Dangers of Unsecured Truck Loads

In the State of Florida, there is a danger on the streets, roads, highways, expressways, and interstates. The danger presents itself in the form of an unsecured truck load. On any given day - at any given moment, debris, trash, equipment, construction supplies, metal, trash, dirt, gravel, and other objects may fall off of a commercial truck and on the roadway or even directly on a vehicle traveling near the commercial truck. This is especially when a vehicle is traveling at a high rate of speed which is allowed on Florida highways, expressways, and interstate exchanges. While another driver may have excellent reaction time while driving, some crashes are simply unavoidable when a truck driver / company negligently loads a truck whereby the objects, items or debris fall off of the truck.

Based in Jacksonville, Florida, David Wolf is a personal injury attorney who handles a wide variety of accident cases including those that involve commercial trucks and semi-tractor trailers. Unfortunately, the carelessness of truck drivers and their companies put the public at risk when an unsecured load interferes with the safe flow of traffic. An unsecured load can wreak havoc on the roadways in the form of a chain reaction crash that affects the lives, health, safety, and welfare of a number of drivers and passengers. David Wolf is an attorney, author, and advocate for injury victims and their families. He is the author of 12 books including the book titled - Big Trucks - Big Problems - When a Truck Driver Wrecks Your Day and Life - Legal Rights of the Injury Victim and Family and the book titled - Florida Automobile Accidents - Personal Injuries - Keys to Protecting and Enforcing Your Legal Rights. You can get his book for free by visiting the Books Page of this Website.

There can be a number of reasons or causes for debris or objects falling off of commercial trucks which include the following:

• Overloading of the commercial truck beyond its recommended capacity;
• Failure to secure the load according to industry and safety standards;
• Failing to check the stability of load at intervals during the transportation of the load;
• Inadequate equipment and / or supplies used to attempt to secure the load; and
• Excessive speed on the part of the commercial truck driver.

Photographs and video of the accident scene following a truck accident can serve as valuable evidence or proof in the aftermath of a crash caused by the unsecured load of a commercial truck.

Florida law requires that every owner of a truck, pole trails, and semi-tractor trailer to use appropriate supports and fasteners to secure the load. See Section 316.525, Florida Statutes.

Unfortunately, many commercial truck drivers ignore the fact that an unsecured load caused a motor vehicle accident. Many truck drivers flee the scene rather than pull over to offer assistance. If the victims of the accident are unable to get the tag information or company information from the truck, the commercial truck driver and the company may end up avoiding liability or responsibility for the truck accident. It should be noted that a case or claim may still be pursued under these circumstances if the injury victim has access to a form of insurance called Uninsured Motorist insurance. These facts would be handled in a manner similar to a hit and run accident even though there was no contact between the commercial truck and the vehicle occupied by the injured driver or passenger.

If you or a family member has been the victim of a crash caused by loose debris, garbage, materials, or equipment, contact a Florida Truck Accident Attorney for advice, guidance, and legal representation. For over 30 years, David Wolf has been representing injury victims and their families throughout the State of Florida. He is available days, nights, and weekends to his clients and prospective clients. Contact David Wolf of a Free Consultation by phone or text at (904) 500-9653 or by e-mail at dwolf@davidalanwolf.com.