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The Anatomy of an Eighteen Wheeler

Trucks are commercial vehicles. This means that they are built, operated and maintained for the sole purpose of making money. They haul every conceivable item that you can think of in great quantities from one place to another.

They are not the only vehicles to do so. Boats haul freight, as do planes and trains. But trains travel on tracks that were built for that specific purpose. Not everyone can fly. Nor can everyone simply pilot an enormous shipping vessel.

Trucks and tractor trailers are unique in commercial shipping because they have to share roads and highways with people. They have to do their business in extremely close proximity with other vehicles that are much smaller and much more vulnerable. So as a result, the rules and regulations regarding trucks are very specific and very stringent.

As well they should be.

The legal weight for an eighteen wheeler is 80,000 pounds. That’s 4o tons to you or me. And that’s without any oversize or overweight permits. In comparison, the average automobile weighs over somewhere around 5,000 lbs. A car being hit by a tractor trailer (even at a low rate of speed) goes through enormous physical damage.

The average length of an eighteen wheeler varies greatly depending on the type of cab being driven. But the overall average is 70-80 ft. long. The length of an eighteen wheeler's cab usually averages between 245" to 265" wheelbase. This is measured from the center of the rear wheel to the center of the steer.

The length of time to stop an eighteen wheeler is 40% greater than that of an automobile, although it does depend on the weight of their load, road conditions, and other factors. But all things being equal, it does take much longer to bring a truck to a complete stop. You should also consider that eighteen wheels do not mean eighteen brakes. Eighteen wheelers only have ten brakes, and while they are required to be anti-lock brakes, the momentum involved is much greater than in an automobile.

Insurance on tractor trailers is made to reflect the enormous damage that they can do. Tractor trailers require a base limit of $750,000 on their primary liability insurance. In contrast, minimum liability insurance for automobiles is $25,000 for one person injured, $50,000 for two people injured, and $20,000 for property damage. The insurers are assuming that if there is an accident involving a tractor trailer, then people are going to get hurt. There is no such thing as a “fender bender” when a truck is involved.

People would make the assumption that when trucks aren’t carrying a trailer (a practice which is called “bobtailing,”) that they are somehow less dangerous. In fact the opposite is true. The truck still outweighs even the largest of SUV’s, and the control of the truck is lessened dramatically when the trailer isn’t attached. Insurers know this as well, which is why “bobtail” insurance is almost as pricey as regular freight insurance.

In other words, tractor trailers are dangerous. A collision with one, whether it is carrying freight or not, is practically guaranteed to cause the victims major physical injuries, assuming they survive at all.

But just because a truck is insured is no reason to assume that the insurance company will be acting in your best interests. In fact they will be acting in their best interests, and only theirs. They will deny responsibility. They will reject medical claims. And they will do everything in their power to minimize the amount of money that they have to pay out in claims.

This is true with automobile accident insurers, and this behavior is multiplied with tractor trailers, which often have more than one insurance policy. The driver may have one policy, while the trailer may have another, while the freight in the trailer has a separate policy as well. Determining which insurance policy is going to assume responsibility can be a nightmare, especially if representatives from each of them are pointing fingers either at the other policies or towards the victim.

The city of Norfolk is more than just a naval base. It is also a port town, which means that thousands of tons of freight are moved from our ports to destinations all over the country. Our roads and highways have more than their fair share of tractor trailers traveling upon them, and as a result we have a higher than average rate of truck accidents.

If you have been injured in a truck accident in Norfolk or Virginia Beach, having an attorney with experience in trucking accidents is crucial towards obtaining a settlement that is fair. The attorneys at Breit, Drescher and Imprevento have years of experience in securing fair settlements for those who have been injured by trucks due to no fault of their own. If you or a loved one has been injured in a truck accident, contact our offices for a free legal consultation today.

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