Overloaded Truck Accidents in Irvine

Trucking accidents can lead to devastating injuries and even fatalities. One of the most common causes of truck accidents is trucks being loaded with more cargo than is allowed under federal regulations. If you or a loved one has been injured in a collision with a truck in Irvine, you need experienced Irvine truck accident attorneys who have the knowledge and experience to handle the very specific issues raised by the truck accident.

Knowing The Rules

Because of the danger posed by the many trucks on our nation’s roads and highways, the U.S. Department of Transportation has written specific rules limiting the amount of cargo that can be carried in various kinds of trucks. But trucking companies, seeking extra fees, often flout these rules.

The rules are particularly important when the trucks are hauling chemicals, fuel, or other hazardous materials.

Some of the specific rules involve:

• Weight limits: If trucks are carrying too much, they may be unable to brake in time to avoid a collision. They are also more prone to tire blowouts, as well as rollovers due to the higher center of gravity created when weight limits are exceeded
• Distribution of weight: All cargo must be evenly distributed by weight, and properly secured or packed, so as to avoid any shifting around while on the road.
• Tie bars: Cargo must be held in place by adequate restraints
• Inspections: Drivers are required to periodically check their payload while in transit, and must record these checks in their driver log

Types of Accidents

When Irvine trucks are overloaded, it can lead to various kinds of harm:

• Loss of control: Extra weight makes it more difficult for the driver to avoid collisions with other drivers that may have hit the brakes suddenly, and may even cause the truck to careen out of control while changing lanes
• Flying debris: Objects can come flying out of the truck and hit other vehicles. If debris shatters a windshield, a driver’s view of the roadway and surrounding traffic can be fatally impaired. If the debris lands on the road, motorists will have to swerve to avoid it, which often leads to accidents
• Leaks: Liquid leaking onto a roadway can also cause injuries either by causing the road surface to become dangerously slippery, or simply by being itself hazardous by virtue of being flammable or toxic

Obtaining Damages

A truck driver or trucking company that is not in compliance with all applicable regulations may be liable for all consequential damages, including medical expenses, pain and suffering (both physical and emotional), and lost wages.

Because of the size of commercial trucks, the injuries that they can inflict in a collision can be greater than an ordinary car. It is not uncommon for a victim of such an accident to suffer traumatic brain injury, where an individual’s neurological functions are disrupted.

Contact Irvine Truck Accident Lawyers

Truck accident lawyers will go to work for you right away, gathering evidence. It is important to track down witnesses as soon as possible, before they disappear or their memories of the incident become less vivid. The specific documentation that trucking companies are required by law to maintain must be thoroughly reviewed.

If you or a loved one has suffered damages due to this kind of negligence of overloaded trucks in Irvine, you are entitled to representation by a legal team that will not relent until you have attained justice.