What Causes Trucks to Roll Over?
While most drivers have accepted the need to share the road with commercial vehicles as a necessary evil, the risk that these vehicles pose to other road users cannot be understated. Weighing as much as 80,000 pounds and often exceeding 70 feet in length, these kinds of vehicles can cause a catastrophic amount of damage in collisions with passenger vehicles. On top of this, commercial vehicles are often loaded with dangerous cargo that could create a very real hazard if it falls onto the roadway and into the path of oncoming vehicles. This occurs much more often than most people realize, especially during rollover accidents.
Unsecured Loads
Many rollover truck accidents can be linked to the failure to properly secure a load of cargo. These vehicles are much taller and longer than the average vehicle and so are already more prone to rolling over. This risk is heightened even further if cargo slides or tips during transit. When an unsecured load causes a rollover accident, the company that was responsible for loading the truck could share liability for the crash, as could the driver who failed to inspect each load, and the driver’s employer.
High Speeds
Commercial vehicles are dangerous at any speed, but pose an especially high risk to other road users when truck drivers exceed the speed limit. The faster a commercial vehicle goes, the more force there is behind those movements, which means that if a trailer swings wide when a truck is turning, or the vehicle’s tires lose traction, it is possible that the truck could overturn entirely. Higher speeds are especially dangerous when turning or when traveling on slippery roads.
Sharp Turns
Making a sharp turn is always dangerous for truck drivers, as the length and height of these vehicles makes such maneuvers precarious. Sharp turns can cause even a properly secured load to waver and when combined with speeding, can easily cause a truck to roll over.
Vehicle Defects
Trucking companies are required to comply with strict regulations that govern how a vehicle’s parts, including truck brakes and steering components, must be maintained. Unfortunately, trucking companies often pressure their drivers to continue using a vehicle even when there are signs of obvious wear and tear. This can lead to defects in the braking system, which in turn can make it more difficult for a driver to maintain control of a truck and avoid a rollover accident. In these cases, trucking companies can be held liable for their failure to inspect and repair their vehicles.
Get in Touch with an Experienced Tulsa Truck Accident Lawyer Today
Rollover accidents of any kind tend to result in devastating injuries and significant vehicle damage. This is doubly true for rollover accidents involving commercial trucks. If you were injured as a result of a rollover accident that was caused by someone else’s negligence, you could be entitled to reimbursement for your medical bills, lost wages, and vehicle damage. For an assessment of your own legal options following a rollover truck accident, please call the dedicated Tulsa truck accident lawyers at Levinson Law, P.C. today. You can reach us at 918-492-4433 or via online message.
Sources:
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3256782/
csa.fmcsa.dot.gov/safetyplanner/myfiles/Sections.aspx?ch=22&sec=65
