Americans share the interstate with large trucks carrying automobiles, livestock, timber, oil, and or other consumer goods. How these tractor trailers are loaded and the amount of its load plays a major role in the security of our roads. Freight can shift and/or weigh down a truck, making the truck difficult to control.
Weight is specifically critical because heavily laden vehicles have the tendency to slow down traffic and cause accidents -- the heavier the truck, the greater the impact of a collision and the more serious the accident. When overloading of trucks does occur, the ratio of the braking load is reduced in proportion to the amount of the overload, resulting in a lower deceleration rate, or an increase in the distance in which the trucks can be stopped, which has a tendency to cause collisions with other vehicles.
Federal and state regulations set maximum weight of a truck that includes the weight of the tractor, the trailer, and the freight that it is carrying. Trucks are required to stop and are monitored at weigh stations, a checkpoint along a highway to inspect weight. If overloaded the truck is required to pull over for additional inspection.
Regulation is critical because overloading and improperly loaded trucks can contribute to fatal accidents. In the October 2009 report of large truck crash facts of 2008, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration reported 4,017 fatal large truck accidents, of which 21 crashes had resulted from overloading, improperly loading, and carrying hazardous cargo improperly.
At the Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd., we work to aid victims of tractor-trailer accidents. It is critical for a person injured in a truck accident to contact an attorney as soon as possible after the accident in an effort to retain the information necessary for suit. This information includes the freight of the truck. Often trucking companies are in a rush to transport the freight. If you are in an accident, retention of the tractor (the power unit), trailer, and freight are necessary to ensure your claim. By retaining the Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd., we would work swiftly to retain and gather the information by having the tractor, trailer, and freight inspected for overloading issues. If you were in an accident involving a truck, please call the Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd., at (312) 384-1920.