Overloaded Trailers
Professional Representation from a Houston Personal Injury Attorney
Tractor trailers must haul tons of cargo across our highways, sometimes
from one end of the country to the other. Nationwide and in Texas, semi-trucks
cannot weigh more than 80,000 in total, and there are truck weighing stations
along freeways to ensure this number is not exceeded. And yet, in order
to make shipping more efficient and cost-effective for the companies involved,
workers sometimes pack trailers beyond the legal capacity. Not only is
this illegal, violating established
federal regulations, but it also makes the truck more difficult to control.
If you were injured in a traffic collision involving a commercial truck,
an overloaded trailer could be at fault. Hold all parties accountable
for the painful and traumatic outcome by seeking legal counsel from a Houston
personal injury attorney at
The Cox Pradia Law Firm, P.L.L.C. today. We have achieved substantial recoveries for our clients, and we
would be honored to help you find the compensation that you deserve.
Schedule a
free, initial consultation with one of our personal injury attorneys today.
What dangers can an overloaded trailer cause?
Workers at the loading dock or warehouse might intentionally overload a
trailer, thinking themselves clever or more efficient at their jobs. When
they don’t actually see the vehicle rolling down the highways, it
is easy for them to forget how much danger their negligence is really causing.
Consequences of an overloaded tractor trailer include:
-
Rollovers: Trailers often become top-heavy when they are overloaded, as the load crews
tend to stack more product or shipment on top of pallets already in the
truck. With a sharp turn or strong wind, a top-heavy trailer can tip over,
crushing any smaller vehicles in the way.
-
Speeding: With overloaded trailers, truck drivers may assume it will require greater
amounts of fuel to maintain highway speeds and press down the pedal. In
reality, they only risk pushing their engines too far and accelerating
beyond safe speed limits.
-
Difficulty braking: The heavier the vehicle, the more inertia it will gather as it travels.
When it comes time for a stop – especially a sudden stop –
an overloaded trailer will require far more room to brake than most drivers
will anticipate.
-
Property damage: Even at slow speeds, an overloaded semi-truck will have a momentum equal
to or greater than that of a speeding car. One mistake could lead to a
collision that causes massive damage to property and structures.
-
Truck destruction: The body of an overloaded trailer will begin to break as it undergoes an
excessive amount of stress. Such failures could eventually lead to a total
loss of control of the vehicle.
Hold Truck Drivers Accountable with Our Help
Whether a trailer was overloaded due to negligence or intentional recklessness,
someone is to blame, and it isn’t you. If you were injured in a
truck accident that involved an overloaded trailer, you deserve financial compensation
for your injuries and damaged vehicle. Our Houston
personal injury attorneys at The Cox Pradia Law Firm, P.L.L.C. have more than 30 years of collective
experience and will pursue justice on your behalf, no matter where they
need to go or what they need to do. We can work towards a settlement with
the shipping corporation responsible for packing the trailer. We can fight
for you in court against the truck driver, if we must. We can even contest
coverage provided by your own insurance company – all for your benefit.
We want to put the client first, and to prove it, we work on a contingency
fee basis.
If we don’t win, you don’t pay.
You don’t have to be a victim of a truck accident.
Contact us today to start securing your future.
We settle for nothing less than your best interests!