It is horrible to imagine a car accident, especially if the vehicle is a semi-truck. Huge vehicles causing accidents usually result in significant damage. You can imagine the horrific experience of the driver involved in such a car accident. The driver’s nervousness is undoubtedly at its peak. The usual scenario when we think of a semi-truck accident is a small vehicle slipping under a big truck or a small vehicle overtaking a slow-moving truck. If that happens, the driver and passengers of the small vehicle usually sustain injuries. The persons inside the small vehicle will suffer when hit by a vehicle as big as an 18-wheeler truck.
For everyone’s information, semi-truck accidents in Texas may be due to many factors. One reason causing semi-truck accidents in Texas is the slow speed of semi-trucks on the road, forcing many drivers to overtake. When the other drivers become impatient, and they overtake at a blind curve, then that usually results in an accident. Vehicular collisions involving semi-trucks happen daily because of this reason. Thus, if you are driving behind a semi-truck, you shall ensure enough space to overtake. When another vehicle is going in your direction, wait for that vehicle to pass through before you overtake. Do not risk overtaking in a blind curve, as you do not know whether there is an approaching car on the other side.
While semi-truck accidents in Texas are usually caused by negligent overtaking, others cause the same accident. Another cause of semi-truck accidents in Texas is when that truck carries an unsecured load that will fall off the truck.
An 18-wheeler Truck Shall Carry Secure Cargo
An 18-wheeler truck is a massive vehicle. It is huge enough to carry many thousand pounds of cargo. If an 18-wheeler truck is full of cargo, the driver has to drive as slowly as possible to secure the truck’s contents. It is also very crucial to load the cargo properly. For instance, if the truck contains fragile items, the shipper must adequately pack these items before loading them on the truck.
If the truck carries bottles of soft drinks, the shipper shall securely place the soft drink cases so they will not fall. It is essential to check the truck’s contents before starting any voyage, no matter how near. Otherwise, if the cargo is not secured correctly, this can result in an unwanted accident. A truck may overturn the cargo if the shipper has yet to guarantee that the cargo is safe from falling. This results in damage not only to the truck itself but also to other vehicles that happen to be near the big truck.
When cargo falls off a semi-truck, this will roll down to the highway resulting in an accident. There may be a vehicle behind the semi-truck that cannot stop immediately due to this unforeseen circumstance.
There are Many Causes of Unsecured Loads in Semi-trucks
An 18-wheeler truck is difficult to maneuver because of its weight. The driver must have the competence and experience in driving trucks to ensure safety. Before anything goes into the semi-truck, the driver must conduct preventive safety measures to ensure that the cargo will not fall off the vehicle. Otherwise, cargo can move from one place to another. If this happens, moving freight will cause pressure on another shipment, resulting in falling. It is essential to check the equipment and tools needed to secure the load.
There are many causes of unsecured loads in semi-trucks. Some of these causes are the following:
• The anchor points are not sturdy, so the anchor cannot sustain the pressure caused by the moving vehicle
• The straps are old and worn out
• The straps are damaged
• The equipment used is faulty
• The tie-downs are thin and old, thus not sturdy enough to hold the cargo
• The weight of the cargo is greater than the capacity of the truck
• The driver failed to conduct a thorough inspection of the truck before the voyage
When cargo is not secured properly, a complex braking incident can cause the load to shift inside a trailer. That shifting cargo can cause the trailer to tip over, resulting in a jackknife accident.
All of these causes result in semi-truck car accidents in Texas. When the semi-truck has an unsecured load, the cargo may fall off easily if the driver does a sudden break. The moving shipment will bump into the trailer, leading to an accident.
Risks of Overloading Cargo
The shipping fee is expensive. The associated costs involved in shipping include the wage of the driver, expenses on gas, and all other miscellaneous expenses. Sometimes, if the shipper does not own any truck and has to rent a vehicle, another truck rental cost makes shipping expenses. To save on shipping expenses, trucking companies usually load up as much cargo as they can onto the trucks. The fewer deliveries there are, the less costly it will be. If the shipper can load everything in a single delivery, they will not have to worry about renting another truck and spending additional gas plus another driver’s wage. It also saves time if the shipper places all the cargo in one delivery.
This situation is the business side of the story. However, truck companies usually overlook the risks of overloading cargo because their main concern is saving as much as possible to generate more profit. This scenario is hazardous. If the shipment is stacked too high, it will be harder for the truck to keep its balance. When the cargo is also not appropriately placed, there is a greater tendency for it to fall from its original position. This situation has become a bigger problem. When cargo falls off, this can destroy windshields or cause small vehicles to turn upside down when doing a sudden break to avoid it.
There are several risks of overloading cargo. There is no guarantee of safety on the road, much more if the vehicle involved is a semi-truck that carries overloaded cargo. The amount saved for producing fewer deliveries does not suffice for the amount of stress and other additional expenses that the shipper has to suffer if overloaded cargo causes a car accident.
It Would Help if You had a Semi-truck Accident Lawyer in Houston for Semi-truck Accidents in Texas
If you encounter semi-truck accidents in Texas, you need a semi-truck accident lawyer in Houston. As soon as possible, take a call with one of the lawyers at O’Hara Law Firm so your lawyer can explain all the possible legal remedies for you to get out of trouble. In semi-truck accidents in Texas, the lawyer will study the circumstances so that you will know who shall be held liable. On a case-to-case basis, the driver, owner, and shipping company may be jointly or severally responsible for the injuries caused to another person if there is a semi-truck accident in Texas.
Speak to your lawyer and narrate what happened. Gather all the facts that are relevant for your lawsuit to prosper. Get all the evidence to help you win your case. Since setting a dispute out of semi-truck accidents in Texas usually involves legal expertise, you need a semi-truck accident lawyer in Houston. The lawyers at O’Hara Law Firm are willing to guide you through each step of the process. You have to be familiar with the law and how you can legally demand compensation from the right person.
The lawyer will determine if the driver took all the necessary precautions to ensure the truck’s roadworthiness before plying to a particular destination. If the driver is found negligent, he shall be accountable for his mistake. An investigation shall also be made with the shipping company so that the authorities can determine whether the company exercised diligence in its affairs.
If you sustained injuries from semi-truck car accidents in Texas, get legal help soon. Lawyers at O’Hara Law Firm will assess your situation and help you get the maximum compensation. The ones who are negligent shall answer for their wrongdoings. You need to seek justice for the unfortunate situation by holding those responsible liable for their negligence.
You cannot do away with the situation without taking the necessary legal steps to make those responsible for the accident pay you for your medical expenses and emotional trauma. Semi-truck accidents in Texas result in various damage not only to your body and vehicle but also to your mental health. These are results that the negligent person shall pay up so that they will adequately compensate you for the injuries you suffered.
You only want positive results in your goal to seek justice. Trust that lawyers at O’Hara Law Firm will not only take care to ensure good results in litigation but also give you some peace of mind in the process. This law firm has semi-truck accident lawyers in Houston who value your privacy and respect your will to come up with a reasonable settlement that gives you the best compensation or be successful in litigation.