While any truck accident can have devastating consequences, truck underride accidents present some of the most serious dangers motorists can experience. With over 9,000 truck accidents reported in Tennessee so far this year and thousands more expected, it’s absolutely vital for drivers to familiarize themselves with the unique dangers posed by truck underride crashes.

In Tennessee, truck accidents are all too common, leaving motorists across the state vulnerable to life-altering physical, emotional, financial, and legal setbacks. With the right support, however, victims of catastrophic truck accidents – including underride crashes – can fight for their rights and pursue the compensation they need to move forward in their recovery. Let’s take a closer look at what makes underride truck accidents so devastating and discuss how underride accident victims and their families can pursue justice.

What is a truck underride accident?

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) defines truck underride crashes as “collisions in which a car slides under the body of a truck…due to the height difference between the vehicles.” Underride accidents can occur for a variety of reasons and in several different contexts, but these crashes often happen at low speeds and in environments where visibility is compromised. Even moderate-speed rear underride impacts can be fatal if guards are absent, noncompliant, or fail.

While truck accidents, in a broad sense, are documented and tracked by local and federal law enforcement and traffic safety entities, specific information about underride accidents can be harder to come by. The NHTSA attributes this lack of data to discrepancies in how different states define and investigate underride crashes and notes that more comprehensive reporting protocols are necessary to better understand and mitigate these particularly deadly accidents.

Common causes of underride accidents

While underride-specific data is difficult to isolate, the state of Tennessee tracks truck accidents of all kinds for the sake of raising awareness and improving public safety. Crash data reported in the state during the first half of 2025 highlighted a number of common causes of truck accidents, including:

• Improper lane departure/lane changes
• Unsafe following
• Failure to yield
• Driver fatigue
• Driver impairment
• Speeding
• Failure to signal
• Poor visibility

All of these factors can contribute to the likelihood of a serious truck crash, including underride crashes. Underride crashes specifically tend to occur in situations where visibility is poor for both truck and passenger vehicle drivers.

Intersections, weather-affected roadways, and dark stretches of congested highways can all pose serious risks for truck drivers and their fellow motorists, as passenger vehicle drivers who cannot see oncoming or stopping traffic may be more likely to collide with large tractor-trailers in particularly dangerous ways. In these situations, trucks that lack safety devices like reflective markings and compliant underride guards may put other motorists at an increased risk of suffering any number of catastrophic injuries.

What kinds of injuries are commonly associated with underride crashes?

Because of the unique risk-inducing factors associated with underride crashes, victims involved in truck underride accidents may be more prone to catastrophic and life-changing injuries like:

• Traumatic brain injuries (TBI)
• Skull fractures
• Spinal cord injuries
• Paralysis
• Loss of limb
• Organ damage
• Internal bleeding
• Severe burns

The worst of these accidents can also result in the wrongful deaths of drivers and their passengers. In 2024, there were 127 truck accident fatalities reported in the state of Tennessee, even though truck accidents accounted for only a fraction of all motor vehicle accidents that year. These alarming statistics highlight just how dangerous truck crashes can be for motorists across the state and underscore the need for accountability in the commercial trucking industry.

Who is at fault for an underride accident?

In Tennessee, negligence plays a central role in determining liability for motor vehicle accidents. Since underride accidents may involve additional layers of legal complexity, it is even more critical to conclusively establish negligence in your case.

Proving negligence typically requires demonstrating that the alleged at-fault party owed a duty of care to an injured party, breached that duty of care through their own actions or inaction, and directly caused the injured party identifiable harm as a result. While passenger vehicle crashes tend to consist of one negligent party and one injured party, truck accidents can often be attributed to the actions or inactions of multiple entities. Even though these additional sources of liability can increase the legal complexity of truck accident cases, they can also provide injured victims with additional options for recovering compensation.

Some potential sources of liability in truck underride accidents include:

• Truck drivers: If the truck driver is negligent in some way and their negligence causes a crash, they can be deemed legally responsible for any resulting damages.
• Trucking companies: In addition to holding individual drivers liable for their actions, victims may be able to hold trucking companies accountable for demonstrable corporate negligence.
• Freight companies: Some trucking companies contract with third-party freight companies for cargo-loading purposes. If an accident is caused by poorly secured or improperly loaded cargo, the freight company responsible may be found liable for damages related to the crash.
• Maintenance professionals: Regulatory agencies require commercial trucking companies to invest in ongoing vehicle maintenance to maximize safety. If a maintenance issue contributes to a crash, any third parties responsible for servicing the vehicle may face claims of liability.
• Truck or parts manufacturers: If some kind of mechanical failure contributes to an underride accident, the manufacturer of the faulty part or vehicle could be found partially responsible for the crash.

Because some underride crashes involve multiple responsible parties, it is important for accident victims to partner with an experienced truck accident attorney when beginning the claims process. A reliable truck accident attorney can help victims and their families identify all potential sources of liability in the event of an underride crash and pursue the maximum amount of compensation available based on the facts of their case.

What kinds of compensation are available to underride victims?

Catastrophic injuries come at life-changing costs for victims and their families, but personal injury claims can help to offset some of the most burdensome financial and logistical challenges. Tennessee law allows victims of underride and other accidents to pursue claims for both economic and non-economic damages related to an accident.

Some examples of damages that may be assessed in an underride truck accident claim include:

• Hospital bills
• Ongoing medical expenses
• Rehabilitation costs
• Lost wages
• Reduced capacity to work
• Therapy costs
• Property damage
• Long-term care costs
• Emotional distress
• Pain and suffering

The state of Tennessee does not impose a cap on compensation for economic damages, so injured victims can pursue claims for the full amount of their financial losses. Conversely, the state does impose a cap of $750,000 on non-economic damages, though the cap in cases involving catastrophic injuries may be increased to $1 million (TN Code § 29-39-102 (2024)). A reliable truck accident attorney can help accident victims assess the appropriate amount of damages in their case and work to compile a comprehensive claim backed by ample supporting evidence.

Final thoughts

Catastrophic injuries from an underride accident can turn multiple lives upside down in just the blink of an eye. From permanent disability to long-term financial strain, the aftermath of an underride crash is often emotionally and economically overwhelming for victims and their families. Given the unique challenges posed by shared liability, comparative negligence, and Tennessee’s relatively brief statute of limitations, it is vital that victims of underride accidents take steps as soon as possible to retain a trusted truck accident attorney to help in their fight for compensation.

At Banks & Jones, we understand just how devastating an underride truck accident can be for members of our Knoxville community. Whether you’re just starting out on your post-accident legal journey or are looking for a partner who can help you take the right next step in your case, the team at Banks & Jones can meet you where you are to offer the dedicated, compassionate support you deserve. Give us a call today or fill out our online contact form to speak with a member of our team and to learn more about how Banks & Jones can help you Fight 2 Win.