Squeeze Play Accidents

Many drivers of passenger cars do not realize how much more difficult it is to operate a semi truck, tractor-trailer, or big rig than a standard passenger vehicle. Generally, commercial trucks are much heavier and larger than a passenger car, which may make ordinary turns and merges much more dangerous. Truck drivers must routinely make wide turns, but sometimes these maneuvers may turn into squeeze play accidents. It is important to retain a Los Angeles truck accident lawyer who is familiar with this type of litigation if you have been hurt or a loved one has been killed by a careless trucker.

A semi or big rig cannot make a tight turn. When it is necessary to make a tight right turn, the truck starts the turn by swinging wide to the left and then starting the turn. The initial wide turn may mislead drivers around the vehicle, including people who will be near the truck after the turn is complete. Sometimes the cab of the truck is in a different lane of traffic as it swings, and this may result in a side-impact collision. The swing may not be sufficient to complete the turn, or opposing traffic may be confused by it.

At other times, a driver may mistakenly think that the right lane is empty and drive forward into the gap between the truck and the curb. A car that is between the truck and the right curb may get squeezed, and the passengers of the car might be seriously injured or killed.

While a collision may harm everyone involved in it, most of the time, the harm is disproportionate to a smaller vehicle or a pedestrian. Sometimes the roof of a car will be sliced off or crushed, which may result in catastrophic head injuries or crushing injuries. Often, the truck driver walks away from this type of accident entirely unscathed, since they are inside something that weighs up to 80,000 pounds and is elevated off the ground, away from the point of impact.

Generally, drivers are supposed to try to stay out of the blind spots all around an 18-wheeler and stay a safe distance from the rear of a truck. Drivers are supposed to pass only if there is room to do so safely and avoid driving up next to the truck when it seems to be turning in any direction.

If you were injured or a loved one was killed in a squeeze play accident, you may be able to sue the truck driver for negligence. You must prove that the truck driver owed you an obligation to drive safely, did not meet this obligation, and caused your injuries. For example, a truck driver who failed to check blind spots or turn on a turn signal might be found to have breached the duty to drive safely.

In some cases, you may also have a basis to sue the trucking company that employs the driver. An employer may be vicariously liable for its employee's negligence in the course and scope of employment. It may also be possible to hold a trucking company directly liable in a case of negligent hiring, negligent training, or negligent supervision. Some truck drivers simply do not know how to make wide turns safely in a big commercial truck. The trucking company is supposed to make sure that its drivers know how to operate a piece of heavy machinery safely, and it must provide the appropriate training before sending drivers out onto the road with a big rig, semi, or tractor-trailer.

Squeeze play accidents involving a large commercial truck may be devastating to people in smaller vehicles. Often, a personal injury lawsuit is the only means by which accident victims can afford the medical bills and lost wages that are typically encountered after a squeeze play accident. At Sharifi Firm, APC, our Los Angeles attorneys may be able to help you recover compensation. Contact us online or at (866) 422-7222 for a free appointment with a motor vehicle collision lawyer. We also represent victims in San Bernardino, Temecula, Rancho Cucamonga, Glendale, Covina, and Riverside, as well as other cities.