Due to their enormous weight and size, commercial trucks have the potential to cause devastating accidents that result in serious injuries or fatalities. Federal and state regulatory agencies address this fact, enforcing stringent rules and regulations to prevent neglectful and dangerous practices on the part of trucking companies. Overloading is one such practice that often leads to deadly consequences.
According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), large trucks cannot carry more than 20,000 pounds per axle. They may also be restricted from traversing certain roads with weight restrictions. Truckers and their companies must take these regulations seriously, or they may be held accountable for any accident that results from overloading.
If you or a loved one has been a victim of an overloaded truck crash, please contact the experienced Maryland big rig accident attorneys at Alpert Schreyer Injury Accident Lawyers today. Our toll-free number is (301) 932-9997.
What Are the Truck Loading Laws?
The FMCSA enforces many specific truck loading laws with the goal of reducing the number of accidents that occur due to unsafe or improper loading practices.
These laws include the following:
- Cargo must be secured on or within a truck by implements meant to hold it, such as dunnage, tiedowns, shoring bars, and other related equipment and materials
- Rolling cargo must be secured by wedges, chocks, or cradles
- Tiedown restraints must meet certain FMCSA requirements
- Vehicles carrying heavy machinery, crane booms, and other items that require specified restraining mechanisms must meet certain special purpose vehicle requirements
- Commodity-specific items (logs, metal coils, concrete pipes, etc.) must meet securement requirements
Additionally, a truck must give drivers notification of overhanging objects through the use of colored lights if it is carrying a load that extends beyond its width or length by more than four inches.
What Are the Risks Associated with Overloaded Trucks?
As long as a trucking company makes sure every cargo is properly balanced, measured, and loaded, it should be able to avoid overloaded truck accidents completely.
Negligence alone leads to overloading, the dangers of which include the following:
- Overloading can cause the truck’s heavy weight to shift to the rear from the front tires, making steering a much more difficult task for the trucker.
- Excessive weight can make trucks go much faster downhill and harder to stop. The brakes can be strained by the added momentum and experience failure.
- The tires may not be able to handle such weight and consequently burst from the pressure.
- The truck’s center of gravity is raised by the overloaded cargo and thus much more prone to a rollover accident.
- Roads, overpasses, and bridges may collapse if their weight restrictions are exceeded.
In an accident that involves any of the above circumstances, the company behind the involved truck may be held liable for all resultant damages.
Helping Victims Seek Justice
If you or someone you care about has been injured in an overloaded big rig accident, the attorneys at Alpert Schreyer Injury Accident Lawyers may be able to assist you. Our commitment to justice can be seen in our case results and testimonials. We apply many years of legal experience to holding negligent truckers and trucking companies accountable for their wrongdoing.
To find out more about how to protect your rights and your future, contact our law firm today.