What are Underride Guards, and Do they Work?
Underride guards are steel structures attached to commercial trailers that prevent vehicles from traveling under the trailer in a rear-end collision. Underride guards are federally mandated on the back of semi-trailers, and testing is currently underway to determine the feasibility of such guards on the sides of trailers.
However, federally mandated guards are often ineffective because they do not provide adequate coverage, and vehicles still travel under trailers equipped with the federally mandated minimum coverage. Because of this, a company complying with federally mandated minimum requirements may not escape liability when it is known that further action must be taken to prevent serious injuries.
How To Avoid Underride Collisions
The trucking industry is aware of underride crashes and the risk they pose to the motoring public. If you find yourself in an underride crash and have suffered severe injuries, you may be entitled to compensation from the trucking company for failing to take reasonable steps to prevent underride crashes from happening. It is often wise to have a skilled attorney investigate the accident to determine if the trucking company or manufacturer is responsible for your injuries.
Compensation Available in an Underride Crash
The monetary compensation available in an underride accident will largely depend on the law of your state. Generally, injured motorists are entitled to compensation for all harm suffered in an accident. This includes economic and non-economic damages.
Economic damages are the out-of-pocket financial losses suffered in an accident. Economic damages include medical expenses, lost wages, property damage, future health care costs, and other expenses suffered as a result of the accident.
Non-economic damages include the monetary value of all emotional, mental, and physical suffering caused by an injury. Non-economic damages include physical pain and suffering, mental anguish, disfigurement, loss of enjoyment of life, and other intangible harms suffered by an injured victim.
In an underride crash, damages may be offset by each party’s degree of fault in causing the accident and injuries. Many accidents are caused by mistakes on both parties, and underride crashes are no exception. Because of this, before recovering for harm suffered in an underride crash, trained lawyers must identify and prove the degree of fault attributable to each party. If the lawyers cannot agree, the case may need a trial, where a jury apportions fault among the parties fairly and equitably.
Consulting an Underride Accident Attorney
If you have been injured in an underride accident and need help identifying the responsible party and proving liability, call The Ammons Law Firm. With over three decades of experience, we are highly skilled in truck accident cases and have established a track record of success. Our firm has recovered over $1 billion in fair compensation for people injured by others’ negligence and corporate wrongdoing and is committed to offering first-class representation to every client that walks through our door.
If you need a law firm you can trust and a team you can count on, call The Ammons Law Firm.
