Houston Jackknife Accident Lawyers

It might seem like a jackknife accident was caused purely at random. But the truth is that most jackknife accidents are completely preventable. This is because they can often be linked to some form of negligence that could have been avoided if people were more careful about what they were doing.

Negligence that causes or contributes to jackknife accidents includes:

• Speeding: Truck drivers are not typically paid on an hourly basis. Instead, they are paid per mile driven. This payment system can tempt some truck drivers to speed, which, based on their unsafe assumptions, will let them get the same amount of money in a shorter amount of time. Jackknife accidents are far more likely when a truck is speeding because coming to a complete stop takes more time. If a truck driver is speeding and slams on the brakes, then the cab might come to a stop while the trailer keeps moving, which results in it sweeping widely and hitting drivers in adjacent lanes.
• Exhausted driving: The average shift for a truck driver is 14 hours with 11 hours behind the wheel. As the day goes on, exhaustion sets in more and more. Exhausted driving can increase the risk of a jackknife accident because the driver’s reaction time and judgment will both be impaired. If there is a stop in traffic, then they will have to suddenly slam the brakes and possibly cause a jackknife accident.
• Overloaded trailers: The heavier a trailer has been loaded, the more likely it will be uncontrollable during sudden stops. This is one of the reasons why trucks have a weight limit of 80,000 pounds, which was set by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). When a trailer has been overloaded, whether by accident or due to an intentional decision, the truck driver will be more likely to get into a jackknife accident.
• Poor truck maintenance: A jackknife accident can be caused by truck part defects and failures, which should be caught during routine maintenance. If the brakes fail, for example, then the truck will not come to a smooth stop. Instead, its tires can bounce across the asphalt as it slows down. The skidding motion can result in the trailer becoming uncontrollable to the point that it jackknifes and endangers everyone on the highway.