The Devastating Repercussions Of Override Accidents

Any type of collision with a commercial vehicle has the potential for catastrophic results, simply because of the size differential. Certain types of truck accidents, however, are known for being particularly dangerous. This includes both under and override accidents. Underride accidents occur when a smaller vehicle rear-ends a truck, sliding beneath the much taller vehicle. Override crashes, on the other hand, occur when a truck, whose clearance is much higher than the average passenger-sized vehicle, rear-ends a smaller car. Because of the size difference, it is not uncommon for a truck’s momentum to cause it to ride over the back of the smaller vehicle. These kinds of collisions have much more significant consequences than a regular rear-end crash, causing devastating injuries to the occupants of the passenger vehicle.

Override Accident Injuries

While technically considered a type of rear-end collision, override crashes have much more serious outcomes than crashes between vehicles of similar sizes. If a truck rides completely over the passenger compartment, for instance, the occupants could suffer deadly crush injuries. These accidents are typically very violent. For instance, in some cases, the top of the smaller vehicle is actually sheared off. Victims often suffer head trauma, crushed and broken bones, amputations, and spinal cord injuries, all of which can prove permanently disabling or even deadly.

Causes of Override Truck Accidents

Override accidents, like any type of vehicle collision can have a variety of causes, but most can be attributed to driver error, such as:

• Tailgating;
• Brake checking;
• Falling asleep at the wheel;
• Driving while intoxicated;
• Driver distraction;
• Making improper lane changes;
• Speeding; and
• Failing to use proper lights.

While the majority of override accidents can be attributed to some type of driver error, whether on the part of the truck driver or the driver of the smaller vehicle, some are the result of mechanical problems, like brake failure. This occurs much more often amongst trucks than passenger-sized vehicles, simply because there is so much more wear and tear on the brake systems of large trucks. Tire blowouts can also cause override accidents if they cause a truck driver to lose control of his or her vehicle. Again, blowouts occur more often with commercial vehicles, which are extremely heavy and required to travel many thousands of miles. In these cases, the trucking company that operates the vehicles and is required to properly inspect and maintain the vehicles could be held liable for a resulting collision if they failed to replace the tires or check the brake system regularly.

Reach Out to Our Tampa Truck Accident Attorneys

As long standing members of this community, we are deeply invested in the well-being of its residents and use all of our nearly 40 years of experience and access to local resources to help Tampa accident victims assert their legal rights. To set up a meeting with one of our dedicated and compassionate Tampa truck accident attorneys, call Anderson & Anderson at 813-251-0072 or send us an online message. We are standing by and eager to help you through each phase of your case.

Sources:

nhtsa.gov/document/heavy-vehicle-crash-data-collection-and-analysis-characterize-rear-and-side-underride-and

justicepays.com/news/car-merging-into-mack-truck-semi-causes-three-vehicle-crash-on-i-75-near-river-road-wednesday