Las Vegas Accident Attorney Zachary D. Clayton Explain Crashes Caused by Overloaded Trucks & Unsecured Loads
Trucks have weight limits not just for the tractor and trailer, but also for the loads that they can carry. Limiting the weight that trucks can transport is important because when a truck is carrying too much cargo or when that cargo has not been properly loaded onto the vehicle, severe and sometimes fatal accidents can happen.
Vegas truck accident attorneys can help victims of trucking accidents to determine if a trucking company or driver had failed to fulfill safety rules, including failure to follow Federal Motor Carrier Safety regulations on safe loading.
Our attorneys can assist those harmed by an accident involving an overloaded truck or unsecured load to determine the best approach to take to obtain compensation. And, we can help you to fight for the money you need no matter what approach you choose — whether you file a civil lawsuit in court or aim to negotiate a settlement with the trucking company.
Causes of Accidents Involving Overloaded Trucks and Unsecured Loads
A truck that has not been loaded properly is a menace on the roads for many reasons. Accidents can happen in an instant when there is a problem with the way a truck is loaded or when the load is not properly secured.
Some of the most common reasons why accidents happen because of overloaded trucks include:
- Unbalanced loads that cause the truck to tip over and become involved in a rollover accident
- Overloaded trucks that result in tire blowouts because the tire is unable to carry the weight of the load
- Unbalanced or overweighted loads that cause a jackknife accident to occur
- Unsecured loads which fly off the truck and hurt other motorists on the road
- Overweighted trucks that become involved in accidents because the truck driver isn’t able to stop in time due to momentum from the excess load
These are just a few of many circumstances where a problem with the way that a truck is loaded causes an accident to occur. In any situation where you believe that a truck driver or trucking company was to blame for an accident because of problems with the way the truck was loaded, you should contact LV Personal Injury Lawyers so we can get experts to help you immediately begin building evidence for your case.
Who is Responsible for Accidents Caused by Overloaded Trucks and Unsecured Loads?
Truck drivers and trucking companies must comply with Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs). There is a very long list of regulations within FMCSRs that deal specifically with how a truck must be loaded. Trucks must be loaded following proper protocol, with loads distributed evenly; total weight below allowable limits; and cargo well-secured to avoid the risk of accidents happening due to shifting cargo.
If a trucking company and driver do not comply with motor carrier safety regulations, this violation of basic safety laws and requirements could trigger a presumption of negligence.
When a person or company is presumed to be negligent, that person or entity can try to disprove it — but a victim pursuing a claim for compensation will not specifically have to prove the trucking company or driver was unreasonably careless. The carelessness or negligence is assumed based on the fact that a safety rule was violated and no reasonably competent people would violate rules designed to prevent accidents from occurring.
Victims can also obtain compensation by specifically proving negligence. This would involve showing the trucking company or truck driver failed to live up to a basic duty of care requiring truck cargo to be carefully secured.
What Our Clients Say
I suffered a devastating auto accident in Las Vegas due to someone else's fault. I was fortunate enough to call LV Personal Injury Lawyers who helped me in the most effective and client-friendly way possible.
LV Personal Injury Lawyers can provide assistance to victims who want to pursue an appropriate legal strategy to prove that a truck driver or trucking company should be held legally liable for causing accidents to occur. We can assist you in going to court to hold trucking companies and drivers liable or in negotiating an out-of-court settlement.
Compensation for Accidents Caused by Overloaded Trucks and Unsecured Loads
When an accident is caused by an overloaded truck, pursuing a claim against the trucking company often makes sense because trucking companies are required to have a certain amount of insurance coverage.
Motor carriers typically must have at least $750,000 in insurance coverage — but if they transport hazardous material they must have at least $5 million in coverage.
Zachary D. Clayton, Esq. can assist victims in obtaining a judgment or negotiating a settlement with a trucking company to recover compensation for medical costs, loss of wages, pain and suffering, and emotional distress damages resulting from accidents caused by overloaded trucks or unbalanced loads. We also represent family members whose loved ones are killed because of problems with truck cargo that cause accidents to occur.
Getting Help From Vegas Truck Accident Attorneys
Las Vegas truck accident lawyers at LV Personal Injury Lawyers will work diligently to help victims obtain the money they need when they get hurt because a truck operator has driven a truck that is overloaded or has failed to properly secure cargo.
Whether you are injured because unsecured cargo strikes your vehicle or you are hurt in an accident when an unbalanced truck hits your vehicle, we can work to get you the money you need to move on.
To find out more about how our firm can help you to pursue your claim against trucking companies or drivers responsible for harming you, give us a call today.
Winning Isn’t Everything.
It’s The Only Thing.
If You Don’t Recover Compensation, You Don’t Owe Us Anything
