The Dangers of Underride Truck Accidents

Think of your vehicle safety system. You’ve got frontal and side-impact airbags, crumple zones, and seatbelts, all designed to protect you from a standard collision. Underride truck accidents are not standard collisions. They are catastrophes. When a regular vehicle collides with a commercial trailer, the windshield explodes inward. The roof shears off. The passenger compartment caves in. Survival often comes down to bare inches and pure luck. 

This article discusses what actually happens in underride crashes, the equipment failures that cause them, and how a Wyoming truck accident attorney can help victims pursue the compensation they deserve. 

Understanding the Mechanics of Underride Truck Accidents 

Underride truck accidents occur when passenger vehicles crash into the trailer, not the truck that’s pulling it. There are two types of these collisions: 

• Rear underride collision: A vehicle strikes the back of a flatbed or semi-trailer and slides underneath. The trailer rides over the hood and into the passenger compartment at or slightly above windshield level.  

• Side underride collision: A vehicle crashes into and slides under the side of the trailer. This often happens during a wide turn or lane change and is typically more deadly. 

Standard safety systems provide zero protection in these crashes because the point of impact is above a passenger vehicle’s crush zone. The windshield and roofline take the force of impact. This collapses the vehicle’s structural pillars and exposes passengers to severe head, neck, and chest injuries. They call it “catastrophic cabin intrusion.” 

Inadequate Impact Guards  

Federal law requires commercial trucks to attach rear underride guards, also known as Mansfield bars, to trailers. Unfortunately, the current standard for rear guards has been found insufficient in actual crashes. They collapse on impact and provide little protection. 

In 2022, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) looked at all the data from Mansfield bar defects and announced new requirements for sturdier rear guards. However, stronger rear guards are not federally mandated, and the trucking industry has resisted reform.  

While research from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has shown that side underride guards save lives, they are not federally mandated.  

Common Causes of Underride Collisions on Wyoming Highways 

Wyoming has plenty of high-speed highway corridors that unfortunately contribute to an increased possibility of underride crashes.  

Imagine it: A semi-truck barreling down I-80 after dark suddenly stops, perhaps to avoid a group of deer or elk crossing the road. If the back of the trailer has a rickety Mansfield bar and dim reflectors, an oncoming driver from behind is in serious danger. 

Trailers can be hard to see in certain daytime conditions too. Their colors tend to range from off-white to light gray, causing them to blend in with the background in rainy, snowy, cloudy, or foggy weather. An oncoming driver, fatigued from Wyoming’s long highway stretches, might not see the trailer in time. 

Other contributing factors could be: 

• Burned out or missing lights and reflectors on trailers 

• Wide turns in low-light conditions with oncoming traffic 

• Distracted driving 

• Stopped or jackknifed trailers on high-speed interstates 

Life-Altering Consequences of Underride Injuries 

Fatalities are common in underride crashes, even in medium-speed (35 to 50 mph) collisions. Still, a life-ending injury can be life-altering to the victim’s friends and family. 

Drivers and passengers who survive these accidents still suffer catastrophic truck crash injuries. These can include: 

• Traumatic brain injury and skull fractures 

• Severe facial trauma and crushed windpipe 

• Spinal cord injuries and paralysis 

• Severe lacerations from shattered glass and metal intrusion 

• Crushed ribs and damage to lungs and heart 

Underride crashes cause injury patterns not seen in standard truck accidents. When the roof of a vehicle is crushed or removed by a trailer, the damage to human beings is almost never minor. 

Determining Liability in an Underride Accident Case 

After an underride crash, liability follows a chain of failures that rarely stops with the driver. He or she might have been fatigued, distracted, made a sudden stop, or simply failed to signal for oncoming traffic. However, further investigation can lead to other negligent parties, such as: 

• The trucking company for the employed driver’s individual negligence, and also for failing to maintain equipment or following proper inspection procedures 

• The trailer manufacturer for non-compliant or shoddy Mansfield guard design 

• Third-party maintenance technicians for a faulty rear underride guard  

• Tire manufacturers if a defect-related blow out caused the truck/trailer to lose control, and 

• The shipping company if improper cargo loading caused the trailer to tilt or made slowing/stopping more difficult 

Wyoming follows a comparative fault rule when it comes to automobile and truck crashes. This means fault can be shared across all parties deemed negligent. Each one could be responsible for paying a share of the compensation damages proportionate to their share of fault. 

We Can Help with Your Underride Accident Claim 

Underride truck accident injuries can be catastrophic for survivors and life-altering for those who care for them. This is why it’s important to have the right people fighting for you. Edwards Law Office, P.C., has experienced attorneys who will pursue justice and compensation so you can concentrate on rebuilding your life.  

If you or a loved one has suffered injury from an underride truck collision due to another party’s negligence, you can’t go wrong with a free consultation. We are here for you.