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Truck Accidents

What does it mean when a semitruck has a jackknife crash?

Posted Oct 12, 2018 by Matt Boulton

Imagine you’re driving a semitruck in the dead of Indiana winter. Unbeknownst to you, there’s a patch of ice along the highway, situated at exactly the area where you need to suddenly stop to avoid a collision. You slam on the breaks, but the truck begins to slide. The next thing you know, the wheels of your trailer are sliding faster than the wheels of your cabin, and they’re causing your semitruck to slowly spin toward a sideways direction.

This is called a “jackknife” incident and it’s an extremely dangerous situation to be in — for yourself and anyone else who happens to be sharing the road with you. If you can’t stop the jackknifing, your truck could end up flipping over on its side and taking out anything and everything that happens to be in its path.

Jackknife collisions are common with bigger vehicles like semitrucks, box trucks and even pickup trucks. However, any type of vehicle could subject to a dangerous collision like this. As such, it’s important for all motorists to be on alert to prevent jackknife crashes — especially in bad weather conditions.

Here are two ways to reduce your chances of jackknifing:

Drive slower

When you drive your vehicle slower and don’t speed, you’re less likely to lose control. Always drive in a way that reflects road and weather conditions.

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Don’t try to stop too fast

Give the surrounding vehicles on the road plenty of room. This way, you’ll have more time to slow down and maneuver your vehicle in a safer more cautious manner. Quick stops and sudden maneuvers can cause your truck to jackknife and slide out of control in a heartbeat.

If you or a family member suffered serious injuries in a truck jackknifing accident, don’t delay in exploring your legal rights and options.

Matt Boulton

Author Matt Boulton

Attorney Matt Boulton is an award-winning personal injury attorney with more than 25 years of experience helping seriously injured people throughout Indiana. He designed his firm for the client who expects exceptional service and passionate, successful legal representation.

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