Commercial truck crashes can be some of the most devastating accidents on Colorado’s roadways. There were 4,715 accidents involving medium and heavy trucks in Colorado in 2024. These crashes resulted in 88 deaths and 1,100 recorded injuries. While nationally, the number of fatal commercial motor vehicle accidents has declined since 2022, Colorado has seen this number remain relatively steady.
Some of the most dangerous and deadly commercial motor vehicle (CMV) crashes are side impact T-bone or underride crashes. Underride crashes in particular are often the most catastrophic accidents that can happen and frequently result in severe or fatal injuries for the occupants of passenger cars.
If you or a loved one suffered injuries in an underride semi truck crash, you need the best truck crash attorney near you to help hold the trucking company or driver responsible.
Have you been injured in a semi truck accident?
Call The Law Offices of Peter M. Anderson at 303-444-1505
Understanding The Dangers Of T-Bone And Underride Semi Truck Accidents
T-bone crashes are some of the most common car and truck accidents on Colorado roadways. In Denver, truck accidents are common given the major highways, distribution hubs, and heavy road construction. But this type of crash can also occur frequently on rural highways and at intersections or when someone is turning onto a different road.
While dangerous when involving passenger vehicles, T-bone crashes involving semi trucks can be some of the most dangerous and deadly on the road. The size and weight of a semi truck, often 20 times that of a passenger car or SUV, means that even low speed impacts can cause extensive property damage or injuries.
Underride crashes represent the most dangerous type of T-bone or side impact accidents involving semi trucks. Underride crashes occur when a passenger car or SUV slides underneath the side of the trailer of the semi truck. The impact forces the passenger compartment, sitting higher than the front end, to crush against the trailer’s side and bottom. The violent intrusion into the passenger compartment often results in catastrophic injuries or fatalities.
Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that side underride crashes with semi trucks cause nearly 100 deaths a year. That is why the NHTSA has tried to take steps to address the dangers and protect truck accident victims and commercial drivers.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Is Trying to Make Underride Crashes Safer
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) currently has no rules or regulations requiring trucking companies or motor carriers to install side underride guards on the trailers in their fleets. Federal regulations do require rear impact underride guards on any trailer with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of more than 10,000 lbs. In 2023, the NHTSA upgraded these standards to require that the rear underride guard be able to prevent the underride of a passenger car at an impact speed of 35 mph. And the trucking industry has fought recent attempts to require side underride guards.
This regulatory gap leaves passenger vehicles vulnerable in side impact scenarios with tractor trailers.
The NHTSA issued a report to Congress in June of 2024 assessing the use of side underride guards for trailers and semitrailers. The report found that implementation of side impact guards would have 97% effectiveness in mitigating fatalities and 85% effectiveness in mitigating serious injuries at speeds of up to 40 mph. The NHTSA surprisingly found that requiring these guards would save only 17 lives per year.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) criticized the NHTSA’s findings for undercounting the number of deaths caused by side underride crashes. The IIHS estimates that side underride guards would save 10 times as many lives as the NHTSA report found, between 159-217 lives per year.
According to IIHS, side underride guards could save even more lives when researchers include non-perpendicular crashes in their analysis. IIHS also contends that regulators underestimated side impact underride guard effectiveness, as their crash tests demonstrate many aftermarket guards perform well at 40 mph and possibly beyond.
The NHTSA placed rulemaking on side impact underride guards on hold following the report. The NHTSA points to new automatic emergency braking requirements for passenger cars and light trucks, believing these systems could still reduce underride crashes.
You Need Experienced Truck Crash Attorneys to Help You if You or a Loved One Is Involved In An Underride Crash
In situations involving commercial motor vehicles or semi-trucks, it’s crucial to have a lawyer who possesses the expertise and knowledge to manage these unique cases, especially when addressing incidents such as T-bone collisions or underride accidents. The severity of T-bone or side impact crashes often result in traumatic brain injuries, paralysis, or death. A general personal injury lawyer will not have the experience or knowledge to hold trucking companies liable for these crashes.
By definition, underride accidents occur when a passenger car crashes into the trailer of a semi truck. Many defense attorneys, trucking companies, and insurance companies, will deny the truck driver’s negligence and claim that you were at fault.
Establishing a trucking company’s liability is not easy in these circumstances. But an experienced and skilled Colorado truck crash lawyer knows what to look for and how to determine liability.
These crashes are frequently the result of a commercial truck driver making an illegal or dangerous turn, running a stop sign or red light, or even getting stuck in a turn or intersection. Factors that a good Colorado truck crash attorney will look at to establish liability in T-bone or underride crashes are:
>Was the driver properly trained?
Motor carriers and trucking companies have a responsibility to ensure that every driver they put behind the wheel of one of their trucks is experienced and educated enough to operate safely. This includes knowing how to safely make turns, change lanes, and obey traffic laws. A driver that makes the decision to make a dangerous or illegal turn or even a U-turn in a semi truck, is not well trained. A trucking company can be liable for that driver’s actions.
>Was the truck driver distracted or impaired?
Distracted driving or driving under the influence is always dangerous, especially when the driver is behind an 80,000-pound CMV. Distraction can cause a semi driver to miss a stop sign or turn causing a sudden and unnecessary lane changes or turn into a passenger car’s path.
>Was the route chosen by the driver or trucking company safe?
A good and responsible trucking company will send their drivers on the safest route to their destination. Routing choices that place semi trucks on roads requiring dangerous left hand or U-turns can expose trucking companies to liability.
>Could the Truck Driver Read the Signs?
Federal regulations require drivers to read and understand English well enough to understand the road signs and signals. If a driver takes a dangerous action because they did not understand the signs or instructions warning against it, that is also the fault of the trucking company.
>Did the Trucking Company Cut Corners?
While the FMCSA does not yet require side impact guards on trailers, they do exist and are not very expensive. Good truck crash attorneys know that a trucking company can still bear responsibility for not equipping their trucks with the latest safety technology.
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A good Colorado truck crash attorney will know to evaluate each of these factors and more to determine whether or not the trucking company bears fault for the crash. If you are a victim of a T-bone or underride crash, you need a Colorado truck crash lawyer with the experience and education to win tough commercial truck accident cases. You cannot simply find a car accident attorney near you and expect to get the help you need for personal injury claims from a complex truck crash.Attorneys at the Law Offices of Peter M. Anderson have the experience and education necessary to handle complex truck accident claims. Peter M. Anderson is board-certified in truck accident law by the Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys, one of only two such qualified in the state of Colorado. He can navigate the complex federal regulations applicable to your injury claims. He has a history of successfully holding negligent truck drivers and trucking companies responsible in serious truck crash cases. Call the Law Offices of Peter M. Anderson, Colorado Truck Accident Lawyer, at 303-444-1505 today.