Large trucks have an alarming tendency to overturn, increasing the magnitude of an accident and putting more lives in danger on the road.
For instance, a recent accident on the I-495 near College Park involved a tractor-trailer reportedly rolling over onto a pickup truck and striking a support for a bridge; four people were injured as a result.
Sometimes, a large truck overturns after colliding with another vehicle or with an obstacle. Other times, it overturns not because of any initial collision. Maybe the driver loses control of the vehicle during a sharp turn, or the truck jackknifes and rolls over. In any case, once it has overturned, it can cause a multi-vehicle accident or go off the road entirely.
Who’s responsible when a large truck overturns?
Any accident involving a large truck has the potential to be deadly, both for the truck driver and for anyone else on or near the road. When a truck overturns, it’s a sign that the vehicle has gone out of control in some way. Even when there aren’t fatalities, the result of the accident can include serious, sometimes permanent injuries and costly property damage.
Who is at fault then?
Sometimes, the answer seems straightforward. For example, if the truck driver was intoxicated at the time or violating other traffic laws, and subsequently lost control of the vehicle, it looks like the fault will lie with the driver.
However, consider the company that employs the driver. Are they responsible as well? And what happens if the investigation into the accident uncovers illegal or irresponsible behavior on the part of other drivers who were involved?
Furthermore, large trucks sometimes overturn because of a mechanical problem with the truck or because a load has shifted, distributing the weight of what it’s carrying in a way that makes the vehicle more unstable. It’s possible the truck driver didn’t do anything wrong, but the fault lies with people who weren’t even on the road at the time.
If you’re involved in such an accident, it’s critical to evaluate all the details to determine what happened and what your fair compensation should be. Please contact us at 844-Take-MyCase or through our website, www.844TakeMyCase.com. We also welcome you to follow us on Facebook and send us a message through our Facebook account; we use Facebook as a forum for discussing road safety and legal issues.
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