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The Bigger the Truck, the Harder They Fall
Aside from the song that mentions 18-wheelers don’t stop on a dime, there is the well-known fact that if they’re not loaded correctly, they are apt to topple over with disastrous consequences.
Cargo aside, the weight of the truck without a load is at least 10,000 pounds or more, or it isn’t classified as a large truck. Rig drivers need to pay special attention to how their load is packed on and strapped down.
Any load on a semi is the responsibility of the driver - to make sure it gets from point A to point B - and in the process does not shift and either lose the load, jackknife or topple the load and truck with it. “Accidents like this usually have grave consequences,” outlined Lance Sharp of The Sharp Law Firm in Austin, Texas. Sharp would definitely know what he’s talking about, as he’s handled many of these cases during the years he has practiced law.
It’s not enough to just load and go. There are federal, state and even local rules and regulations that deal with acceptable weights of commercial vehicles. In many cities, there are even specially designated large truck routes, specifically designed to handle the weight of a fully loaded semi, such as 130 recently built around Austin. Vehicles that large play havoc with the asphalt.
“Weight, speed and time behind the wheel are just some of the factors we need to examine in a large truck accident,” explained Sharp. For that, an experienced attorney spends time researching gross commercial vehicle weights, gross combination weights, tire loads and axle weights. Illegally overloading can be the cause of some serious accidents, and it’s the job of the large truck accident attorney to get to the bottom of the details of the case.
While some people think it’s a waste of time to consult with a lawyer, as it is obvious they were in an accident, it’s not always so obvious what damages have been sustained. Damages and injuries go straight to the heart of a court case for personal injury and factors such as illegal overloading would pertain to liability.
When involved in a serious large truck accident, make sure a highly qualified attorney assesses the case, such as the attorneys at The Sharp Law Firm in Austin, Texas. It is one phone call that may change the lives of those involved.
To learn more visit http://www.sharpfirm.com.
Adviatech Corp. PR for The Sharp Firm
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