There are certain types of Mississippi motor vehicle accidents that pose exceptional risks to other drivers and passengers traveling our roadways.  Trucking companies generally try to send trucks on runs with the maximum possible load because fewer trips mean greater trucking company profit.  A collision with a fully loaded tractor-trailer in Mississippi is the equivalent of being in a collision with 26 passenger vehicles stacked on top of each other.  It is hardly surprising that collisions between big-rig trucks and passenger vehicles tend to result in catastrophic injuries and wrongful death for passenger vehicle occupants.

Although tractor-trailers are limited to 80,000 lbs. when fully loaded, some drivers and trucking companies push the limits and overload tractor-trailers.  Overloaded tractor-trailers increase the dangers posed by commercial trucks for several reasons:

• Excessive loads can make tractor-trailers less responsive when steering
• Collapse of bridges or overpasses
• Overloaded commercial trucks need more distance to stop
• Increased risk of blowouts because of the excessive weight
• Runaway trucks involving brake failure
• Greater mass in a collision typically will result in greater force in the collision

A study by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) revealed that overloaded trucks are more likely to rollover or jackknife which can cause horrific trucking accidents involving multiple vehicles that pile up.  Overloaded trucks may also cause accidents when cargo falls off the vehicle into the roadway creating a crash hazard, or it falls directly on another vehicle.

Trucking companies are responsible for ensuring that truck loads comply with maximum weight requirements and that the load is distributed and secured properly.  When tractor-trailers are overloaded, the injuries suffered in a collision with a passenger vehicle may result in permanent devastating injuries including closed head injuries, damage to the spinal cord, paralysis, dismemberment or loss of limbs and other life-altering injuries.

Commercial trucks that exceed maximum weight limits may require the distance of a full football field to stop if the truck is traveling at 55 mph.  This means that by the time a truck driver can stop a big-rig it may have collided with many vehicles or obstacles in its path.  When a tractor-trailer collides with a passenger car, it is the occupants of the commercial truck that suffers injury or wrongful death almost 100 percent of the time.  The experienced Mississippi tractor-trailer accident attorneys at Barrett Law have been providing effective representation to Mississippi tractor-trailer victims for over 75 years.  We provide diligent legal representation and impassioned advocacy so we invite you to call us today at 662-834-2376 to learn how we can help.