A truck driver was recently killed in a single-vehicle accident on Highway 9. The wreck occurred when the eighteen-wheeler that he was driving went off of the road. As the truck left the roadway, it went over two ditches, hit a power pole, crashed through a fence and eventually came to a stop near a tree. The driver of the truck was trapped inside of his truck and tragically died before he could be freed from the wreckage by rescue workers.
While this tragic eighteen-wheeler crash is still being investigated, it has been noted that it is possible that the accident may have happened when the load that the driver was hauling shifted. The shifting load may have caused the driver to lose control of the truck. The eighteen-wheeler was carrying a load of aluminum coils at the time that the accident occurred. Shifting loads have been implicated as the cause of some tractor trailer accidents. Cargo on a flatbed or in a trailer can sometimes move around as the truck moves along the road. When cargo moves, the weight of the load shifts, and the shift of the weight can be dramatic enough to cause the driver to lose control of their truck.
Truck drivers can reduce the likelihood that cargo will shift during transit by securing loads properly. Also, keeping loads to a safe weight can reduce the chance of a crash. Some trucking accidents caused by shifting cargo do still occur even when loads are a proper weight and are secured well, but taking those precautions reduces the risk dramatically.
There are some things that can contribute to tractor trailers being on the road with overweight or improperly secured loads. Although truck drivers are supposed to look over their trucks to ensure that they are loaded properly, some drivers may take the time to do so every time they go out onto the road. Sometimes, trailers are loaded by workers before the truck driver picks them up. In these situations, the driver is often expected to just attach the trailer to their truck and be on their way. This seems like an efficient way to manage shipping operations, but it does create some room for error as far as safety is concerned. Accident risk from unsafe loads also increases when drivers are pressured by their employers to load their trucks to maximum capacity or even beyond it, in order to increase profits.
Barrett Law PLLC: Representing Mississippi Trucking Accident Victims and Their Families
Trucking accidents have the potential to cause death, injury, and large amounts of destruction. If you were hurt in a trucking accident or if someone that you love died in a tractor trailer wreck, the Mississippi trucking accident attorneys at Barrett Law PLLC are here to help you. Our team of Mississippi Trucking Accident Attorneys is dedicated to helping you and your family, so please call our office today at 1 (800) 707-9577 to schedule a free consultation.