A board certified Civil Trial Lawyer with almost five decades of experience in Ohio Personal Injury Law.
Large trucks are a constant presence on American roadways. Our economy depends on over-the-road transport to keep businesses going. However, large trucks driving next to passenger vehicles create a unique set of accident and injury risks. If you live in the Columbus area, you can keep yourself and your family safe by learning about the most dangerous roads and intersections in Columbus for truck accidents.
Truck Accidents Across the United States
Large trucks are necessary and important for the economic stability of the United States. Semi trucks and box trucks pose some unique risks to people in passenger vehicles because they are larger and less maneuverable than passenger cars.
In the United States, there were 5,340 recorded deaths related to accidents involving large trucks in 2024. A total of 124 of those fatalities occurred in Ohio. Anywhere there are large trucks on the road together or next to passenger vehicles, collisions are bound to happen, whether on metropolitan interstates or on rural back roads.
Most Dangerous Roads and Intersections in Columbus for Truck Accidents
In 2025, there were 1,745 accidents involving commercial vehicles reported in Franklin County. The most dangerous roads in the Columbus area, in terms of crash numbers, were the following:
- Interstate 70
- Interstate 71
- Interstate 270
Although truck accidents do happen on less-traveled country roads, highways pose the greatest danger in large metropolitan areas like Columbus. Columbus also has a particularly dangerous interchange between the east- and west-running Interstate 70 and the north- and south-running Interstate 71.
In terms of surface streets, the most dangerous roads and intersections in the Columbus area are the closely-packed streets in the downtown area, such as the east- and west-running Broad, State, and Town Streets and the north- and south-running High, 3rd, and 4th Streets. The narrow widths of these roads and high traffic, especially during the morning and evening commutes, create crash-conducive environments.
Factors That Contribute to Truck Accidents
There are a wide variety of factors that routinely contribute to truck accidents in the Columbus area. A few of these are as follows:
- High speeds: On roads with high speed limits, such as the three interstates listed above, large trucks may get into collisions when drivers get distracted and fail to engage the brakes quickly enough to stop before hitting the vehicles in front of them.
- Distractions: While driving on the highway, many drivers tend to stop paying close attention, leading to improper merging and failure to check blind spots.
- Slick roads: Columbus is prone to ice and snow during the winter months, leading to hazardous interstate conditions. Large trucks sliding around on icy roads can create a particularly dangerous situation.
- Jackknife accidents: Trailers attached to semi-trucks can sometimes swing out to the side when a truck driver tries to stop quickly or when roads are slick from rain or snow. These incidents are especially dangerous because swinging trailers can hit cars in multiple lanes on either side of the truck.
What to Do if You Are in a Truck Accident in Columbus
If you are involved in an accident with a large truck in the Columbus area, here are a few things you should do immediately after the crash:
- Notify the authorities: If you are physically able to do so, you should call 911 to report the crash. An ambulance should arrive shortly to render medical aid, and at least one police officer should be on the scene to document the scene and gather information for a police report.
- Get the other driver’s information: As with any other car accident, if you are in an accident involving a large truck, you should get the driver’s contact and insurance information so you can file a claim.
- Get witness contacts: If other drivers saw the crash, and it is safe to approach them, it is a good idea to get their names and contact information. This information should ultimately be in the police report, but it can take several days for a finished report to be ready.
After you have handled the immediate aftermath of the crash, you should hire a truck accident lawyer to help you with any insurance or personal injury claims. An experienced attorney who is familiar with accidents involving large trucks should be able to provide valuable insights about how you should proceed.
FAQs
Are Most Truck Accidents Deadly?
No, many accidents involving large trucks do not result in fatalities. In fact, in 2025, there were 157,988 accidents involving large trucks or buses in the United States, and only 3,927 of them resulted in at least one death. Based on those figures, only about 2.5% of accidents involving large trucks lead to fatalities.
Are Truck Drivers Always Found Liable for Accidents?
No, truck drivers are not always found liable for accidents, and liability in truck-involved crashes is not always easy to determine. Because of the sheer size and weight of their vehicles, truck drivers do have a responsibility to exercise extra caution when driving. However, there are plenty of instances of passenger vehicle drivers causing collisions with trucks.
Who Pays for Injuries in Large Truck Accidents?
Because most large truck drivers operate their vehicles as a job, they are usually covered by company insurance when it comes to roadway accidents. In some cases, an injured person may be able to file a claim with a driver’s personal insurance company. If there were faulty truck parts involved, the manufacturer of those parts or the company in charge of servicing the truck may be held liable, as well.
How Do I Know if a Truck Driver Can See Me on the Highway?
Large trucks have large blind spots, especially when they are pulling long trailers, as is the case for semi-trucks most of the time. When you go to pass a large truck, there is always a period of time during which they cannot see you in their side mirrors. If you cannot see the mirrors on the truck, there is a good chance the driver cannot see you.
Hire a Truck Accident Lawyer
If you have been injured in an accident involving a large truck in the Columbus area, contact Gervelis Law Firm. Our founding attorney, Board-Certified Civil Trial Lawyer Mark S. Gervelis, and the rest of our team have been helping injured people in Columbus and throughout Ohio for more than fifty years, and we can advocate for you, too.
