When the attached trailer of a truck suddenly swings out at an angle from the truck’s cab, that’s called a “jackknife” accident because it resembles the motion of a folding knife.
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.
Given the size, weight and speed of the average truck, and the potential for a chain-reaction accident among nearby vehicles, it’s no wonder that these are among some of the most devastating of wrecks. There were 4,842 fatal jackknife crashes, for example, in 2020 alone.
The causes are numerous
A jackknife accident doesn’t happen in a vacuum, and it can be related to more than one thing. Some of the primary causes include:
- Loss of traction: When the wheels of either the truck’s cab or its trailer lose traction, that can result in skidding or sliding. The loss of traction can be due to anything from bald tires to wet roads.
- Sudden braking: Hard braking, especially when the trailer’s wheels lock up, can cause a truck’s trailer to swing out of alignment with its cab very rapidly.
- Oversteering: If a driver overcorrects while trying to regain control of their truck after a skid or a slide, it can cause the trailer to swing out to the side.
- High speeds and sharp turns: Making sharp turns at high speeds can cause a truck’s trailer to swing out wide due to the momentum of its load and the laws of physics. The faster the vehicle is moving, the greater the risk of the trailer swinging out during a turn.
- Uneven loads: Proper weight distribution of a trailer’s load is essential for stability. If more weight is concentrated toward the rear of the trailer, it can increase the likelihood of a jackknife accident.
- Mechanical failures: Malfunctions in the braking system, suspension or other components of either the cab or the trailer can lead to a loss of control over the vehicle. This is particularly common if there’s a mismatch in the braking power between the truck’s cab and trailer.
- Bad weather: Adverse weather conditions such as rain, ice, sleet or strong winds can reduce traction and stability, making it more likely for a jackknife to occur.
Preventing jackknife accidents involves proper driver training, adjusting speeds for the driving conditions, maintaining proper following distances and making sure that vehicles are properly loaded and maintained. When these things don’t happen and people suffer harm as a result, the victims of jackknife accidents and their loved ones have every right to expect fair compensation for their losses with the help of our Oklahoma City truck accident attorney.
What Jackknife Accidents Do to Other Vehicles — and Who Is Liable
A jackknifing semi-trailer is among the most dangerous road events that other drivers encounter. When the trailer swings perpendicular to the cab, it can occupy multiple lanes simultaneously, offering no time or space for reaction. Passenger vehicles that strike the trailer are typically hit broadside or run under the trailer, producing catastrophic injuries: traumatic brain injury, spinal cord damage, crush injuries, and wrongful death. These are not low-speed fender-benders — they are high-energy collisions against a 53-foot steel structure weighing tens of thousands of pounds.
Liability in jackknife accidents is not limited to the driver. The motor carrier is vicariously liable for the driver’s conduct under the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, which govern all aspects of commercial trucking. If a mechanical defect contributed — worn brakes that failed to engage properly, faulty trailer connectors, tire failure — the maintenance contractor and potentially the vehicle manufacturer bear responsibility. If cargo shifted during braking and caused the jackknife, the shipper may be liable for improper load securement. Multiple defendants mean multiple insurance policies, which is why federal law requires interstate carriers to maintain minimum $750,000 in liability coverage — many carry $1 million or more.
Federal Regulations That Directly Govern Jackknife Risk
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations address many of the conditions that cause jackknife accidents. Hours-of-service limits exist specifically to prevent fatigued driving, which impairs the smooth, controlled braking that prevents jackknifes. Brake inspection requirements are mandatory before and after each trip. Cargo securement standards define maximum load shifts. When investigation reveals a carrier violated any of these rules, those violations are evidence of negligence per se — the carrier broke a safety rule designed to prevent the exact type of accident that occurred.
Compensation and Oklahoma’s Statute of Limitations
Oklahoma law allows victims of jackknife accidents to recover all economic damages — emergency and long-term medical costs, lost wages, vehicle replacement, and future care expenses — and non-economic damages including pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, and loss of consortium. Where multiple defendants are involved, each is responsible for their share of the harm, and an attorney pursues all sources simultaneously. Oklahoma’s personal injury statute of limitations is two years from the crash date, but the evidence preservation window is much shorter: black box data, driver logs, and maintenance records must be secured through formal legal demands before they are legally destroyable.
Frequently Asked Questions
The jackknifing truck didn’t hit me directly — I hit the trailer trying to avoid it. Who pays? The truck driver and carrier whose vehicle created the hazardous road condition are liable for foreseeable consequences of the jackknife, including vehicles that struck the trailer while trying to avoid the crash. Foreseeability is not a barrier here — a sprawled trailer across a highway is obviously dangerous.
What if there were multiple vehicles involved? Multi-vehicle jackknife crashes involve multiple claimants against the same defendant policies. An attorney acts quickly to ensure your claim is not disadvantaged by a race to the policy limits among multiple plaintiffs.
How quickly should I contact an attorney? Immediately. The trucking company’s rapid-response team arrives at the scene within hours. Early legal retention triggers evidence preservation demands that protect the data the carrier would otherwise have the right to delete.
Learn more from our contact us for a free consultation. Call us for a free case review.
Our experienced car accident lawyer team is here to help. Contact Warhawk Legal for a free consultation.
If you or a loved one has been injured, contact our experienced Oklahoma City personal injury attorney at Warhawk Legal. We offer free consultations and only get paid when you win.