What If an 18-Wheeler Made a Wide Turn and Hit My Car?

But the fact that an 18-wheeler needs extra turning space does not automatically excuse a collision.

If an 18-wheeler made a wide turn and hit your car in Louisiana, the investigation should determine whether the truck driver planned the turn properly, checked surrounding traffic, used appropriate signals, allowed enough clearance, and maintained control of the entire tractor-trailer.

FMCSA specifically recognizes that trucks require extra space and time for wide turns and advises commercial drivers to make those turns carefully and signal appropriately.

Why Do 18-Wheelers Make Wide Turns?

A tractor-trailer cannot always follow the same turning path as a passenger vehicle.

Because of its length, the trailer wheels can track inside the tractor’s path.

A driver making a right turn may therefore need additional room to avoid:

• curbs;
• signs;
• poles;
• parked vehicles;
• pedestrians; or
• other obstacles.

The maneuver must still be completed safely.

What Is a Right-Turn Squeeze Accident?

One dangerous situation occurs when a passenger vehicle becomes trapped between a turning truck and the curb or roadside.

The truck’s tractor may initially move left, creating what appears to be open space on the truck’s right.

As the truck begins turning, the trailer moves across that space.

A passenger vehicle already occupying the area can be struck or squeezed.

Determining fault depends on exactly how the vehicles arrived at their positions.

What If I Was Already Beside the Truck?

That can be an important fact.

If your vehicle was lawfully positioned beside the truck before the driver began the turn, investigators should determine whether the driver knew or should have known you were there.

Relevant evidence may include:

• witnesses;
• surveillance video;
• dashcams;
• side-camera footage;
• vehicle damage;
• lane markings; and
• traffic signals.

What If the Truck Turned From the Wrong Lane?

The roadway configuration matters.

Some large trucks may require additional space to negotiate tight intersections, but drivers still must comply with applicable traffic requirements and operate safely.

Photographs of the intersection can help document:

• lane markings;
• turn lanes;
• signs;
• curb location;
• lane width; and
• traffic-control devices.

Do not rely solely on memory when the physical roadway can be documented.

What If the Truck Did Not Signal?

Turn signals provide important warning to nearby motorists.

A driver who begins a wide turn without adequate signaling may leave another motorist with little opportunity to recognize what is happening.

Potential evidence can include video and witness testimony.

The truck itself may also need to be inspected if there is a question about whether its lights or signals were working.

What If the Driver Says I Tried to Pass on the Right?

That allegation should be investigated.

The positions and timing of the vehicles matter.

There is a difference between a motorist intentionally trying to squeeze around an actively turning truck and a motorist who was already occupying a lane when the truck began moving into it.

Objective evidence can help distinguish those scenarios.

Could the Driver’s Blind Spot Be Involved?

Yes.

Large trucks have significant blind spots around the vehicle.

FMCSA advises truck drivers to check mirrors frequently and remain aware of vehicles entering blind spots.

The fact that a vehicle was difficult to see does not necessarily answer whether the truck driver used reasonable care before initiating the turn.

Could Inadequate Training Be a Factor?

Possibly.

Turning a tractor-trailer safely requires skill.

Drivers need to understand:

• off-tracking;
• trailer movement;
• mirror use;
• blind spots;
• lane positioning;
• clearance; and
• appropriate speed.

If a driver’s maneuver suggests a training or qualification problem, records relating to the driver’s experience and training may become relevant.

Could the Trucking Company Be Responsible?

Depending on the circumstances, the trucking company’s conduct may also require investigation.

Potential issues include:

• driver qualification;
• training;
• supervision;
• prior safety incidents;
• vehicle maintenance; and
• company safety practices.

The driver’s employment or operating relationship with the motor carrier should also be identified.

What If the Truck Hit Me and Kept Going?

Try to record identifying information without placing yourself in danger.

Useful information includes:

• company name;
• USDOT number;
• tractor number;
• trailer number;
• license plate;
• logo;
• trailer markings;
• time;
• location; and
• direction of travel.

Report the accident to law enforcement.

Nearby surveillance cameras may help identify the truck.

What If the Trailer Ran Over Part of My Vehicle?

These collisions can be catastrophic.

A trailer can crush portions of a passenger vehicle or force it into another object.

The physical truck and trailer may need to be inspected, particularly when there are questions about contact points or equipment.

Vehicle preservation may also be important.

What Evidence Should Be Collected?

Potential evidence includes:

• scene photographs;
• intersection video;
• business surveillance;
• truck dashcam footage;
• side-camera footage;
• witness statements;
• police records;
• GPS data;
• electronic vehicle information;
• driver qualification records;
• training records;
• company safety materials; and
• photographs of both vehicles.

Because surveillance systems may overwrite footage, locating cameras quickly can be important.

What Injuries Can Wide-Turn Truck Accidents Cause?

A low-speed turn does not necessarily mean minor injuries.

An 18-wheeler’s weight can cause severe crushing forces.

Victims may suffer:

• head injuries;
• spinal injuries;
• fractures;
• pelvic injuries;
• crush injuries;
• internal injuries;
• nerve damage;
• amputations;
• paralysis; or
• permanent impairment.

Pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcyclists can face particularly severe risks in turning-truck collisions.

What If I Need Surgery or Cannot Work?

Document the effect of the accident carefully.

Keep:

• medical records;
• bills;
• prescriptions;
• surgery recommendations;
• rehabilitation records;
• work restrictions;
• wage records; and
• information concerning missed employment.

Permanent injuries may require evaluation of future medical needs and future earning capacity.

What Insurance May Apply?

Commercial trucking operations can involve commercial auto liability insurance and potentially additional coverage depending on the facts.

If another company owned the equipment or contributed to the collision, additional policies may need to be investigated.

No specific amount of insurance should be assumed without examining the actual coverage.

How Long Do I Have in Louisiana?

Louisiana’s current Civil Code provides a general two-year prescriptive period for delictual actions, beginning on the day injury or damage is sustained.

However, the correct deadline can depend on the accident date and specific circumstances.

More importantly for a truck investigation, evidence can disappear well before the legal filing deadline.

Do not treat the prescription period as a reason to delay evidence preservation.

What Should I Do After a Wide-Turn Truck Wreck?

Get medical care first.

Then preserve whatever evidence you safely can.

Photograph the intersection and lane markings.

Identify witnesses.

Save dashcam footage.

Document the truck’s identifying information.

Keep correspondence from insurance companies.

And be cautious about signing a release before the nature and extent of serious injuries are understood.

Jacqueline Scott & Associates Investigates Louisiana 18-Wheeler Turning Accidents

A trucking company may say, "Trucks have to swing wide."

That may be true.

But trucks also have to be operated safely.

If an 18-wheeler’s wide turn resulted in a serious collision, the investigation should determine whether the driver properly planned the maneuver, checked surrounding traffic, signaled, allowed sufficient clearance, and maintained control of the tractor and trailer.

Jacqueline Scott & Associates can investigate the truck driver, trucking company, video, electronic evidence, training records, equipment, and potentially applicable insurance.

Make ’Em Pay.

Call Jacqueline Scott & Associates at (318) 746-5997.

Every case is different. Results depend on the specific facts and circumstances of each individual matter. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. This article is general educational information and is not legal advice.

This article is general information about Louisiana law and is not legal advice. Laws and deadlines can change, and every case depends on its own facts. Past results do not guarantee or predict future outcomes. Reading this page or contacting the firm does not by itself create an attorney-client relationship.