When a tractor-trailer is involved in a crash, many people assume that the cause of that wreck must be the truck driver’s actions. After all, speeding, fatigue and distraction are all major safety concerns that plague the trucking industry. However, it is important to avoid making assumptions when it comes to crash-related causation.
Truck accidents happen for a wide range of reasons. For example, improper loading of a truck’s cargo can impact the unfolding of a truck accident scenario, including the severity of any damage caused by a particular crash. Loading issues can make a tractor-trailer unstable, harder to control and more likely to cause devastating accidents. When this happens, questions of liability may extend beyond the driver to include a shipping company, a loading crew, the trucking company that employs the driver, etc.
Why safe loading and securing protocols are such serious safety concerns
Improper loading can impact the safety of a tractor-trailer’s operations in a variety of ways, which is why it is so important that drivers, trucking companies and loading crews observe standard safety protocols when loading, securing cargo, unloading and securing any remaining cargo traveling onward.
Overloading a trailer can put excessive stress on a truck’s brakes and tires, making it harder to stop or maneuver safely. Unevenly distributed cargo can cause a trailer to shift weight suddenly, increasing the risk of rollovers or jackknife accidents. Inadequate securing of cargo can result in items shifting inside a trailer or even falling onto the road, creating immediate hazards for other drivers. Each of these problems significantly raises the likelihood of a serious crash occurring when a truck is in motion.
Federal regulations from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) set strict requirements for cargo weight limits and securement methods. If these rules are violated and an accident occurs, the parties responsible for loading may be held liable for negligence. This is important because in many cases, a truck’s driver has little or no role in how cargo is loaded—yet they and other motorists suffer the consequences if mistakes are made.
Investigations into loading-related crashes often focus on bills of lading, weight station records, inspection reports and witness testimony from those who loaded the truck in question. Depending on what an investigation turns up, those affected may be entitled to considerable compensation.
