Injured in Oklahoma City? Call Warhawk Legal at (405) 397-1717 for a free consultation. Our personal injury attorneys work on contingency — you pay nothing unless we win your case.
Spring arrives soon and eventually summer, providing more chances for people to hit the road, traveling on Oklahoma highways. On those trips, drivers share the roads with many types of motor vehicles, including big-rig trucks.
Give special attention and remain alert when traveling near these colossal vehicles. A collision with these several-ton trucks will not lead to promising outcomes. Serious, debilitating and fatal injuries are likely for the drivers and passengers of the smaller vehicles involved in these collisions.
Avoid blind spots and tailgating
The safety of you and your passengers is essential, so here some crucial things to remember when sharing the road with large trucks:
- Avoid the truck driver’s blind spots: Also referred to as “no-zones,” the blind spots for a truck driver include the front, back and sides. Stay out of these areas. A truck driver’s change into another lane could prove fatal to you and your passengers.
- Safe passing is essential: Make sure to signal your turn when moving to the left lane. Then, quickly pass the truck. Do not drive side-by-side. You are in the truck driver’s blind spot, and this could prove dangerous. Once you have safely passed, make sure that you see the vehicle in your rearview mirror before changing lanes and getting in front of it.
- Give trucks lots of space: Especially when they merge in front of your vehicle as the truck driver changes lanes.
- Avoid swerving in front of a truck: Doing so may force the truck driver to make a sudden stop. Remember, an 18-wheeler likely cannot stop in time to avoid colliding with your vehicle.
- Do not tailgate: The first problem is that you are in the truck driver’s blind spot. If you follow too closely, tragic consequences may happen should you be unable to stop in time or another vehicle strikes yours from behind. You may find yourself in the usually fatal underride collision in which your vehicle slides under the truck.
- Understand large trucks make wide turns: Truck drivers perform this maneuver by swinging their vehicles to the left before safely turning to the right. It is reckless for any driver attempt to pass on the right by getting between the truck and curb. Once again, you are in the truck driver’s blind spot and a collision is possible.
By following these rules, you just may avoid a collision. Please stay safe on the roads
A skilled attorney can help
Not only must you as a driver remain alert to big-rig trucks, but the drivers of those large vehicles must do the same. Sometimes, truck drivers make mistakes that lead to collisions. When they do, you likely will not emerge unscathed. This is a time when an experienced Oklahoma City truck accident attorney can help.
When Sharing the Road Fails: What to Do After a Truck Crash
Even drivers who follow every highway safety rule can be struck by a truck driver who does not. When that happens, the scene of a commercial truck crash requires specific immediate steps. Call 911 and stay in a safe position — do not attempt to approach a truck that may be carrying hazardous cargo. Request that the responding officer note the truck’s DOT number, carrier name, and any visible cargo placards in the police report. If you can safely do so, photograph the truck from where you are standing: the cab, the trailer, any company markings, and the damage to both vehicles before anything is moved.
Do not speak with any representative of the trucking company or their insurer without first consulting an attorney. Commercial trucking insurers carry substantially higher policy limits than personal auto policies — $750,000 is the federal minimum for interstate carriers, with many carrying $1 million or more — and their claims management teams are experienced at minimizing payouts. Early contact from a carrier representative is a claims control strategy, not a customer service gesture.
Truck Driver and Carrier Liability Under Federal Law
Sharing the road safely with commercial trucks requires other drivers to compensate for trucks’ extended stopping distances, wide turns, blind spots, and wind buffet — but that burden only goes so far. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations place affirmative obligations on truck drivers and their employers: hours-of-service limits to prevent fatigued driving, mandatory pre-trip and post-trip inspections, vehicle maintenance schedules, cargo securement standards, and drug and alcohol testing requirements. A truck driver who violated hours-of-service rules and fell asleep, who failed to inspect brakes that had been documented as defective, or who was operating while impaired is not just a negligent individual — they and their employer violated federal regulations that exist specifically to protect other road users.
Carrier liability extends beyond vicarious liability for the driver’s conduct. Negligent hiring (employing a driver with a disqualifying history), negligent retention (keeping a driver after documented safety violations), and negligent supervision (dispatching a driver beyond legal hours or without required training) all create independent employer liability that runs alongside the vicarious liability claim.
Compensation and Oklahoma’s Statute of Limitations
Truck crash victims can recover all medical expenses, lost wages, vehicle damage, pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, and in wrongful death cases, the full range of wrongful death damages available under Oklahoma statute. Where carrier conduct was reckless — knowingly running a driver beyond hours-of-service limits, ignoring documented brake failures — punitive damages are available. Oklahoma’s two-year personal injury statute of limitations applies, but black box data, driver logs, and maintenance records must be preserved through formal legal demands well before that deadline. Contact Warhawk Legal immediately after a truck crash for a free consultation: (405) 397-1717.
Frequently Asked Questions
The truck driver seemed like a good person at the scene — do I still need an attorney? Yes. The driver’s demeanor at the scene is irrelevant to how the carrier’s insurer will handle your claim. Carriers dispatch rapid-response teams regardless of driver attitude, and claims are evaluated purely on financial exposure.
What if I was in the truck’s blind spot when the crash happened? Operating in a blind spot is a factor courts consider in comparative fault analysis, but truck drivers are trained to check and clear their blind spots before lane changes and turns. A driver who fails to do so is negligent regardless of where other vehicles were positioned.
Does Warhawk Legal handle truck accident cases across Oklahoma? Yes — statewide, on contingency. No fee unless we win.
Learn more from our contact us for a free consultation. Call us for a free case review.
Learn more from our personal injury attorney in Oklahoma City. Call us for a free case review.
If you or a loved one has been injured, contact our experienced Oklahoma City truck accident attorney at Warhawk Legal. We offer free consultations and only get paid when you win.