Things that fall off of trucks …
Say you’re driving down the highway. In front of you is an oil field 18-wheeler — well, ANY truck, actually — when, suddenly, something comes flying off the trailer and right into your windshield. Or maybe, as happened several times recently, a tire, axel or other part of the truck comes loose and careens right into your path.
The failure to secure loads or maintain equipment can have deadly consequences to cars following behind that truck, or to oncoming traffic. We have seen recent cases where stray pieces of cargo and loose truck parts caused catastrophic injuries to innocent drivers and passengers in other vehicles.
Both types of cases are all too common. Commercial and private truck drivers have a responsibility to properly secure loads. However, the consequences for violation are relatively minor to the trucking company. A $500 fine is laughable for oil field truck companies who pull in millions annually. For these companies, time is money. And securing a load takes time. So does proper maintenance.
One of the reasons we have been successful in 18-wheeler cases is that we are very familiar with the hundreds of rules and regulations that govern the conduct of trucking companies. Finding out which rules they violated is not as simple as it sounds. This is often because companies will hide, alter or outright fabricate records. We have uncovered shredded logs, rolled back odometers, and a host of other issues that the driving public would be horrified to know.
If you’ve been harmed by a trucker’s improperly secured cargo or a poor maintenance, or if a loved one has been injured or killed, please contact an oilfield truck wreck lawyer who understands the complexities of 18-wheeler cases.
