How Improperly Secured Truck Loads Lead to Serious Crashes
A truck’s successful route is the result of countless professionals doing their job well. Failing to do so can leave trucks and drivers vulnerable to serious crashes. If a Chicago truck accident has left you injured, you may benefit from speaking with a Chicago truck accident attorney with Taxman, Polluck, Murray, & Bekkerman LLC.
The Importance of Properly Securing Loads for Trucks in Chicago
While it may seem common sense to most people that you do not want loose cargo in a truck during transit, properly securing it does more than just keep things organized. It plays a critical role in preventing unnecessary injury and death.
Truck Stability
Stability Secured cargo is crucial to maintaining the truck’s balance and stability. If cargo shifts, it can affect the stability of the truck and trailer, causing catastrophic accidents if the truck jackknifes or rolls.
Protecting Stopping Distance
Large truck drivers must already be aware of their increased stopping distance because of their size and weight. However, if the cargo shifts forward, towards the cab, this can further increase the distance required. When this happens unexpectedly, the driver may be unable to prepare or adjust to it in time to avoid an accident.
Protecting Other Drivers
If the truck with poorly loaded cargo is an enclosed trailer, the biggest danger may be those mentioned above. However, if the truck is carrying logs, machinery, or anything else not enclosed, they can call from the truck. When cargo leaves the truck, it may leave debris in the road that causes an accident. In some cases, it may fall directly onto surrounding vehicles or bounce or roll unpredictably, increasing the danger to other drivers.
Preventing Negative Environmental Impact
Commercial vehicles can transport a wide range of materials, some of which can be hazardous to both people and the environment. If volatile or caustic cargo is improperly secured or maintained, it may result in fires, chemical burns, or the pollution of ground and water sources.
Common Mistakes That May Result in an Improperly Secured Load
When you perform a task every day, it can be easy to become complacent and cut corners. However, this negligence puts drivers at risk of injury and death and leaves the company at risk for a lawsuit. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has implemented compliance standards regarding the use of appropriate tie-downs and the proper placement and restraint of cargo.
Using Inappropriate Tie Downs
When the tie downs used are inadequate for the type or weight of cargo, they are more likely to snap.
Additionally, failure to use appropriate supports, such as dunnage bags, can lead to cargo slipping out, loosening the tension, and allowing all of the cargo to shift.
Pay Attention to Weight Distribution
If you’ve rented a moving truck at some point, you may have noticed they provide instructions on how to load your items into the truck. This is to help you distribute the items in a way that minimizes the chances of uneven distribution. Commercial vehicles have the same needs.
FMCSA guidelines require that any products capable of rolling be restrained by chocks, wedges, or other adequate means to prevent movement. Furthermore, articles of cargo placed beside each other should be stacked next to each other and secured transversely so that they are in direct contact with each other or are otherwise prevented from shifting.
Neglecting Routine Inspections
Drivers, trucking companies, or logistics companies may be tempted to just go through the motions of routine inspections, or even skip them over ‘just this once’ to meet a deadline. However, missing a seemingly small detail in this process may have significant consequences.
Failing to Adjust Securement for Load Type
Each truck should be independently evaluated to determine the most suitable method for securing the cargo. When workers fail to do this, it can allow the load to shift, resulting in the driver losing control of the vehicle. In a truck without an enclosed trailer, it may allow heavy machinery to roll or fall off the bed into traffic, causing injuries. This sudden decrease in weight may also cause the driver to lose control.
Truck Accidents Caused by Insecure Cargo Often Cause Serious Injuries
Regardless of whether your accident was a collision with the truck itself or the cargo it was carrying, cargo-related accidents can be incredibly severe, especially when compared to typical car accidents. These accidents often result in injuries such as:
- Broken bones
- Scarring
- Spinal cord injury
- Traumatic brain injury
- Death
These injuries can have lasting consequences and high price tags that you should not have to face alone. By working with one of our truck accident lawyers in Chicago, you increase your ability to recover these costs when you file a truck accident claim.
Who is Liable for an Insecure Load Accident?
Chicago truck accidents can have multiple points of liability, which is one of the reasons a truck accident attorney can be crucial to a successful outcome. The responsible party will depend on the specific causes of the accident and on identifying the points at which the error could or should have been identified. Some of the possible liable parties we might investigate include:
- The truck driver
- The trucking company
- Dock workers
- Logistics company
- Mechanics
- Manufacturers
One or many of these entities may have a portion of the responsibility. Due to the Illinois comparative negligence laws, you can hold each party responsible for their role in your injuries, even if you may have contributed to them.
Showing Negligent Load Security Caused Your Truck Accident
The crux of any personal injury case is establishing the negligent party. Once our team investigates the possible avenues of liability, we will begin to build the case to demonstrate the negligence. Much of this process is showing how the improperly secured load led to your serious crash by establishing:
- The party’s duty of care to you
- They failed in that duty
- This breach of duty caused your accident
- The above-mentioned accident caused your injuries
In most circumstances, this is a relatively intuitive train of logic, but our job as your Chicago truck accident attorney is to meticulously identify and explain these connections to hold the responsible party accountable and help you recover the compensation you need to get back to your life.
If you’ve been injured in a truck accident involving an unsecured load, contact a Chicago truck accident lawyer from Taxman, Pollock, Murray & Bekkerman at (312) 586-1700 for guidance and support.