According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the underride
guards on tractor-trailers are not strong enough to prevent a smaller
vehicle from getting under a big rig during a rear-end crash. The consequences
can prove deadly for the car occupants. Over 350 people a year are killed
in truck underride accidents. If weak or inadequate underride guards are
causing preventable injuries and deaths, the victims and their families
may have grounds for an auto products liability case.
The IIHS arrived at these findings after its new crash tests and analysis
showed that the underride guards may fail in low-speed collisions. For
example, when the Institute crashed a 2010 Chevy Malibu moving at 35 mph
into a parked trailer equipped with a rear guard that meets US standards,
the guard gave away, causing the vehicle to slide underneath the trailer
and crushing it. The IIHS says that if real people had been in the car
they likely would not have survived. The Institute also examined Large
Truck Crash Causation Study data to identify crash patterns involving
the rear underride of semi-trailers and heavy trucks both with and without
guards. Of the 115 truck crashes involving a passenger auto rear-ending
a large truck, underride was a common outcome.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 423 vehicle
occupants of cars that rear-ended large trucks are killed each year. Over
5,000 others are injured. Among the serious injuries that can result are
decapitation, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, crushed
bones, facial injuries, massive internal injuries, and wrongful death. An
ABC News story cites Nancy Meuleners, who lost part of her tongue and her jaw in
a rear underride truck crash. She has had to undergo 40 surgeries and
her life was catastrophically altered because of the accident.
The IIHS says that if big rigs were equipped with stronger rear impact
guards, some of the injuries and deaths could be prevented. The IIHS is
petitioning the federal government to require that durable underride guards
that are able to stay in place during a rear-end crash become a requirement
for more large trucks and trailers.
Our automotive products liability law firm represents victims of catastrophic
motor vehicle accidents caused by defective auto parts.
Underride guards on big rigs often fail in crashes; Institute petitions
government for new standard, IIHS, March 1, 2011
Truck Underride Accidents: Drivers Endangered When Cars Slide Under Trailers, ABC News, March 1, 2011
Related Web Resources:
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Contact our products liability lawyers today.
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