Jackknife Truck Accident: What It Is & Causes (June 2025)

What Is a Jackknife Accident?

A jackknife truck accident occurs when the trailer of a rig or semi-trailer swings to the side, creating a “V” shape with the cabin. They can occur when the front of the truck attempts to come to a stop and skids, leading the trailer to push ahead. Truck and auto lawyers see these collisions as some of the most serious.

Common Causes of Jackknife Truck Accidents

A jackknife truck accident has a few common causes.

Speeding

Truckers who travel at higher speeds than road conditions and legal limits allow are risking losing control of their vehicles. If a hazard appears, a trucker might try to hit the brakes to avoid a crash. The trailer’s momentum will push the truck into the jackknife formation.

Distracted Driving

Distracted driving is a cause of these accidents, too, for the same reason. Hitting the brakes at the last second won’t work with a vehicle as large as a commercial truck and will instead cause it to skid.

Just as with auto accidents, distracted driving causes a significant number of truck collisions each year. From 2018 to 2020, there were 253 truck drivers throughout the country who caused fatalities because of distracted driving. In serious cases like these, consulting a distracted driving lawyer can help victims understand their rights, evaluate liability, and pursue compensation for their injuries.

Intoxicated Driving

Truckers who drive while intoxicated can also cause jackknife truck accidents. Some people assume that, since the legal alcohol limit for commercial drivers is 0.04%, they can have a beer before getting behind the wheel. That’s not the case.

Federal regulations state that truckers cannot drink any alcohol within four hours of driving their truck. If they drank a couple of beers five hours before driving, and their alcohol level is below 0.04% once they get in the truck, they might be compliant with the law, but they’re still not driving safely.

Their coordination and reflexes will be impacted, and they could drive more recklessly than they usually would. This can quickly result in serious collisions. In the aftermath of such accidents, post-accident drug testing laws may require chemical testing to determine whether substances played a role. These laws vary by state, but they are often triggered when commercial drivers are involved in crashes with serious injuries or even fatalities.

Inexperience

Truck drivers who don’t have the right experience or training can perform a variety of actions that are unsafe for themselves and others on the road. They might try to take a turn too rapidly or not realize how much time they need to allow for braking.

Equipment Failure

If a truck’s brake system fails or the tires blow, the truck will be impossible to control. The issue can occur from poor manufacturing or as a result of improper maintenance.

Shifting Cargo

A commercial truck carries thousands of pounds of cargo in its trailer. If this cargo isn’t secured correctly, it can shift during transport, leading to a change in the vehicle’s center of gravity. Trying to come to a stop with shifting cargo can be enough to cause a jackknife accident.

Common Injuries in a Jackknife Truck Accident

Unlike car accidents, any collision involving a truck will usually result in severe injuries for at least one party. It’s common for a personal injury lawyer representing a truck accident case to fight for compensation for injuries such as:

• Broken bones
• Facial scarring
• Soft tissue injury
• Traumatic brain injury
• Spinal cord injury
• Burn injury
• Internal bleeding
• Organ damage

Although most people focus on physical injuries, victims can also experience psychological ones. People who have been through a traumatic experience can develop post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety and phobias.

Who’s Liable in a Jackknife Truck Accident?

If you’re hurt in one of these collisions, an option you have is to begin a truck accident lawsuit. To do so, you’ll have to demonstrate that another party was liable for your losses.

In accidents that occur because of driver negligence, including distracted and intoxicated driving, you can hold the trucker responsible and, in some instances, the company that employs them. This is the case because of vicarious liability, which holds the company liable for their employees’ actions.

In some instances, however, it may be the vehicle itself that fails. You might be able to hold the manufacturer liable if there was a defect, and if those in charge of maintaining the truck failed to spot the problem, you can hold them responsible, too.

If the cargo shifts during transport, and that results in a collision, those who loaded the truck are liable. Additionally, the trucker could be responsible if they were supposed to check the cargo and didn’t.
In serious collisions, such as those involving fatalities or vehicle towing, the incident may also need to be recorded under federal safety regulations. These DOT recordable accidents are subject to specific reporting rules that can influence how liability is assessed and may become part of the official investigation.

What to Do After a Jackknife Truck Accident

The moments after a jackknife truck accident are critical. Get yourself and your passengers out of the vehicle and to safety. With commercial trucks, there’s always the risk that flammable cargo could ignite in a crash. The only instance when you may choose to remain in the vehicle is if you’re in a lot of pain or you think you hit your head or spine.

Contact emergency services immediately. When they arrive, ensure that they assess you for injuries. Do this even if you’re not sure whether you suffered any harm, since you may be too much in shock to notice injuries.

Getting the police to the scene is also essential because you’ll need a report of the accident to file a claim. Provide as much information to the officer as possible, but don’t admit to fault.

In many instances, you’ll need to go to the hospital to receive medical care. If that’s the case, it can help to have someone gather evidence from the scene, including pictures of the vehicles, their positions on the road and anything else that can explain how the crash occurred.

Speaking with witnesses is another important step in the process. You can do this yourself if you’re well enough to remain at the scene, but if not, you can gather their contact information for your lawyer to rely on later.

Let your insurer know you were in a crash, and immediately notify a truck accident lawyer. With their help, you can fight for fair compensation and seek to cover the losses you sustained.

Getting Legal Help After a Jackknife Truck Accident

After suffering injuries in a jackknife truck accident, you may be entitled to file a claim and receive compensation to cover your losses. To do so, it’s essential that you hire experienced attorneys. These claims tend to be very complex and could involve multiple parties, so legal representation can help your case.

At ConsumerShield, we work tirelessly to connect people with attorneys in their local areas who offer the exact services they need. We provide the necessary support so that you can make the right choice on representation. Contact our team to get started.