Wide-Turn Truck Accidents In Georgia
How Squeeze-Play Crashes Happen And What Injured Victims Need To Do
They call them “squeeze-play” crashes for a reason. A large commercial truck begins its turn, swings wide, and cuts across a lane that a smaller vehicle occupies. The smaller vehicle finds itself pinned and caught in the path of a turning semi-truck, with little chance to escape. These collisions often happen in split seconds, but their consequences can last a lifetime.
In Georgia, wide-turn truck accidents are a serious and often overlooked danger. Because of the size, weight, and turning requirements of large trucks, what may appear to be safe in a passenger car often turns fatal when intersecting with a semi under aggressive or negligent circumstances.
At the Law Offices of Gary Martin Hays & Associates, P.C., we’ve represented clients who were crushed, trapped, or killed in these crashes. Our mission is to uncover the truth, hold responsible parties accountable, and help victims recover full compensation.
Here’s a deep look at why wide-turn crashes happen, how liability is established, what victims should do, and why you need a seasoned Georgia truck accident lawyer in your corner.
What Is A Wide-Turn Or Squeeze-Play Crash?
A wide-turn crash (sometimes called a “squeeze-play” collision) happens when a large truck makes a turn (often right, sometimes left) and its trailer swings into adjacent lanes as it completes the maneuver. Vehicles that attempt to move past or stay adjacent to the truck often get caught between the turning cab and the trailer. Because trucks have a much larger turning radius, they often begin the turn in one lane, then swing outward before completing it.
In practical terms, a passenger vehicle may believe it is safe to pass or remain beside the truck, only to find the trailer closing in during the turn, leaving no escape route. In legal and accident reconstruction circles, wide-turn crashes are distinctive because of this dynamic of lane encroachment.
Wide-turn accidents typically occur at intersections, highway exit ramps, or in urban streets with tight turning radii.
Why These Crashes Are Especially Dangerous In Georgia
Georgia’s highways, metro roads, and interstate interchanges create environments where wide-turn crashes are more likely:
- Congested Intersections: In cities like Atlanta, busy intersection traffic gives little room for error.
- Large Truck Traffic: Freight corridors crisscross Georgia, meaning more chance encounters with turning semis.
- Confusing Road Layouts: Curving ramps, split lanes, and inadequate signage can mislead drivers about safe turning paths.
- Blind Spots: Trucks have enormous blind zones along sides and rear portions, making it hard for drivers to detect approaching vehicles during a turn.
- Speed and Momentum: A truck carrying heavy cargo cannot stop or slow instantly, especially once the trailer begins to swing.
Because of these conditions, small vehicles, motorcycles, or even pedestrian crossings near lanes of a turning truck are at elevated risk. Georgia attorneys often see patterns where drivers attempted to pass or held position adjacent to a turning semi, only to be squeezed as the turn completed.
Causes Behind Wide-Turn Crashes
Wide-turn accidents almost always have multiple underlying causes. To hold someone accountable, you have to dig deeper than just noting the collision. Here are key contributing factors:
Poor Driver Judgment Or Inexperience
A driver may miscalculate how much room is needed, fail to downshift, or start turning too early. Inexperienced truckers may not fully understand how their trailer will behave, especially under load or speed.
Improper Signaling Or Delayed Signals
If the driver fails to provide adequate warning, other drivers cannot anticipate the motion. A late signal or failure to signal at all increases the risk.
Blind Spot Failures
If the truck’s side mirrors, assistive sensors, or cameras are malfunctioning or misadjusted, the driver might not see a vehicle in the adjacent lane during the swing. A vehicle hidden in the blind spot is exceptionally vulnerable.
Inadequate Route Planning Or Use Of Inappropriate Roads
When large trucks are routed onto streets or intersections not suited for their turning radius, the swing may intrude into multiple lanes or conflict with traffic flow.
Insufficient Training Or Supervision
A trucking company has responsibility for training its drivers. If a company allows a driver to make wide turns in high-risk areas without proper training or oversight, it may share liability.
