What are your options if you have been in an accident with a large, commercial truck? A qualified attorney can help.

Traffic accidents happen every day. Sometimes, the accidents involve commercial trucks. And in Oregon, with the truck-heavy I-5 corridor and a logging industry that is the top in the nation, truck accidents are bound to happen - and they're probably going to be severe.

The dangers are even more serious when a smaller vehicle is involved, such as a car, motorcycle, or even an SUV.

According to Oregon Senior Trooper Mark Moore, large trucks have the advantage of kinetic energy. In plain English, that means their weight and speed combine for a much more dangerous collision. Especially when a car is involved.

And that kinetic energy increases when a truck is fully loaded. In a November 17, 2009, accident, two truck drivers crashed head-on. But their trucks were not loaded.

"If they had both been loaded up with logs, the impact would have been much more severe and a lot less likely that the people would have survived," said Moore in an interview with KPIC.com.

In a more recent accident, on December 2, a driver was seriously injured when two loaded trucks collided.

But then there are the accidents that involve a commercial truck and car, or SUV, as was the case in an October accident in Canby, Oregon. The driver of the SUV was hospitalized with serious injuries. The truck driver did not sustain injuries.

Commercial truck drivers go through strenuous training. And more often than not, an accident involving a commercial truck and passenger vehicle is the fault of the car driver. However, that isn’t to say truck drivers never cause accidents, as one of the examples above shows. It just means car drivers need to be extra vigilant on the roads, especially on high-speed roads and roads on which trucks frequently travel.

According to InjuryBoard.com, 1 in 8 traffic accidents involve a tractor-trailer or large truck. Some things to watch for when driving on roads and highways with large trucks:

• Driving in the "No-Zones" - the areas behind and beside a commercial truck where the truck driver has limited or zero visibility
• Changing lanes abruptly in front of a truck
• Maneuvering to the right of a truck that is making a right turn.
• Misjudging an approaching truck's speed at an intersection, and making a left turn in front of the truck.
• Merging improperly into traffic, causing a truck to maneuver or brake quickly.
• Failure to slow down or speed up when a truck begins to change lanes or merge.
• Unsafe passing, particularly passing with insufficient headway.
• Passing a truck, then being blown out of position by air turbulence or cross-wind.
• Pulling into traffic from the roadside in front of a truck without accelerating sufficiently.
• Driving between large trucks.
• Abandoning a vehicle in a travel lane, or failing to get a disabled vehicle completely off the highway and onto the shoulder.

Shulman DuBois LLC represents victims with injuries resulting from accidents. Our clients deserve representation with our experience, sensitivity and tenacity. Should an unfortunate episode find you or someone you know in need of representation as a result of an accident related injury, the best thing you can do for yourself is to get educated by reading our Frequently Asked Questions, exploring our Library, or ordering your free copy of 7 Common Mistakes That Can Wreck Your Oregon Accident Case.