Overloaded/Overweight Truck Accidents in Terre Haute

Transportation, including trucking and warehousing, has been one of the fastest-growing industries in the U.S. over the past decade. Unfortunately, some truckers and their trucking companies may periodically overload the cargo to get more of it to its destination.

Most 18-wheelers weigh 35,000 pounds when empty and with their legal loads, 80,000 pounds, or 40 tons. Although some long-distance rigs with a special permit might weigh more, they can all cause a lot of damage. Overloading a truck is dangerous and may be grounds for a lawsuit when you are injured after a trucker loses control of their rig. Our commercial vehicle attorneys are available to advise you when you are involved in an overloaded/overweight truck accident in Terre Haute.

Common Causes of Overloaded/Overweight Truck Accidents

Overweight trucks are under added pressure when in operation. Tires could blow, brake systems wear out faster, and steering is often more difficult. Shifting overloaded cargo is also a danger because it destabilizes the truck’s capacity to stay on the road, especially winding roads, and in bad weather. Wrecks involving overweight or overloaded trucks often happen because:

• One or more of the tires on the 18 wheels bursts from bearing the excess weight.
• Roads collapse under the excess weight, causing the truck driver to lose control.
• Overloaded cargo shifts and slams against the rear of the trailer, spilling out onto the highway.
• Brakes fail from the wear and tear of stopping an overloaded truck.
• An unstable center of gravity from overloaded cargo causes the truck to tip and roll over.
• The trucker cannot easily stop an overloaded vehicle careening down a hill as it builds momentum.

When more than 40 tons of truck, trailer, and cargo barrel into a motorist who never saw it coming or could not get out of the way in time, the injuries they sustain may be devastating or deadly. Those who make it through could face a long convalescence in many cases, involving paralysis, traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), broken bones, severe burns, and disfigurement.

These injuries have consequences for a lifetime, and injured parties should be compensated by the negligent trucker or trucking company. Compensation could include immediate medical care and lost wages, but also repurposing a home and vehicle for paralyzed motorists, and long-term care if recovery will never be complete. Our Terre Haute attorneys share decades of experience with our clients, as we fight for the most compensation available after overloaded or overweight truck collisions.

Commercial Trucks and Liability Insurance

Although commercial trucks by federal law must carry a minimum in liability insurance that is far higher than what Indiana requires passenger vehicle owners to carry, injured motorists must consider if it is adequate to compensate for the extent of their injuries.

Our Terre Haute attorneys could negotiate with insurers after determining what a person’s injuries are worth. If a settlement offer is inadequate, our attorneys could file a lawsuit based on the driver’s or trucking company’s negligence, seeking more substantial compensation.

Get Help After an Overloaded/Overweight Truck Collision in Terre Haute

Truck drivers must carry commercial driver’s licenses as proof they have received special training beyond the ordinary motorist. Trucking schools graduate knowledgeable drivers, and trucking companies usually continue to train hires. But when a trucker or company encourages overloading a truck and driving over the federal weight limit, and an accident happens, negligence could be at play.

When you are involved in one of these accidents and sustain injuries, you may be due compensation. We represent people just like you. Contact us today.