Residents in Georgia like you have to share the road with plenty of other drivers any time you go out. Some vehicles can potentially pose more danger to you than others, as well. One of the most dangerous vehicles out there is the tractor trailer, which can become involved in unique crashes, including ones caused by jackknifing.
The Merriam-Webster dictionary refers to jackknifing as a situation in which something turns and forms a 90 degree (or smaller) angle with itself. In this case, it is discussing a tractor trailer combination. Usually, the trailer part will swing out and come to rest at a 90 degree angle from the tractor part at the front.
However, this can be quite catastrophic due to the length and size of the trailer. These trucks often have sixteen to eighteen wheels, with a trailer that spans many feet. As the trailer goes sweeping out across the roads, it can easily take out many other cars along the way, causing multi-lane accidents.
It’s even more dangerous if the truck goes over the center divide and into oncoming traffic, too. Besides the size of the vehicle itself, these crashes can still happen quickly, leaving other drivers with little time to react. Even if they see it coming, they may not have enough space or room to get out of the way before being hit.
The risks involved in this make jackknifing a potentially deadly phenomenon. Understandably, anyone who has been involved in this sort of crash will want to learn more about it, as well as potential options for seeking compensation.