Harrisonburg Wide Turn Truck Accident Lawyer

One common cause of commercial truck accidents is that the semi-truck turning radius is much larger than that of smaller vehicles. Because of this, many trucks need to swing out wide before they can make a turn, which can result in collisions if drivers don’t pay attention.

If you suffered injuries in a truck accident caused by a wide turn, contact Kendall Law Firm for a free consultation with a wide turn accident lawyer serving Harrisonburg, VA. During your initial consultation, we’ll review your case, explain your options for seeking the compensation you deserve, and go over what the truck accident claims process entails.

What Is a Wide Turn Accident?

A wide turn truck accident occurs when a truck goes wide to make a sharp turn and collides with another vehicle. Typically, wide-turning trucks collide with other vehicles in four main ways:

• The truck cuts off another vehicle as it turns in after swinging out.
• The truck squeezes another vehicle as it swings out.
• The truck collides with another vehicle head-on as it swings out on a two-lane road.
• The truck collides with another vehicle on the road it’s turning onto because it requires more space than the allotted lane to complete the turn.

How Can an Experienced Truck Accident Lawyer Help?

The experienced wide turn truck accident lawyers from Kendall Law Firm can help with all aspects of your case, including the following:

• Investigating the Incident – Our Harrisonburg truck accident lawyers will thoroughly investigate the crash to identify all liable parties.
• Gathering Evidence – We will gather evidence in support of your case, including accident scene photographs, eyewitness statements, testimony from accident reconstruction experts, and truck black box data.
• Coordinating with Healthcare Providers – Our attorneys will talk with your healthcare providers to obtain your medical records and other necessary medical evidence.
• Calculating Your Damages – We will calculate the compensation you are entitled to by calculating your total medical expenses, lost wages, and personal losses.
• Negotiating with Insurance Companies – Our lawyers will negotiate with the trucking company’s insurer on your behalf and seek a favorable settlement.
• Advocating for Your Rights – If the insurance company refuses to offer a fair settlement, our personal injury attorneys in Harrisonburg will take your truck accident case to trial and seek the maximum compensation you deserve.

Types of Wide Turn Accidents

In general, there are only two types of wide turn accidents: those caused by the truck turning right and those caused by the truck turning left. Wide right turn accidents are more common because trucks need extra space to make those turns. Understanding how these accidents work is crucial for truck accident cases:

• Wide Right Turns – Commercial trucks need to make wide right turns because they’re too long to make sharp, 90-degree turns. If a large truck driver tried to make a right turn normally, they’d cut the corner and collide with traffic lights, telephone poles, and pedestrians on the sidewalk. To avoid this, they often swing out left before turning right, which can cause them to collide with other vehicles if the drivers aren’t careful.
• Wide Left Turns – Left turns are less sharp than right turns because the trucks cross extra lanes that give them the necessary space. However, large trucks may still need to swing out wide to the right in order to turn left at some tight intersections.

Common Causes of Wide Turn Accidents

Some of the most common causes of wide turn accidents are:

• Distracted Driving – When truck drivers don’t pay attention to their surroundings, they can easily squeeze a smaller vehicle when swinging wide or cut them off when turning back in.
• Failure to Check Mirrors – It’s crucial for truck drivers to take wide turns slowly and constantly check their mirrors to make sure they have a clear space to turn.
• Failure to Use Turn Signals – If a truck driver doesn’t use their turn signals, other motorists may not realize they plan to make a wide turn.
• Unclear Maneuvers – If a driver swings out extra wide before turning, other motorists may assume they’re going straight through the intersection.
• Overloaded Cargo – When cargo is overloaded, exceeding allowed length or width limits, drivers may require even more space to make sharp turns.

Truck Wide Right Turn Accident Fault

There can be multiple liable parties in a wide right turn accident. These parties include the truck driver, the trucking company, the cargo loader if overloaded cargo played a role, and even a government entity if poorly maintained roads contributed to the crash.

To determine and prove liability, our wide turn accident lawyers will gather supporting evidence, such as the following:

• Accident scene photographs
• Traffic camera footage
• Eyewitness statements
• Expert testimony
• Truck maintenance records
• Truck log books
• Your medical records

Compensation You Can Recover in a Truck Accident Claim

Truck accident victims can seek various forms of compensation after a wide turn accident, including:

• Medical Expenses – Compensation for past and future medical treatments, devices, medications, and physical therapy for your injuries.
• Lost Wages – Compensation for the income you lost or will lose because of your injuries’ impact on your ability to work
• Permanent Disability – Compensation for accommodating permanent disability suffered in the accident, such as if you need to modify your
• home or vehicle to be accessible
• Pain and Suffering – Compensation for the physical pain and emotional suffering you experienced because of the accident
• Loss of Consortium – Compensation for the loss of your marital relationship if your spouse died in the wide turn accident

If the liable party’s actions were especially reckless or egregious, you may be able to seek punitive damages. These damages punish the at-fault party rather than compensate you for your losses. In Virginia, the cap on punitive damages is $350,000.

Contact Our Wide Turn Accident Attorneys for a Free Consultation

If you were injured in a wide turn accident involving a large truck in Harrisonburg, we can help. Our firm has over 30 years of experience representing victims — not insurance companies or big corporations — in personal injury cases. We have a reputation for fighting aggressively to recover the maximum compensation accident victims need to get their lives back in order. In addition, you’ll never be charged anything unless we win money for your accident case.

Let us show you what our experience can do for you. Contact Kendall Law Firm for a free, no-obligation consultation with an experienced truck accident lawyer.