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Large trucks can carry an extraordinary amount of cargo. Under federal trucking regulations, fully loaded 18-wheelers can weigh as much as 80,000 pounds, or roughly 20 times the weight of an average car.

Even though large trucks are designed to carry this amount of weight, transporting heavy cargo can still be dangerous. In fact, even when trucks are not fully loaded, a variety of issues can arise. Unfortunately, these issues often lead to truck accidents, and innocent drivers and passengers can suddenly find themselves in need of an experienced Fort Myers accident lawyer.

Common Issues in Truck Accidents Involving Heavy Cargo

Regardless of whether an 18-wheeler or other large commercial truck is fully loaded, carrying heavy cargo can present a variety of risks on the road. Below are five examples of common issues that can lead to cargo-related truck accidents.

1. Exceeding the Truck’s Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR)

Even though federal regulations limit the amount of cargo that large commercial trucks can carry for safety purposes, trucking companies do not always follow the law. While large trucks can be dangerous when they are loaded to capacity, they can be even more dangerous when overloaded with more cargo than they are supposed to carry.

Exceeding a truck’s gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) increases the risk that tie towns, cargo straps, tires, brakes, and other critical components will fail. It also increases the risk that the truck driver will lose control when turning or braking. Yet, at least one study—which was conducted in Florida—has found that up to 30 percent of 18-wheelers are overloaded.

2. Failing to Secure Heavy Cargo Properly

Even if a large truck is not overloaded, carrying heavy cargo can be dangerous if the cargo isn’t properly secured. Unsecured cargo can shift during transit, and this shifting can cause the truck driver to lose control suddenly and unexpectedly.

While the risk of losing cargo is a very real concern (more on this below), shifting cargo does not have to fall off of a truck to be dangerous. If cargo shifts front-to-back, this can increase the truck’s stopping distance, and if it shifts side-to-side, this can potentially lead to a jackknife or rollover accident.

3. Failing to Properly Balance Heavy Cargo

Along with being properly secured, heavy cargo also needs to be properly balanced. If too much of a truck’s weight is over a single wheel or a single axle, this can negatively affect the truck driver’s ability to maintain control as well. With improperly balanced cargo, certain wheels or axles may not have enough weight to establish traction with the road, while others may be so overloaded that their brakes are not able to slow the truck down in time to avoid a collision.

4. Cargo Spilling onto the Road

There are a couple of factors that can cause heavy cargo to spill onto the road. As we touched on already, one possibility is that the cargo is not properly secured. If a truck’s cargo is not held tightly in place, it can fall off due to acceleration, braking, lateral forces during turning, or the truck’s vibration on the road.

Another possibility is that the cargo is too heavy for the tie-downs, straps, or other equipment used to hold it in place. In this scenario, these items can fail, and the truck can lose its load. This is an extremely dangerous scenario for obvious reasons, and in truck accident cases involving lost cargo, it is not unusual for multiple vehicles to be involved.

5. Truck Driver Negligence

When 18-wheelers and other large commercial trucks are loaded down with heavy cargo, truck driver negligence is a concern as well. Operating a heavy truck safely requires skill, precision, and careful attention to the task at hand. If a truck driver is drowsy or distracted, or if the driver makes even a minor mistake behind the wheel, this can almost instantly create a situation in which other road users are helpless to protect themselves from serious, or even life-threatening, injury.

While inexperience is a common factor in truck accidents involving heavy cargo, even experienced truck drivers can make mistakes. When we investigate truck accident cases involving heavy cargo, we always examine the possibility that the truck driver could—and should—have done something differently to avoid the crash.

Determining Liability for a Cargo-Related Truck Accident in Florida

Since truck accidents involving heavy cargo can result from a variety of factors, one of the key first steps after a serious or fatal accident is to determine which company is to blame. Depending on the circumstances involved, one or more of the following companies (among others) could all potentially be liable for victims’ and their families’ losses:

• The Trucking Company or Retailer – Trucking companies, retailers, and other companies that own and operate commercial trucks can be held liable when their drivers make mistakes behind the wheel. They can also be held liable for overloading their trucks, failing to conduct necessary truck maintenance and a variety of other forms of negligence.
• The Shipping Company – Tractor trailers often carry containers that were loaded with cargo by other companies. If the shipping company failed to secure its cargo properly, then it could be liable in the event of a crash.
• A Truck or Component Manufacturer – If a truck’s tires or brakes failed, if cargo straps or tie-downs failed, or if any other component failure is to blame for a cargo-related accident, the truck or component manufacturer could be liable. Product liability laws hold manufacturers strictly liable for injuries and deaths caused by product defects.

Contact Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A. for a Free Consultation with a Fort Myers Accident Lawyer  

Were you or a loved one involved in a truck accident involving heavy cargo in Florida? If so, we strongly encourage you to contact Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A. to learn about your family’s legal rights. To speak with Fort Myers accident lawyer Randall L. Spivey in confidence as soon as possible, call 888-477-4839 or request a free consultation online now at Spiveylaw.com.