While all truck collisions can be serious, few are as dangerous as a jackknife accident. These truck crashes occur when the truck skids and the truck and trailer end up facing in opposite directions. The truck is also in danger of tipping. In many cases, the trailer will swing out into multiple lanes of traffic on a road or highway, causing a multi-vehicle 
crash. If you are the victim of one of these wrecks, you may be able to hold the trucker and trucking company liable for compensating you for your injuries.
What Are the Major Causes of Jackknife Truck Accidents?
When a truck jackknifes, its trailer swings out to the side and will form the shape of an “L” or “V” with the truck’s trailer. Often the trucks’ drive wheels will lock into place on wet and slippery roads while the truck continues moving forward, resulting in the trailer swinging to the side. To make the situation more scary, the trucker has very little or no control of his truck. Main ways that negligent truckers cause a jackknife include:
Speeding.
An 80,000 pound truck needs much more time to slow down and stop than a passenger vehicle. When a trucker is speeding, he needs even more time to slow down his truck. If he must stop or slow down suddenly, he can cause his truck to skid and jackknife when he slams on his brakes.
Curves.
To safely drive a truck on a curve, the trucker should slow down before approaching the curve. When a trucker is speeding, driving too fast for the curve, or decelerating, his trailer can swing out into oncoming traffic.
Weather conditions.
Because jackknife wrecks often occur on wet and slippery roads, truckers need to slow down and drive for weather conditions in poor weather. When they fail to do so, they are likely to cause their truck to jackknife and injure innocent victims.
Maintenance problems.
When a truck’s brakes or tires are not maintained and replaced when necessary, the brakes could malfunction or cause a tire blowout. This can cause the trucker to lose control, with a jackknife wreck a likely consequence.
Have You Been Injured In A Texas Truck Accident?
If you've been injured in a truck accident you need to speak with an experienced truck accident injury attorney as soon as possible. Please contact us online or call our Colleyville office directly at 817.485.8888 to schedule your free consultation.
We help injured victims throughout Texas including Arlington, North Richland, Grapevine, Bedford, Hurst, Euless, Irving and all points in between.
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