Our Pearland truck accident lawyers have written before on the dangers from unsecured cargo that spills from trucks. We’ve written about how to identify who’s liable for the accident and how to obtain just compensation for your injuries and vehicle damage from a falling cargo accident.
Truckers generally don’t load their trucks’ cargo themselves. It’s often a third party contractor or vendor that loads the cargo. But under U.S. regulations, the trucker is ultimately responsible for ensuring that his truck’s cargo has been properly loaded and secured. It’s usually the trucker who’s in the best position to know whether his truck’s cargo fasteners are in good condition.
But despite an array of regulations designed to encourage proper securing of cargo, the daily news continues to report falling or spilled truck cargo accidents. Just Tuesday in Montgomery County on U.S. 59, an inadequately secured pipe fell from an 18-wheeler owned by PrimeTime Transport. An 18-wheeler on the highway behind, this one owned by Roadway-Yellow Freight, tried to avoid the pipe and ended up running into the concrete median. Then a motorist in a Ford Mustang struck both the pipe and the second 18-wheeler. Fortunately, her injuries were only minor, but the car sustained some nasty damage.
Except for the lack of very serious injuries and vehicle damage, this incident on U.S. 59 exemplifies the dangers from falling, unsecured truck cargo. In this truck cargo accident on U.S. 59, the driver of the Mustang as well as the driver of the Yellow Freight 18-wheeler could sue the parties at fault for the financial value of the damage to their vehicles and for any injuries that resulted from the accident. The liable parties might include the driver of the PrimeTime 18-wheeler, PrimeTime Transport, and the parties responsible for actually loading and securing the pipes. Ultimately, the liability cost of a falling cargo accident, even when the damage is comparatively minor, is much greater than the cost of taking a little extra time to secure the cargo properly.
If you’ve been injured or received vehicle damage as a result of falling, unsecured truck cargo, hold the parties at fault for the accident financially accountable for their oversight. Only by making them feel the financial pain of their negligence can you encourage them to take proper care and avoid such accidents in the future. Contact our Pearland truck accident lawyers for a free and confidential legal consultation regarding your claim. Our experience and skill in the area of truck cargo accidents could help you win a full financial recovery for your losses following the wreck.