren’t limited to) the negligence of any involved motorist and/or the negligence of the trucking company employing the involved trucker.

Contact a Denver Truck Accident Attorney at Dormer Harpring

After a truck crash, contact a Denver truck accident attorney at Dormer Harpring for unique representation as you get on the path to recovery.

You can call us at (303) 747-4404 or email us via the contact form on this page to find out more about our services and how we can assist you.

Our commitment to representing people from all walks of life means that we never charge for a consultation and that our legal fees are “contingent,” meaning they’re based only on the amount we recover.

From offices based in Denver, our attorneys provide exceptional representation to people throughout Denver County, Adams County, Boulder County, Arapahoe County, Jefferson County, and the state of Colorado.

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1: According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)

2: According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration