Semi-trucks are behemoths of the road and when they’re involved in accidents, the consequences can be tragic. Big rigs that don’t have properly loaded cargo are especially dangerous. Commercial truck drivers and trucking companies are charged with following strict rules and regulations that pertain to properly loading cargo. These drivers and companies are required to operate within weight limits and specific guidelines for appropriately loading and securing cargo. Shifting, poorly balanced, or overweight cargo can increase the chances that a semi will be involved in an accident.
Truck Accidents Commonly Caused by Improperly Loaded Cargo
There are several kinds of commercial truck accidents commonly caused by improperly loaded cargo:
- Rollovers: The Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine finds that dangerous cargo-loading errors are the most common cause of rollover accidents. Both improper loading and overloading can increase a truck’s chances of being in a rollover accident. Things become especially risky when a truck’s load is too high or is top heavy.
- Tire Blowouts: When a semi is improperly loaded or overloaded, it can negatively affect the way the truck drives. This failure to adhere to the rules of proper loading can result in a tire blowout, which can be very serious and can even cause the trucker to lose control of the rig.
- Falling Cargo: When a commercial truck’s cargo isn’t secured properly, it can fly off the truck bed. This is obviously extremely dangerous for everyone on the road and is very likely to lead to a collision.
Overloaded Commercial Vehicles
Trucks that are overloaded are also heavier and, therefore, take longer to come to a full stop. Further, a heavier load makes an 18-wheeler more potentially dangerous in an accident due to the increased force of the impact.
Your Truck Accident Claim
Truck collisions are amongst the deadliest accidents on the road and regularly result in severe injuries or even fatalities. As such, truck drivers and trucking companies are responsible for strictly adhering to many safety rules and regulations, including rules regarding safe cargo loading. When they fail to do so and injuries result, accident victims have the right to file a claim against the party whose negligence caused the crash. The legal process is complex, however, so it is important to discuss your situation with a skilled law firm that has experience handling truck accident claims.
Contact an Experienced Houston Truck Accident Attorney Today
If you’ve been injured in a big rig accident, you need a skilled Houston lawyer with truck accident experience. At Stewart J. Guss, Attorney at Law, we’ve been in the business for over 20 years and we help clients injured in many types of accidents. We thoroughly investigate each case, work with the insurance company to obtain just compensation for our clients’ claims, and when necessary, file a lawsuit on a client’s behalf. If you’ve been injured in a commercial truck accident, don’t hesitate to either contact us online or call our team at 800-898-4877. Your consultation is free, and you won’t pay anything until we obtain the best possible resolution to your case.
