Arizona Overloaded Truck Accident Attorneys
Attorney Representation in Phoenix, Arizona Since 1996
Overloaded Truck Accidents
Trucking companies and independent truck drivers get paid by how much freight they can move from one place to another and how quickly they can move it. The more they move, the more money they make, and, in the past, overloading trucks was a very common situation. Unfortunately, this practice led to fatal trucking accidents in Arizona. Thousands of people were killed, and many thousands more were injured each year simply due to greedy, negligent trucking companies and drivers. Eventually, state and federal governments passed tough legislation that protected everyone from the dangers of overloaded trucks by imposing weight limits. Today, weigh stations are common sights on busy interstates and highways to keep drivers and trucking companies honest. Regrettably, the practice of overloading trucks to increase profits continues and endangers everyone on Arizona's streets and highways.
Causes of Overloaded Trucking Accidents
Most of the big rigs we see every day are designed and engineered to safely transport up to 80,000 pounds of freight. When you think about that much weight traveling down the down at 55 or more miles per hour, the physics of it is equal parts astonishing and frightening, especially when you consider that the average passenger car is only around 3,000 pounds. Cars and light trucks simply don't stand a chance in a collision with a vehicle weighing tens of thousands of pounds. When a truck is overloaded, the chances of a collision resulting in catastrophic and fatal injuries climb exponentially. Here are some of the most common causes of overloaded truck accidents:
- Trucks exceed the weight rating for roads, bridges and overpasses.
- Overloaded trucks take much longer to come to a stop.
- Extra weight can cause the brakes to overheat and fail, particularly on steep downgrades.
- Overloaded trucks often have a higher center of balance, increasing the risk of rollover accidents.
- Drivers of overloaded trucks are much more likely to lose control on slick roads and other adverse driving conditions.
- Tires fail due to the extra friction and wear caused by extra weight.
Contact the Arizona Truck Accident Lawyers at Breyer Law Offices
Drivers and trucking companies who overload their trucks in order to make more money know that they are breaking the law. Yet, despite tougher fines and extra enforcement, the practice continues today. This puts everyone on the road at elevated risk for severe and even fatal injuries, and it's the very definition of negligence. If you have been injured or a close family member has been killed in an accident with an overloaded truck, you have a right to seek damages against the negligent parties. For more information and aggressive legal representation from the Phoenix truck accident attorneys at Breyer Law, contact us today at (602) 267-1280 to schedule your free consultation.
