Oklahoma City Garbage Truck Accidents
We like to think of garbage trucks as harmless, lumbering neighborhood vehicles posing no threat other than slowing down a morning commute to work by blocking the road. Unfortunately, these heavy-duty trucks weigh up to 25 tons and place vulnerable motorists and pedestrians at great risk in accidents. Accidents involving garbage trucks occur more often than you might think, with over 1,400 injuries and 107 fatalities in garbage truck accidents in the most recent full data year.
No one starts a day expecting to have an accident, particularly one involving a garbage truck, but motorists and pedestrians suffer injuries in garbage truck accidents every day, including in Oklahoma. If you were involved in an accident, please speak with a truck accident attorney in Oklahoma City for legal guidance.
What Causes Garbage Truck Accidents?
Garbage and recycling trucks have limited visibility and extensive blind spots. Drivers rely on the worker at the back of the truck to let them know when the way is clear for reversing, increasing the chances of accidents. Other causes of garbage truck accidents in Oklahoma City and elsewhere include the following:
- Garbage trucks are typically out in the pre-dawn hours when lighting is poor
- Garbage trucks require long stopping times
- Drivers make wide turns and frequent stops and starts
- Garbage trucks may block roadways when sanitation workers collect trash on both sides of the road to save time
- Trucks may have inadequate maintenance or mechanical problems
- Drivers may be inexperienced or have inadequate training
- Trucks may have unbalanced loads or the load may shift suddenly, causing instability
- Falling objects from garbage trucks may cause accidents
- Heavy garbage trucks may cause uneven tire wear and blowouts
Driver error, inadequate repair, or improper maintenance leave garbage companies or city refuse agencies liable for damages to injury victims.
Injuries In Garbage Truck Accidents in Oklahoma
When an accident occurs between a garbage truck and a standard passenger vehicle or exposed pedestrian, motorists in the smaller vehicle often receive the worst of the injuries. Severe and sometimes life-changing injuries have long-ranging consequences for the victim’s life. These are the “damages” in a personal injury claim against the liable party’s insurance or through a lawsuit in court if the insurance company fails to offer an ample settlement to cover the damages. Common injuries in garbage truck accidents in Oklahoma include the following:
- Fractures
- Head injuries/traumatic brain injuries
- Neck injuries
- Back injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Internal organ damage
- Lacerations, contusions, and abrasions
- Facial and dental trauma
- Soft tissue injuries to shoulder, knee, ankle, or wrist
Injuries quickly become expensive, with damages ranging from mild injuries involving a single large hospital bill and a missed paycheck, to severe, life-altering injuries with permanent disability.
What Damages Can I Recover In a Garbage Truck Accident Claim in Oklahoma City?
Because heavy-duty garbage trucks outweigh standard cars by more than 50,000 pounds, injuries in garbage truck accidents more commonly occur to motorists in smaller vehicles involved in collisions. Pedestrians face the greatest risk of catastrophic or fatal injuries in accidents involving garbage trucks.
Damages in garbage truck accident claims quickly escalate. Common damages recovered from liable parties in garbage truck accident claims include property damage to a vehicle, medical expenses, lost income, lowered future earning capacity, and compensation for pain and suffering. If a loved one dies due to injuries in a garbage truck accident, a wrongful death claim recovers damages for close family members.
How Can a Truck Accident Attorney In Oklahoma City Help?
No one should have to take on a complex accident claim alone. Different time limits and other requirements apply to a claim when the accident involves a city or government entity. Call a personal injury lawyer in Oklahoma City from Dan Davis Law for experienced representation in this unique claim category.