The rules for big truck accidents are different from the rules for passenger car accidents in almost every way. It’s not just that commercial trucks are subject to different laws; the vehicles themselves behave differently on the road and during accidents. Commercial trucks are heavy, and that weight counts for a lot in an accident. The old adage holds; the bigger they are, the harder they fall.
Big trucks cause big damage
We talk about commercial truck accidents all the time, but mostly in the context of the threat they pose to other motorists on the road. A recent incident highlights just how destructive large trucks can be in a different way. Oklahoma City residents Mike and Carolyn LaGrange were at work when they received a phone call from KOCO News 5; reporter Brian Shlonsky was the first to inform the couple that a city garbage truck had severely damaged their home.
Edmondsun.com reported, “Significant damage was done to one of the two houses the truck hit when leaving the roadway, [Oklahoma City Police Sgt. Gary] Knight said. ‘We got the first call at 11:48 a.m. It was the driver of a big city waste truck,’ Knight said. Emergency workers transported the driver to an area hospital. His name has not been released, Knight said.”
While the cause of the accident is uncertain, the trail of destruction was extremely clear. The garbage truck demolished a sizeable brick column mailbox and clipped a neighbor’s garage. Neither of those obstacles were enough to even slow the truck, which came to rest only after destroying the reinforced brick wall of the LaGrange’s garage.
Homes damaged, residents uninjured
Luckily, no one was injured, but the video shows just how much force heavy trucks represent. The accident occurred during trash pickup in a residential zone; it is highly unlike that the truck would have been traveling at a great rate of speed. Even without the added force of momentum, the truck was able to cause significant damage to reinforced structures. Think of the damage that would have occurred had the truck been traveling at highway speed; now think of that force hitting a small passenger car. The odds are not in your favor.
While there are things you can do to reduce the risk of a collision with big trucks on the road, accidents happen. When they do, there is no substitute for experienced legal counsel on your side. If you are loved one has been injured in a commercial truck accident, contact the experienced Oklahoma commercial truck accident attorneys at Stipe Law Firm today for a free consultation. Call (918) 505-7741 or visit our office in McAlester; we serve all of southeastern Oklahoma.