You’ve probably seen them on Hollywood and Florida highways: large commercial trucks and semi-trailers carrying large amounts of cargo. You may have even seen some of this cargo spilling on the side of the road because it was improperly secured.
Under federal laws, truck drivers and trucking companies are expected to take the proper steps to secure their cargo to keep you and other users of the roads safe. In addition, drivers are expected to periodically stop to make sure that their cargo is still secured to their truck or trailer.
Despite these laws, negligence and recklessness sometimes leads cargo to slip from a truck and to end up on the road. When this happens, disastrous truck collisions can easily occur. There are many ways that a lost load of cargo from a truck can cause collisions:
Cargo tumbling from a truck can crash into oncoming vehicles.
If you are driving behind a tractor trailer and suddenly a large piece of lumber or a piece of heavy machinery falls off the truck and comes crashing towards you, you can find yourself in a disastrous car accident through no fault of your own. Cargo may crash into your windshield, even entering your car and causing direct injury to you and your passengers. In other cases, debris may fall under your wheels, causing a flat tire, tire blowout, or other dangerous situation that causes your car to spin out of control.
Other cars may swerve out of the way to avoid cargo falling from a truck.
Motorists may swerve suddenly if they see cargo tumbling from a truck, and this can cause Hollywood or Florida sideswipe collisions and side-impact collisions as the cars crash into surrounding vehicles.
Debris on the roads can cause a hazard for other users of the road.
If debris spills on the road from a truck and is not properly removed, other Hollywood and Florida drivers may swerve to get out of the way of the cargo, sideswiping other cars. Some drivers may drive right over the debris, possibly suffering a punctured or blown out tires, which can cause their car to veer out of control.
Motorcyclists can be especially vulnerable to debris on the road, as their vehicles can be more impacted by uneven surfaces. A motorcycle accident caused by debris on the road can easily cause a spinout or can cause a motorcyclist to lose control of their motorcycle.
Motorists and other users of the road may rubberneck to see a cargo spill.
Sometimes, drivers may turn around to see a cargo spill, and this can cause rear end crashes if the car in front of them brakes suddenly.
Some cargo is dangerous and poses a unique hazard when spilled.
Slippery cargo, such as oil, can cause cars to slide or hydroplane, causing rear end crashes and other types of accidents. Other cargo is flammable or can cause fires and even explosions, posing a huge danger for other users of the road.
Have you been injured by hazardous cargo or spilled cargo on our roads? In Hollywood and South Florida, you have several options and you may have a civil claim that allows you to seek compensation. If you would like to know whether you have a legal claim and would like to know how much your claim may be worth, contact the law firm of Flaxman Law Group for a free, no commitment case review.