Poor Maintenance Or Equipment Defects
Failures in steering systems, suspension, tire condition, or braking systems can degrade maneuverability and responsiveness. If any of those components fail mid-turn, the driver may not be able to recover the maneuver.
How Liability Is Established In Wide-Turn Crashes
To recover compensation, a victim’s attorney must prove negligence and causation. Here’s how that often works in wide-turn cases:
Investigation And Evidence Collection
- Crash scene photos and measurements (skid marks, vehicle positions)
- Surveillance or dashcam footage showing vehicle paths
- Truck’s electronic control module (ECM) data revealing steering, speed, throttle inputs
- Driver logs, company dispatch records, route plans
- Maintenance and inspection records
Expert Analysis And Reconstruction
Reconstruction specialists determine the path, timing, and whether the truck’s swing encroached prematurely. Experts can simulate what distances were safe and what the driver should have done differently.
Driver Training, Policies, And Company Records
If the driver lacked training or the company had no clear turning procedures, or if prior warnings or accidents existed, that becomes part of the case.
Multiple Liable Parties
Beyond just the truck driver, liability may extend to:
- Trucking company (vicarious liability or direct negligence)
- Route planners or logistics firms
- Parts manufacturers (if equipment defect contributed)
- Maintenance contractors
Fault Apportionment (Comparative Fault in Georgia)
Georgia uses a modified comparative negligence system. Even if the injured driver shares some fault (e.g., passing too close), they may still recover damages so long as their fault is under 50%, but their recovery will be reduced accordingly.
Typical Injuries And Costs In These Crashes
Because wide-turn collisions often involve side impacts and crushing, injuries tend to be severe and life-changing. Typical injuries include:
- Severe fractures, crush injuries, and amputations
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- Spinal cord damage and paralysis
- Internal organ trauma, internal bleeding, and soft-tissue damage
- Burn injuries, especially when fuel tanks rupture
- Wrongful death in the most tragic cases
The financial and emotional burden is immense. Victims may face long hospital stays, multiple surgeries, long-term rehab, lost income, and the need for home modification or assistive devices. The pain and suffering, psychological trauma, and loss of life quality all demand full compensation.
What Victims Should Do Immediately After a Wide-Turn Crash
To protect your rights, you must act quickly:
- Seek immediate medical care — even for injuries you believe are minor.
- Call law enforcement to document the crash and preserve the scene.
- Photograph the scene from multiple angles: positions of vehicles, lane markings, turn signals, mirrors, curbside obstacles.
- Get contact information from all drivers, passengers, witnesses, and especially nearby businesses with cameras.
- Avoid making recorded statements to insurers without talking to an attorney first.
- Preserve any dashcam, cell phone video, or surveillance footage as soon as possible.
- Contact an experienced Georgia truck accident lawyer who knows wide-turn crashes and can begin preserving black box data, ordering spoliation letters, and building your legal claim.
Why You Need A Georgia Truck Accident Lawyer Experienced With Wide-Turn Cases
Wide-turn truck accidents are complex. The trucking company likely has powerful defense attorneys, engineers, and investigators. You need legal counsel who understands:
- Federal and Georgia trucking regulations
- How to subpoena and analyze ECM data
- Crash reconstruction techniques
- How to pursue liability beyond just the driver
- How to value the full spectrum of damages (past, present, and future)
- How to challenge insurance tactics and uncover hidden evidence
At the Law Offices of Gary Martin Hays & Associates, we’ve handled cases involving turning semis, run-offs, squeezed vehicles, and catastrophic injuries. We know what to look for and how to fight for results you deserve.
Contact Georgia’s Billion Dollar Truck Wreck Lawyer Today
If you or a loved one was injured in a wide-turn truck crash in Georgia, every minute matters. Evidence can vanish, memories fade, and trucking companies move fast to protect themselves. Don’t let them win by default.
Contact the Law Offices of Gary Martin Hays & Associates, P.C. today for a free, no-obligation consultation. You pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you.
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