Recent Accident involving Tractor-Trailer Takes a Life

A recent crash in the Las Vegas area has caused the death of one driver. The accident comes as safety experts and lawmakers debate a change to large truck safety requirements that may have prevented the crash. Read on to learn more about the accident as well as the safety protections that may have prevented it, and contact a seasoned Henderson personal injury lawyer if you’ve been hurt in a truck accident caused by another’s negligence.

Rear-end crash results in fatal injuries

Early in the morning of Tuesday, June 26, 2018, a 22-year-old man was driving a 2012 Honda Civic north on South Rainbow Boulevard in the southwest valley of Las Vegas. The Civic was following a 1996 Peterbilt tractor-trailer. Near the intersection of South Rainbow and West Robindale Road, the Civic crashed into the rear-end of the tractor-trailer. The 22-year-old man became the 67th traffic fatality within the Las Vegas metropolitan area so far in 2018.

Underride protections could prevent fatal accidents

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 4,300 people were killed in accidents involving tractor-trailers and other large commercial trucks in 2016, which is 5% higher than the total from 2015. While official statistics aren’t available to prove it, safety experts assert that many of these fatalities occur in underride crashes. In an underride accident, a smaller passenger vehicle strikes the side, rear, or front of a semi-truck and is wedged beneath the truck. These accidents can do catastrophic damage to the passenger cabin of the smaller vehicle. These crashes may tear the roof off of passenger cabins or simply crush them. The injuries to the occupants can be grave, if not fatal.

In order to limit these crashes, lawmakers and roadway safety researchers have proposed requiring large trucks to use underride guards that are more effective in preventing underride accidents. Currently, guards on the sides and front end of trailers are optional for use by trucks, and rear guards are required, but not at an impact rating that prevents a substantial amount of underride crashes. Safety researchers suggest that installing panels on the front, sides, and rear of large trucks which are rated to stop a car traveling at 35 mph could go a long way in keeping passenger vehicle drivers safe around large trucks.

If you’ve been hurt in a crash in Nevada and want seasoned legal help in getting the money you deserve for your injuries, contact the dedicated and effective Henderson personal injury lawyers at the David Boehrer Law Firm for a free consultation at 702-750-0750.