Commercial trucks require significantly more space to turn than passenger vehicles, which can lead to collisions referred to as wide-turn truck accidents or squeeze-play truck crashes. These types of collisions often leave victims with serious injuries and a rapid response from the trucking company's own legal and claims team.
Below, the experienced Kansas City trucking accident lawyers with Fowler Pickert Eisenmenger Norfleet explain what’s involved in identifying all responsible parties for this type of truck crash and building a solid case grounded in the facts.
Factors That Lead to Wide-Turn Truck Accidents
Because of a semi-truck's length, the rear wheels of the trailer travel a much tighter arc than the front wheels of the cab. To prevent the trailer from running over sidewalks or hitting objects on the inside when turning, the truck driver has to swing the entire vehicle wide before completing the turn. In practice, that often means moving toward the left before making a right turn.
Passenger Vehicle Passing on the Right
A driver in a passenger vehicle may mistakenly assume the truck driver is turning left when the truck driver begins the maneuver due to the truck’s initial motion in that direction — especially if the truck driver has not clearly signaled a right turn.
The driver of the passenger vehicle may try to pass the truck in the right lane. When the truck driver turns the truck back to the right after first swinging to the left, the car may be trapped between the truck and the curb, resulting in a squeeze-play truck crash.
Trucker Not Seeing a Car on the Right
At other times, a truck driver may not realize the right lane is occupied and move the truck forward into the gap between the truck and the curb. Sometimes the roof of a car will be sliced off or crushed, which may result in catastrophic head injuries or crush injuries. Often, the truck driver walks away from this type of accident entirely unscathed, since they are inside something that weighs up to 80,000 pounds and is elevated off the ground, away from the point of impact.
Swinging the Truck Too Far Left
Wide-turn crashes can also involve the left side of the truck. This happens when a truck driver swings the truck too far to the left when making a right turn. They may strike a vehicle to the left, especially if they fail to check the truck's blind spots.
Who May Be Liable After a Wide-Turn Crash
The Truck Driver
The driver bears primary responsibility for a squeeze play truck crash when the collision results from a failure to properly execute the turn.
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The truck driver is primarily at fault when they ignore turning rules — failing to signal early, neglecting blind-spot checks, taking the turn too fast, or positioning the rig in a way that invites passing.
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Common evidence used to establish driver negligence includes electronic logging device data, turn-signal activation records, dashcam footage, and eyewitness accounts.
The Trucking Company
There are several situations in which a trucking company may be liable for a squeeze play truck crash. For example:
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A trucking company may be liable to a victim of a wide-turn truck accident if it hired an unqualified driver or looked the other way as a driver compiled a record of major safety violations.
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The trucking company may also be liable if it did not properly train the driver before sending them out on the road.
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Companies that set unrealistic delivery schedules, ignore driver qualification red flags, or fail to enforce internal turning and safety protocols may face direct negligence claims independent of the driver's actions.
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Even if a trucking company bore no direct fault for an accident, it may still be liable for driver errors under a theory of vicarious liability.
Other Potentially Liable Parties
In some cases, negligent third parties could also be liable. For example:
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If a defective trucking part caused the accident, the manufacturer or mechanic could be liable.
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If poorly marked or maintained roads contributed to the accident, then the governing authority could be liable.
Driving Regulations: Rules That Apply to Commercial Drivers
Truck drivers are trained on and regulated by a specific set of turning standards. Drivers must signal their turn well in advance and keep signaling until the maneuver is complete. Because tight turns require slower speeds in large trucks, drivers are expected to brake early and decelerate gradually to alert drivers behind them.
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Federal commercial driver training standards, outlined in 49 CFR § 383.111, govern the skills a CDL holder must demonstrate, including proper turn execution.
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The Motor Carrier is required to ensure that its employees and independent contractors comply with all prescribed duties under the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Act at 49 CFR § 390.11.
To operate a semi-truck with the proper level of care, drivers are expected to turn on their turn signal well in advance of the turn, execute the turn at a safe speed, and monitor their blind spots throughout the turn to ensure that they will not squeeze another vehicle. Failure to take these steps is the foundation of most wide-turn negligence claims.
Missouri's Comparative Fault Rules: How They Apply
Wide-turn crash cases sometimes involve a defense argument that the motorist in the smaller vehicle was partly at fault — for example, by pulling into a gap alongside the truck at an intersection. However, even if an insurance company argues that the motorist shared some responsibility, that argument does not eliminate the right to pursue compensation under Missouri law.
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Missouri follows a pure comparative fault system codified under RSMo § 537.765. Under this rule, a plaintiff may recover damages even if they are found to be 99% at fault, although the recovery will be reduced in proportion to their percentage of fault.
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Further, under RSMo § 537.067, a defendant who bears 51% or more of the fault may be held liable for the full amount of the judgment. This distinction matters in multi-party truck accident cases, where fault may be apportioned among the driver, the carrier, and others.
What’s Involved in Investigating Wide Turn Truck Accident Cases
It’s important to avoid making the mistake of waiting to long to seek legal counsel after a squeeze play truck crash. Wide-turn cases turn on fast action because key evidence can disappear quickly, so it’s important to consult an experienced Kansas City trucking accident lawyer right away.
Electronic Data
Modern rigs store electronic data — including speed, braking, steering, and turn-signal status — on the event data recorder (EDR) and engine control module (ECM). Dashcams and telematics often fill in the gaps. That data is not kept indefinitely, so prompt action is needed to send a preservation letter to stop routine deletion and secure what is needed.
Accident Reconstruction
Kansas City trucking accident lawyers handling these cases often work with accident reconstruction specialists who can diagram the trailer's path, map vehicle positions, and analyze physical evidence at the scene.
Failure to Follow Policies
Some trucking companies require their drivers to use spotters when maneuvering in tight urban areas or congested intersections, and others mandate enhanced mirror checks and training protocols. If a company had a policy of this kind but failed to enforce it, that failure may strengthen a negligence claim.
Driver Variables
Driver qualification files, prior violation records, hours-of-service logs, and a carrier's FMCSA Safety Measurement System scores can also reveal a pattern of safety failures that goes beyond any single crash.