Truck Blind Spot and Wide Turn Accidents in Louisville

The blind spots commonly cited in federal safety materials are roughly 20 feet in front of the cab, about 30 feet behind the trailer, the lane beside the cab on the left, and up to two lanes along the right side. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s rule of thumb is simple: if you can’t see the truck driver in the side mirror, the driver probably can’t see you (FMCSA: driving safely around large trucks).

Knowing where blind spots are doesn’t excuse the trucker. Professional drivers are trained to use their mirrors, signal early and move over only when the lane is clear.

• Lane change sideswipes: the truck merges into a car on its right. See sideswipe accidents.
• Wide right turns: the trucker swings left, a car pulls into the gap on the right, and the trailer closes on it.
• Left turns across traffic: a slow-turning truck blocks lanes and is hit or hits oncoming traffic.
• Backing crashes: at loading docks, parking lots and job sites.
• Underride: a car slides under the side or rear of a trailer. See underride accidents.
• Pedestrians and cyclists: people crossing in front of a cab or beside a turning trailer. See pedestrian accidents.

• The truck driver for an unsafe lane change, turn or backing move. Kentucky requires drivers to stay in a lane until they can move safely (KRS 189.340) and to turn properly at intersections (KRS 189.330).
• The trucking company for its driver’s negligence on the job, and for poor training, bad mirrors or missing camera systems. See trucking company liability.
• A shipper or broker in some cases. See freight broker liability.

Insurers often argue the car “lingered in the blind spot.” Even if a jury agrees you share some fault, Kentucky uses pure comparative fault: your share of fault reduces your recovery but doesn’t bar it (KRS 411.182).

• Forward- and side-facing camera footage, which many fleets now use
• Engine control module and telematics data showing speed, braking and turn signals. See truck black box evidence.
• Mirror condition and adjustment, and whether required mirrors were in place (49 CFR Part 393)
• Driver logs, training records and prior crashes. See FMCSA safety records.
• Damage location on both vehicles, which often shows who moved into whom

We send preservation letters quickly, because carriers can overwrite camera and telematics data.

Medical bills, lost wages, future care, pain and suffering and property damage. Unless you rejected it in writing, your own PIP (personal injury protection) coverage pays up to $10,000 of medical bills and lost wages regardless of fault. See how Kentucky PIP works. To recover pain and suffering from an at-fault driver, Kentucky’s no-fault law generally requires more than $1,000 in medical expenses, or an injury such as a fracture, permanent injury, permanent disfigurement or permanent loss of bodily function (KRS 304.39-060).

Most Kentucky motor vehicle injury claims must be filed within two years of the crash or the last PIP payment, whichever is later (KRS 304.39-230). Estimate your dates with our statute of limitations calculator.