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Overweight Trucks: How They Cause Traffic Accidents

Trucks that carry more than a safe amount of cargo can be especially dangerous on the roads in Homestead and other cities. These types of overweight trucks can easily lead to a truck or car accident in Homestead and other communities. There are a number of reasons why overweight cargo can be dangerous:

1) It can put an additional strain on tires, leading to an accident. Overweight trucks put extra pressure on tires, which can lead to a tire blowout and crash. Tires can also overheat when a truck is overburdened with cargo, and this can cause tire blowouts unexpectedly as well. In this situations, the treads on tires can also wear down more quickly.

2) It puts additional strain on braking systems and other major truck systems. Quite simply, trucks have to work harder to carry cargo that exceeds safe limits. The extra pressure on brakes can cause brake failure and a truck accident in Homestead or another community.

3) It can cause trucks to rollover more easily. When cargo is piled high or the truck is overburdened with a heavy weight, a commercial truck may be more top heavy than usual. This can easily lead to rollover accidents. In Homestead and other cities, rollover accidents have caused pileups and secondary car accidents. The force of a truck accident can mean that multiple vehicles are damaged and several people are seriously injured.

4) It can create more force in an accident. In a truck accident, a heavy weight can create more speed and force. If a truck with an overweight cargo is in a collision with a passenger vehicle or a motorcycle, the larger force can increase the likelihood of fatalities.

5) In situations where trucks are overweight, the cargo may also not be loaded correctly, causing more risks. Where a truck driver or truck carrier have decided to cut costs by illegally putting too much cargo on the truck, how can you trust them to load the cargo correctly? The trucking company may also be taking other risks and cutting other corners, and that can be dangerous.

Federal guidelines dictate how much commercial trucks may carry in one load and truck scales along highways are designed to ensure that motor carriers adhere to these rules. However, some motor carriers defy those rules because it can be less costly to send out four trucks rather than six.


If you have been injured in a truck accident involving a cargo issue, you can hold the motor carrier and others liable so that you do not have to pay the costs of your medical bills, lost wages, and other costs out of pocket. To find out what your options are and what steps you can take to get fair compensation, contact the Flaxman Law Group to arrange a free accident consultation to review your case. The Flaxman Law Group attorneys have handled thousands of car accident and personal injury cases over the more than 60 years of combined legal experience they have between them. To put this experience and our resources to work for you, call the Flaxman Law Group today.

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