Tampa Overloaded Truck Accident Lawyer
As a victim of a large truck crash, you deserve answers. Was the truck driver speeding? Was the trailer carrying too much cargo? Did the driver fall asleep behind the wheel? There are many factors that can lead to truck collisions, and investigating the cause of the crash can quickly become a gravely complicated task, particularly when the trucking company and their insurer go to great lengths in order to deny liability. As such, it is important for the success of your claim to work with an attorney. Here at the Matassini Law Firm, our Tampa overloaded truck accident lawyers have the knowledge and experience to handle even the most complex cases, and can help you get to the bottom of what really happened.
Four Reasons Why Overloaded Trucks are So Dangerous
According to the Federal Motor Carrier Association, the maximum gross weight of a truck is 80,000 pounds. But even if a truck was carrying less than this, it could still have been overloaded at the time of the crash, because the maximum legal weight on a single axle is 20,000 pounds, and the maximum legal weight on a tandem axle group is 34,000.
- Jackknifing—Jackknifing occurs when the driver oversteers or overcorrects while pulling a trailer. The more weight on the trailer, the easier it becomes to jackknife, which can end in catastrophe for all road users near the truck.
- Lack of Control—Being able to avoid hazards, steer around tricky corners, and retain control of one’s vehicle is paramount to avoiding crashes. Semi trucks are inherently bad at this to start with, even when properly loaded. An overloaded truck becomes even more prone to crashes because the driver’s control is reduced with every pound overweight.
- Reduced Braking Ability—Coming to a quick stop is important for all vehicles, whether at a light that turns red, a quick slow down on the highway caused by rubbernecking up ahead, or in an emergency situation. Overloaded trucks take longer to stop due to simple physics.
- Increased Danger in Poor Weather Conditions—Inclement weather, including heavy rain, wind, and poor visibility, all increase the odds of a collision taking place. A difficult to steer, slow to stop, overloaded cargo semi truck is the worst possible thing to drive in high-wind, slick road conditions.
Proving That the Truck Was Overloaded
Large trucks and buses are involved in over 100,000 serious injury collisions annually, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Quite often, the trucking company is found at-fault, though not always. Because of the high insurance policies that trucking companies have, they and their insurers go to great lengths to deny liability. One of the most concrete ways to hold a trucking company accountable is to prove that the truck was overloaded. Truck drivers have a responsibility to know the weight limits of their truck, and the weight of the cargo they are carrying. In order to prove that the cause of the crash was fully, or in part, caused by an overloaded truck, the truck’s freight logs need to be thoroughly investigated.
Call Our Tampa Overloaded Truck Accident Lawyers Today
If you were injured in a truck collision, you deserve fair compensation for your damages. Call the Tampa overloaded truck collision attorneys at the Matassini Law Firm today at 813-217-5715 to schedule a free consultation.
