Bobtailing is driving a semi-truck without a trailer, which can cause accidents due to reduced traction and stability. When a driver is bobtailing, they are solely driving the truck’s cab and are not towing any cargo. Since the lorry cab is not made to be driven without the weight of an attached trailer, bobtailing can be risky. The truck driver and other drivers of motor vehicles may be in danger in this scenario. Understand bobtailing truck accidents and talk to a personal injury lawyer.
Semi-trucks are heavier and larger than passenger automobiles, which increases the risk of serious injuries or worse if they are involved in an accident. Although semi-truck drivers have the training to drive such vehicles, incidents happen, and victims have difficulty in such situations. If you are facing a similar situation or are the victim of a bobtailing truck accident, Phillips Law Office can assist you through its accident injury lawyers.
Why do drivers engage in Bobtailing?
When bobtailing, the driver may be commuting between one drop-off work and another job pick-up, or the driver may have dropped the caravan off at one spot and be traveling home before coming back to pick it up the next day.
In either case, the driver must exercise extra caution to prevent a collision, which may be more challenging if they are fatigued from driving extensively that day or accustomed to operating the truck while towing a trailer. The primary problem with bobtailing is that a vehicle cannot brake as forcefully since the grip on the back wheels will be reduced. Therefore, it will take a bobtailing truck a longer distance to halt.
According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), bobtail vehicles are involved in around 5% of truck accidents annually. That equated to 248 fatal collisions and more than 2,500 accidents in a recent year. This also demands more assistance from accident injury lawyers to get compensation.
Two Reasons for Bobtailing Truck Accident by the Driver
Difficulty in Braking
The truck’s designer considers that it will spend most of its time moving a load inside and a trailer connected. As a result, the truck cab’s design is intended to maximize safety in the mode it uses most. According to pages 6-1 of the Commercial Driver License Manual, it may take a bobtailing vehicle longer to stop than a fully equipped tractor-trailer.
When a truck is bobtailing, a trailer is not linked to the cab, so there is not the usual amount of weight over the rear axle. The truck’s capacity to brake is lessened without the added weight.
Difficulty in using Steering
When the vehicle is in bobtail mode, most of the weight is in the front, making steering challenging for the driver. Most of the vehicle’s weight is not intended to be supported by the front wheels. They are intended to regulate the truck’s steering instead.
This unusual weight distribution can affect steering if a trailer isn’t hitched to the truck. Whenever the truck turns abruptly or sharply, it may skid. When it’s cold outside, high gusts are blowing, or the roads are wet, steering issues are worse.
Why are Emergency Maneuvers in Bobtailing Trucks difficult to perform?
Truck drivers need to refrain from abrupt braking while bobtailing. A truck’s braking system anticipates a tractor and an attached trailer to have a typical weight distribution. It is not intended to account for weight fluctuations brought on by bobtailing. Therefore, bobtail trucks are more susceptible to losing control or veering into another lane, which could sideswipe a smaller vehicle, than fully laden semi-trucks.
Traffic conditions might change suddenly; a truck driver may struggle to avoid sudden harsh braking or swerving while operating the vehicle.
What makes Bobtailing Dangerous?
Bobtailing is risky since it might make it more challenging to control the truck. The issue that driving in bobtail mode poses may not exist when operating a vehicle under normal circumstances. The peril of driving a vehicle in bobtail mode is evident, though, if the driver must rapidly stop or swerve during an emergency. In such a situation, the driver may:
- It is difficult to stop in time to avoid hitting another car in the rear, particularly if they follow that vehicle too closely.
- Speed past a stop sign or junction and collide with the car that has the right-of-way.
- Become uncontrollable and veer into oncoming traffic lanes.
What are the steps to follow in Facing Bobtailing Truck Accident?
Get medical attention right away if you were hurt in a collision with a bobtailing truck. You will benefit financially and physically from this. You might connect your injuries to the bobtailing truck accident by seeing a doctor as soon as possible following an accident.
After receiving medical attention, discuss your case with a Florida truck accident attorney to see whether you might have any recourse to pursue compensation. By filing for the case, you may get compensation.
- Medical bills
- Lost wages
- Lost earning capacity
- Miscellaneous expenses
Contact an accident injury lawyer to learn more about your options and rights after a tractor-trailer collision. It can be challenging to calculate economic and non-economic losses. Still, your lawyer will consider all your measurable costs and employ industry-accepted procedures to calculate your non-economic damages. Our attorneys at Phillips Law Office can help you with the same.
A Brief about Truck Driver Fatigue Law
In many cases, bobtailing accidents happen due to the driver’s fatigue state. So, there are truck driver fatigue laws to help prevent accidents from happening on roads. These law state-
The 11-Hour driving limit: A commercial truck driver can only drive for 11 hours in a shift following ten straight hours off-duty.
The 14-hour driving limit: The 14-hour driving restriction prohibits drivers from operating a vehicle after their shift has begun and they have taken 10 straight hours off. The 14-hour restriction is not extended by additional off-duty time.
Rest break regulations: It states that a driver is only permitted to operate a vehicle if it has been 8 hours or fewer since their last off-duty or sleeper berth of at least 30 minutes. The use of short-haul exceptions by drivers is exempt from this provision.
The limit of 60/70 hours: A driver is not permitted to operate a vehicle after working 60 or 70 hours in a row (7 or 8 days). The driver is allowed to restart the period by taking 34 hours off duty straight.
How can our Attorneys help in providing the Bobtailing Truck Accident?
Like any other kind of accident, your case must successfully meet these four requirements to obtain compensation from a responsible party:
- The responsible party owed it to others to keep them safe.
- The culpable party did not act properly.
- Their poor behavior brought on your accident.
- The incident caused your wounds.
Our attorney will work on collecting proof through below steps-
- Accident video footage from surveillance cams or cell phones.
- Statements from eyewitnesses.
- Accident reconstruction specialists can explain how the accident happened.
- Prior complaints against the truck driver.
Contact Phillips Law Office to protect your rights
Many truckers may buy bobtail liability insurance due to their challenges when operating bobtail trucks. The availability of insurance for this kind of driving demonstrates how risky bobtailing is.
You might be entitled to compensation for your losses due to bobtailing truck accident. You may count on our lawyers for accident injury to defend your interest in a personal injury case arising from a collision with a truck driver. We can assist you in identifying and prosecuting all responsible parties. For a free consultation, contact us right away.
Also Read:
Sudden Stop – Is it a Defense in Rear-End Collision Case?
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