Our Houston dump truck wreck lawyers have mentioned before that one of primary causes for accidents among dump trucks and garbage trucks is the accidental failure to lower the dump truck lift bed before driving off. Well, in Canada, media just reported a classic accident of this type that occurred on Thursday.
A dump truck was driving along with its lift bed still in the raised position when the raised bed became entangled in some overhead power lines. The truck became so tangled up in the power lines, that every time the driver and first responders tried to move the truck, the lift bed got pulled up even higher. The lines were wound so tightly about the truck that every time the driver took his foot off the brake pedal, the force would snap the truck backward into the waiting embrace of the power lines. The unusual lift by the wires put the truck in danger of turning over. So rescuers called for the utility company to cut power to lines in the area so that they could proceed with freeing the trapped truck and its driver.
Homes and businesses in the area lost power. The incident also damaged communications cables, including telephone and fiber optics lines. Fortunately, no serious injuries were reported from this dump truck accident. Our Houston dump truck lawyers note that the absence of injury might result in part from rescuers’ careful efforts to kill power to the affected lines and to keep the truck upright.
But the careless accident from driving with a raised lift bed has resulted in extensive physical damage to overhead cables in the area. The repairs and the cost of the emergency response will result in a heavy cost. Authorities are still investigating whether human error or mechanical failure caused the dump truck to be driving along with a raised lift bed.
This portrait of a classic dump truck reveals some of the extensive costs that can result from even the simplest failure to operate the truck properly. Many dump truck wrecks take a far higher toll. If you’ve been injured because of a truck accident, take a look at our Houston dump truck wreck lawyers’ book on the essential elements of a successful truck accident claim. It’s free to our readers; you can just click and download your free copy.