When most people think of accidents caused by large commercial trucks, they think of crashes that occur when a truck’s brakes fail, when a driver tailgates and cannot stop in time, or when a truck rolls over because it makes a turn too tightly or at high speed. These are all examples of direct accidents between a truck and one or more other vehicles. Sometimes truck accidents occur that are considered secondary accidents. In this case, the truck is not directly involved in the actual collision, but causes a collision between two or more nearby vehicles. An unsecured load truck accident in St. Louis is one type of indirect truck crash, in which the truck does not actually collide with other vehicles. When the load that a truck carries becomes lose or moves, the operator may lose control of the truck. Swerving to avoid the erratic truck, other drivers may crash into one another. It can also occur when a truck’s load becomes lose and actually falls off the truck. This circumstance is dangerous because nearby vehicles may hit the items, or they may attempt to maneuver around them and hit other cars. In either case, if items had not fallen off the truck, no accident would have happened. One of the most important aspects of truck safety is adequate securement of loads.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration dictates federal regulations related to the safe loading of commercial trucks. Among the regulations made for tractor trailer loading are specific indications for weight, height and width of load, as well as proper methods of load distribution and tie down procedures. These laws are a result of serious St. Louis unsecured load truck accident lawsuits in past decades. This type of lawsuit may stem from wrecks caused directly by trucks, such as when a load shifts in transport and negatively impacts the operator’s ability to turn, brake, speed up or slow down. Or they may be caused by loads that fall from the truck and create a hazard in the road for other drivers. Altogether, the Foundation for Traffic Safety states that roughly 25,000 accidents occur annually related to poorly secured loads. Out of those, nearly 100 lose their lives in such crashes each year.
Truck accidents related to unsecured loads should be easy to prevent by following industry standards and federal laws. The laws are very specific, outlining permissible tie down materials, methods, weights and distribution standards. For certain raw materials and products such as lumber, concrete pipes and logs, federal laws even go so far as to outline specific methods to secure each type of load. But all too often, unsecured load truck accident attorneys in St. Louis uncover evidence that a commercial truck’s load securement did not meet loading requirements. Securing large loads requires expertise and ample equipment that is in good repair, as well as time and attention. Furthermore, once a truck leaves the loading dock, the driver must check periodically that straps, chains and other securement devices are still functional. Even a small mistake in loading a truck, such as using the wrong gauge of strap or failing to tighten a load after driving some distance, can result in a potentially fatal accident.
