Oversized Loads and Unsecured Cargo
Hauling a perfectly balanced load is necessary for the safety of the driver, the people sharing the road with the large truck, and the security of the cargo itself. An oversize load could easily shift during transit, throwing the center of balance of the entire truck off. Lives are in danger when an oversize load shift. The result of a load shift is often a rollover incident or a jackknife. A rollover crash could injure or kill the truck driver and kill other motorists who are in the way of a truck that overturns or jackknifes. These accidents could lead to deadly underride collisions or other carnage that could inflict ghastly, and often fatal, injuries.
Federal and state regulations govern loading and load securing safety measures. Even though these safety measures are spelled out in the regulations, loads comprised of logs, pipes, shipping boxes, paper, mechanical devices, cranes, and even modular homes, may not be secured correctly. A loose or load that is out-of-balance could easily shift and cause a truck accident.
Multiple parties could be liable for load shifting accidents. The truck driver could be a victim of the shipping company’s negligence if the trucker did not know that the load was out-of-balance when receiving a sealed container. The victim of an oversized load accident who was traveling in a passenger car might have a right to sue the truck driver, the trucking company, and the shipping company, depending on the results of a complete investigation into the accident.
The investigation into the accident should reveal how the load was secured and why the load shifted and caused the crash. Loads are secured with braces, blocks, straps, chains, packaging, dunnage bags, and space-fillers. Shipping companies must correctly use each method of securing loads correctly and safely to avoid causing an injury.
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