Despite the danger posed to other motorists by commercial carriers, trucking companies and truck drivers still engage in unsafe practices that increase the inherent risk of San Francisco trucking accidents. A common and extremely dangerous practice includes improper loading of tractor-trailers. Trucking companies may be willing to take this type of serious risk because financial greed motivates commercial carriers and those that drive their big-rigs to increase tractor-trailer combinations above the fully loaded maximum weight of forty tons. The cost of fuel is extremely high so minimizing the number of loads can have an enormous impact on the profitability of a shipping contract. The other incentive for overloading a tractor-trailer is that trucking companies often are under tight shipping schedules.
There are many risks that increase when tractor-trailer maximum weight restrictions are violated by truck drivers and trucking companies. Overloaded commercial trucks are less responsive when a driver is forced to slam on the brakes to stop quickly in response to a road hazard or to engage in sharp steering maneuvers to avoid a collision. Tractor-trailers also are more likely to be involved in jackknife and rollover accidents when they are overloaded. An improperly secured or unbalanced load may shift, affecting the stability of a tractor-trailer and promoting tractor-trailer rollover accidents. Alternatively, the shifting or excessive load may cause the tractor-trailer to jackknife when the truck driver tries to stop and swerve suddenly.
While a commercial driver has less time and cannot be as effective when responding to road hazards when a commercial truck is transporting an excessive load, the truck also may experience mechanical issues when overloaded. Tire blowouts may be more likely because the tires are running hotter when there is extra friction between the road surface and tire because of a heavy load. Brake failure also is more likely when the weight of a load exceeds maximum limits. This risk of brake failure is even more significant when a tractor-trailer is operated on steep grades when driving downhill.
While there are federal and state regulations that govern issues involving proper commercial vehicle loads, such as excessive loads, improperly balanced loads, poorly secured loads and other load related issues. If you or someone you love is involved in a San Francisco trucking accident, the result may be permanent debilitating injuries, including brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, broken bones and other devastating injuries. If you experience injury in a trucking accident in the Bay Area, our experienced San Francisco trucking accident attorneys may be able to help you obtain the compensation that you deserve.
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If you experience injury in a trucking accident in the Bay Area, our experienced San Francisco trucking accident attorneys may be able to help you obtain the compensation for your injuries. We invite you to contact The Law Office of Ian Zimmerman for your free initial consultation. We are open 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., speak Cantonese and Mandarin Chinese, and are available for weekend, evening, home and hospital meetings and visits. We also offer free initial consultations and work exclusively on a contingency fee basis so that you pay nothing if we don’t win your case.