Overloaded and Incorrectly Loaded Semi Trucks Can Cause Fatal AccidentsWhen you imagine a terrible truck accident, what comes to mind? If you are like most people, you may immediately imagine a big rig speeding down the road and hitting a car – or maybe even multiple cars. While this is certainly one way that a big rig can get into an accident, there are many other ways they can cause accidents – and too often these accidents are fatal.
Another way that truck accidents too often happen is when they are carrying too much cargo or are carrying it incorrectly. There are regulations in place to prevent this type of accident but unfortunately, they are not always followed. If you have been in a truck accident in which cargo played a role then we urge you to contact The Law Offices of Larry H. Parker at 800-333-0000 for a free legal consultation.
Regulations control what trucks can carry
There are regulations in place that control what a truck can legally carry. For example, there are rules about a big rig’s legal total load size and how that load is carried. In the event that the truck company does not follow these laws and an accident results, then the injured party is likely to be able to sue the trucker or trucking company for negligence.
Additional regulations govern how loads are secured
In addition to regulating what a truck is able to legally carry, there are also regulations that control how that legal cargo can be secured. If a truck driver is negligent in correctly securing his load, then the results could be catastrophic. Consider a truck that is transportation large metal pipes. If they are stacked and tied down improperly, the pipes could come loose, roll off the truck, and crush any vehicles they come into contact with.
There are regulations regarding how much weight a truck can carry
Even if a truck has legal cargo and it is secured legally, there can still be a serious issue if the truck exceeds the maximum weight. You may have seen weight stations along the interstate and it is for exactly this reason: Finding vehicles that are overweight and putting others in danger.
Your attorney can help you hold the at-fault party liable
If you were injured in a truck accident then one of the first things we will do at The Law Offices of Larry H. Parker is to find out if the maximum weight was exceeded. If it was, then we will look at whether or not that contributed to the accident. Next we will look at how it was loaded to see if it was overloaded or improperly loaded. If we find that any of these issues were involved then there could be grounds for a lawsuit against a number of people, including the truck driver, their employer, and the cargo company that loaded the truck.
Your best bet if you were involved in this type of truck accident is to contact us at 800-333-0000 today. We are standing by to give you a free legal consultation.
