Earlier this week, a semi-truck dumped its load on the highway after jack-knifing and toppling over when an equipment failure caused the truck’s bed to raise. According to a report by CTPost.com, the truck was carrying a full load of aluminum scrap when, unexpectedly, the trucks bed began to raise. With a raised bed, the top of the truck struck an overpass, sending the truck’s cargo all over the highway. In addition, the semi-truck tipped over and slid down the highway for nearly a quarter mile.
The driver of the truck was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. State workers hurried to clean up the totaled truck and the aluminum scarp which blocked three southbound lanes of traffic for several hours.
Equipment Malfunctions Can Cause Serious Injuries
When any vehicle on the highway experiences an equipment failure, it can be dangerous. This is even more so the case when that vehicle is a semi-truck. If a truck driver’s load is improperly secured, or ends up on the highway due to the negligence of the driver in securing the load, the driver is responsible to those injured by accidents caused by the debris.
Equipment Failures Can Be Prevented
Imagine you are helping your friend move a couch from his old apartment in Dallas to a new home in Fort Worth. Instead of securing the couch to the bed of a truck with tie-downs, as most of us would do, the friend just casually rests the couch in the bed of the truck. Needless to say, if the couch falls off the bed of the truck and onto the highway, it could cause serious accidents. Your friend should have tied the couch to the bed of the truck to prevent the possibility of it slipping off on the highway.
This is the same as when semi-trucks accidentally dump their load or experience equipment malfunctions. Texas truck drivers are required to ensure that their rigs are responsibly maintained and that their loads are secured properly. When these crucial safety precautions are overlooked, accidents can happen. When they do, the innocent victims of these accidents have a right to recover from the truck driver and trucking company.
Have You Been Injured in a Semi Truck Accident?
If you or a loved one has recently been injured in a semi-truck accident, you need to speak to an experienced attorney as soon as possible. You may have a right to recover monetary compensation based on the negligent driving or unsafe maintenance of the truck. An experienced attorney will be able to help you better understand the laws that apply and assist you in determining what your best course of action is.
The Law Offices of William K. Berenson have been defending the rights of injured Texans for the past 33 years. The firm’s founder, Bill Berenson, is a veteran Fort Worth accident attorney who has been certified by the State of Texas as a Specialist in Personal Injury Trial Law for the past 20 years. With his firm behind him, Bill Berenson has what it takes to fully and zealously you in your semi-truck accident case. Contact the Law Offices of William K. Berenson online today.
See More Blog Posts:
Fatalities And Injuries From Tractor Trailer and Truck Crashes Rising, October 9, 2013.
Hire The Best Attorney For Your 18 Wheeler Crash Case, August 27, 2013.