Semi-trucks, 18-wheelers, flatbed trailer trucks, and other types of large commercial vehicles can often pose a serious safety hazard on the roads and highways of America, simply due to their unique design, the speed at which they’re often traveling, and the heft of the cargo they’re often transporting. Flatbed trailer trucks can pose particular problems for a number of reasons. Austin trucking accident lawyer Michael Grossman presents a few of those reasons, as well as what should be done if you’ve been injured as a result of falling cargo from a flatbed trailer truck.
One of the main dangerous aspects of flatbed trailer trucks is that they are open-air. In other words, the cargo they carry, without proper security measures employed, may have a greater likelihood of falling off simply because there are no retaining walls to hold the cargo in. As a result, falling cargo accidents often have a greater likelihood of occurring with a flatbed trailer truck than with a standard, enclosed semi-truck. Additionally, flatbed trailers are also often used to transport over-sized items, such as construction equipment or pre-built homes. Because of the large size of these particular items, flatbed trailers can also have a tendency to become unbalanced, resulting in a wreck.
Often, and often unknown to those outside of the trucking industry, a flatbed trailer company will employ an outside cargo-loading company to load their trucks with cargo and ensure that the cargo is properly secured. If this company is in any way negligent with their duties, they could be held vicariously liable for any falling cargo accidents that occur with one of their loaded trucks involved. As there are often multiple liable parties in a flatbed trailer accident, it’s important that all negligent parties are held accountable for their actions, both so that the plaintiff can stand to receive full compensation for their injury or loss, but also so that a similar incident does not have to happen in the future.
Falling cargo trucking accident cases can be challenging to non-attorneys, or even lawyers without prior experience in these particular kinds of cases, simply because tracking down where a particular piece of cargo fell from can prove to be a difficult task unless the investigative team knows what they’re doing and where to look. Trucking companies must keep records on their drivers, but these records can be deleted in time (both legally and illegally). Furthermore, some truckers may simply drive off after losing cargo in order to escape blame. Some drivers may not even know that something has fallen off their truck and drive away. In either case, it’s still important that the negligent driver, and possibly the negligent cargo-loading company, are found so that they can be held accountable for their actions causing injury or loss.
Cargo-loading companies bear the responsibility of ensuring the public safety by doing their jobs correctly. If they fail to do so and an accident occurs as a result of that failure, they can be held liable for your injury or loss. Be sure to enlist experienced legal help if you have been in a trucking accident caused by falling cargo.
