Blind spot truck accidents are a serious safety concern on Springfield’s highways and major roadways, including Glenstone Avenue and the Chestnut Expressway. Commercial trucks operate with significantly larger blind spots than passenger vehicles, creating areas around the truck where smaller cars can be difficult, or sometimes impossible, for the driver to see without deliberate checks and adjustments.
At Buchanan, Williams & O’Brien, our Springfield truck accident lawyers bring decades of experience representing injured Missourians. Our team has a successful track record of fighting for our clients’ rights and obtaining fair compensation for their injuries. We understand the complexities of truck accident cases and will work tirelessly to pursue the justice and compensation you deserve.
Understanding Truck Blind Spots
Every commercial truck has blind spots or “no zones.” These are areas around the truck where other vehicles may not be visible in the driver’s mirrors.
The primary no zones include:
- Right side of the trailer: The largest blind spot, often extending across multiple lanes.
- Left side of the cab and trailer: Smaller than the right side but still significant.
- Directly behind the truck: The driver cannot see vehicles traveling close behind the trailer.
- Directly in front of the cab: Because of the truck’s height, smaller vehicles traveling too closely in front may disappear from view.
Vehicles traveling in these areas are at increased risk during lane changes, merges, and wide turns due to the truck’s size and limited lines of sight.
High Risk Areas for Blind Spot Truck Accidents
Certain roadways and intersections in the Springfield area present a greater risk for blind spot truck accidents. High-traffic corridors, multi-lane highways, and busy commercial routes often create conditions where large trucks must frequently merge, change lanes, or make wide turns.
Glenstone Avenue (US-65 Business)
This corridor carries heavy commercial traffic with multiple lanes in both directions. Frequent entrances and exits for retail stores, office buildings, and hotels require constant merging and lane changes, increasing the risk of blind spot collisions. Trucks often change lanes or turn right, increasing the risk of side-swipe accidents.
Key intersections include:
- Glenstone and Sunshine
- Glenstone and Battlefield
- Glenstone and Chestnut Expressway
Sunshine Street (US-60)
Sunshine Street (US-60) is considered a higher-risk corridor for blind spot truck accidents due to its heavy east–west traffic flow and the constant interaction between local drivers and commercial vehicles.
The roadway features multiple lanes with frequent lane shifts near major intersections, creating repeated merging and positioning challenges. These conditions may lead to side-swipe collisions during lane changes, particularly when passenger vehicles travel alongside trailers in slow or congested traffic.
Battlefield Road
Battlefield Road presents an elevated risk for blind spot truck accidents due to its high concentration of retail centers and restaurants, which generate steady traffic throughout the day. Commercial trucks frequently enter and exit shopping areas and must make wide right turns, often crossing multiple lanes of traffic. The roadway also features numerous access points in close proximity, increasing merging and turning activity.
These conditions create blind spot danger zones, particularly when trucks exit parking lots, vehicles attempt to pass on the right, or stop-and-go traffic obscures a truck’s intended movement.
Missouri Truck Accident Laws
Commercial trucks operating in Missouri are governed by federal safety regulations enforced by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). These rules set standards for driver hours of service, vehicle inspection and maintenance, cargo securement, licensing, and overall safety practices.
In blind spot Missouri truck accidents, safety failures may involve both direct violations of FMCSA regulations and broader negligence principles that overlap with federal and state law.
Direct FMCSA regulatory violations:
- Hours-of-Service (HOS) Violations: Allowing a fatigued driver to remain on the road in violation of federal driving limits.
- Failure to Maintain Mirrors or Required Safety Equipment: Operating a truck with broken, improperly adjusted, or missing mirrors in violation of federal maintenance standards.
- Inoperative Lighting or Turn Signals: Failing to maintain functioning signals and rear lighting necessary to alert surrounding drivers of lane changes and turns.
- Driver Qualification or Training Violations: Allowing an unqualified or inadequately trained driver to operate a commercial vehicle.
Negligence-related safety failures that may overlap with federal and state duties:
- Failure to properly check mirrors and surrounding traffic before changing lanes or turning
- Improper or unsafe lane changes
- Failure to use proper signals in advance of a maneuver
Determining Liability
When a truck driver or carrier violates FMCSA safety regulations, those violations can serve as clear evidence of negligence. Federal rules exist to protect the public. If a driver fails to check blind spots, improperly changes lanes, ignores required rest periods, or operates a poorly maintained vehicle, that conduct may demonstrate a failure to exercise reasonable care.
Likewise, a trucking company can be held accountable if it failed to properly train, supervise, or maintain safe equipment. In blind spot truck accident cases, regulatory violations often play a critical role in establishing truck accident liability.
Potential Compensation for a Springfield Truck Accident
Compensation in a blind spot truck accident case is typically pursued through an insurance claim filed against the at-fault driver or trucking company. Commercial carriers are required to carry substantial liability coverage, but insurers often conduct aggressive investigations and may attempt to limit or deny payment. Reaching a fair settlement can be complex, particularly when corporate policies, multiple parties, and federal trucking regulations are involved.
If the insurance company refuses to offer appropriate compensation, filing a personal injury lawsuit may be necessary. A blind spot accident attorney in Springfield can formally pursue damages through the court system and present evidence demonstrating the full extent of your losses.
Compensation could include:
- Medical expenses for emergency treatment, surgery, rehabilitation, therapy, and ongoing care
- Lost income for time missed from work and reduced future earning capacity
- Pain and suffering for physical pain, emotional distress, and diminished quality of life
- Property damage to repair or replace your vehicle
- Long-term or catastrophic injury damages, including compensation for traumatic brain injury and other conditions requiring extended or lifelong care
At Buchanan, Williams & O’Brien, our team evaluates the full scope of your damages, current and future, to ensure nothing is overlooked.
Schedule a Free Consultation
At Buchanan, Williams & O’Brien, we manage every aspect of your case, from investigation and evidence collection to negotiations with the insurance company, so that you can focus on your recovery. We approach each case with a strong commitment to protecting your interests.
Blind spot truck accidents often result in serious, long-term injuries. You do not have to navigate the aftermath on your own. Our Springfield truck accident lawyers are here to provide clear guidance and help you understand your legal options.
Reach out to schedule a free consultation with a Springfield truck accident lawyer today.
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