An underride accident involves a very small vehicle and a much larger one, such as a semi-truck. It’s a unique type of accident where the smaller car passes at least partially under the larger vehicle.
For example, say a driver is heading straight down a city street when a semi-truck turns left in front of their vehicle. They don’t have time to stop and strike the trailer between the wheels. The smaller car ends up wedged under the trailer.
These are extremely dangerous accidents with a high fatality rate. Here are two factors that make them so hazardous:
Upper body injuries
To begin with, people in the smaller vehicle are at greater risk of suffering upper body injuries, such as chest, spine, neck or head injuries. In the example above, the bottom edge of the semi’s trailer could impact the middle of the windshield on the smaller car. This is a much higher impact point than in collisions between two equally sized vehicles, where most of the damage is confined to the bumper or the car’s structure.
Difficulty for emergency crews
Another issue is that passengers in smaller vehicles are often trapped, along with their vehicles. This can result in significant delays for emergency crews working to free injured parties from the wreckage. These delays can prevent timely medical care, meaning that some injuries—such as serious internal bleeding—have time to become fatal.
If you have lost a loved one or suffered serious injuries in an underride accident, make sure you know what legal steps to take. You may deserve compensation for medical bills, funeral costs, lost earnings and much more.
