Today I saw a truck pulled over on the side of the road, and a construction crew was picking up loose lumber that had spilled out all over the road. That was an unfortunate incident for that crew, but it could have been a tragic accident if even one of those boards had struck an oncoming vehicle. If you drive Mississippi’s roads, you have likely seen other improperly secured cargo in the back of a truck or big rig and thought, “that guy is going to injure someone.” There are responsible long haul truckers who have with carefully strapped down loads and other trucks with their cargo unsecured and blowing out of the back of the truck behind them. Accidents stemming from loose cargo can be catastrophic, even deadly.
If you or a loved one were injured by loose truck cargo, you must find experienced counsel to help you attain your fair share of compensation for your loss of income and injury. The trucking company will have their aggressive attorneys, and you should have experienced counsel on your side as well. Barrett Law has the experience to help you if you have been injured. Contact us now at (601) 790-1505.
The Complexity of Loose Cargo Accidents
Loose cargo accidents are never straightforward and require the expert help of an experienced personal injury lawyer to prevent all of the parties involved from shirking their responsibility. The complexity lies in the potential number of parties that could be responsible for the object that fell off the truck and injured you or a loved one. The most common accident type is when a truck carries a load that is insufficiently attached to the truck’s bed. The load’s attachment may be sufficient when the truck is at rest or moving straight down a highway, but it may give way when the truck swerves abruptly to avoid an accident or some other obstacle.
A related, but different type of accident occurs when truck cargo breaks loose and blocks some part of the roadway, resulting in other cars swerving to avoid it. While this type of accident may not result in vehicles colliding with the truck’s cargo, the cargo was the proximate cause of the crash, meaning it triggered it.
In either of the above two accidents, it may seem obvious to you that the trucking company that was hauling the loads that broke loose is responsible for compensating you for your injuries and other damages. That may or may not be true. Most trucking companies now hire independent contractors to drive their trucks. They hire other independent contractors to load their trucks. Yet another group of contractors maintains the trucks. Trucking companies use these contractors to limit their liability, and they will likely blame them for any injuries caused by a breakaway load. That creates two problems. First, that means that you will need to sue the trucking company, the driver, the loading company, and every other contractor individually, which multiplies the expense and complexity of your lawsuit. Second, the subcontracting companies usually have very little in the way of assets and will go bankrupt rather than pay out a claim. So you will need an experienced personal injury lawyer on your side who knows how to attach liability to the trucking company itself successfully. If you have less experienced counsel who hasn’t handled this sort of case many times, you may find yourself injured and uncompensated.
What Should You Do If You or a Loved One Has Been Injured in an Accident?
If you or a family member were injured by loose truck cargo, you deserve your fair share of compensation for the time you have been out of work, the costs of your treatment and rehabilitation, your pain and suffering, and other damages. You’ll need experienced personal injury counsel to take care of organizing your bills, attaining statements from expert witnesses, and dealing with the trucking company’s attorneys. These are critical, complex tasks that a personal injury attorney will handle for you while you concentrate on healing and getting back on your feet again.
Call Barrett Law now, an experienced Mississippi personal injury law firm, to represent you if you have suffered an injury due to a trucking accident. Contact us now at (601) 790-1505.
