Commercial trucking accidents are among the most deadly types of accidents because of the enormous size and weight disparity between a big-rig truck and a passenger vehicle. Many times commercial trucking accidents are the result of improper loading, handling or weight distribution of freight. Overloaded commercial trucks or trucks that are not loaded according to trucking industry standards and regulations pose a variety of risks.
The freight may cause the truck to be top-heavy which increases the risk that the big-rig will jackknife or overturn while negotiating curves. A truck that is not properly loaded also has a greater risk of having the load shift while the truck is in transit. When the load on the truck shifts, it may fall off creating obstacles in the roadway or fall directly on another motor vehicle. At Montlick and Associates, Attorneys at Law, we have been representing people injured in commercial trucking accidents throughout Atlanta and ALL of Georgia for over 39 years.
Commercial trucking accidents involving an improper load can be complex cases because even when it is clear that the cargo load contributed to the accident, it can be difficult to determine whether the problem stems from the loading of the vehicle or an inexperienced or careless driver’s handling of the truck. Some commercial truck drivers do not receive sufficient training with the handling characteristics of certain rigs and any load subject to weight shifts can prove dangerous on curves, grades, or emergency traffic conditions. Careful investigation of the accident scene and involvement of trucking experts at the earliest possible opportunity increases the probability of success in a commercial trucking lawsuit. We are able to dispatch investigators and trucking experts to a trucking accident scene to make sure that valuable evidence is preserved.
Another common issue in commercial trucking accidents that involves improper loads is the often cloudy business organizations and relationships between potential liable parties. A number of different companies may be involved and the driver may be an independent contractor. It is also common that freight may have been loaded and unloaded multiple times, which can make it difficult to determine which party is actually responsible for improperly loading the tractor-trailer. We routinely handle commercial trucking accidents and will investigate all potential responsible parties so that we are able to obtain the maximum compensation for your injuries.
Commercial trucking accidents are common and typically very serious. There are in excess of 500,000 truck accidents each year that result in over 5,000 fatalities. Commercial trucking accidents account for as many as 12% of all motor vehicle related fatalities in the U.S. annually. Tractor-trailer crashes pose an especially high risk of causing serious injuries or death. When there is a death in accidents that involve a big rig, the occupants in the other vehicle are killed 98% of the time as opposed to the occupants of the tractor-trailer.