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Conditions That Lead to Truck Rollover Accidents
Due to their large sizes and heavy loads, semi-trailer trucks can present a major danger to other vehicles using the road. Even drivers and passengers in the largest SUVs or luxury cars with top-of-the-line safety features are likely to be injured in truck accidents, and this is especially true in cases when 18 wheeler trucks overturn.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there are more than 1,300 tanker truck rollover accidents in the United States every year, as well as 500 rollover accidents involving other large trucks. Fatalities result from 60 percent of these accidents.
If you have been in an accident involving the rollover of a large truck, you should note any details that could be used to explain the cause of the rollover, which can help establish liability for the accident and aid in recovering compensation for your damages.
Causes of Truck Rollover Accidents
Large trucks have a high center of gravity that makes them more susceptible to overturning, and the movement of liquid loads in tanker trucks only adds to this danger. In addition to these factors, there are a number of conditions and circumstances that can increase the risk of rollover, including:
- Speed - Trucks traveling at unsafe speeds are especially in danger of rolling over, particularly when they are negotiating curves and highway on- or off-ramps. When trucks turn too quickly, centrifugal forces can cause them to overturn. Truck drivers should always follow posted truck speed limits or drive at 10 miles per hour less than automobile speed limits. Following these safety precautions can help to ensure truck drivers are remaining at a safe speed—a speed that will allow drivers to adjust to what is happening on the road around them.
- Sudden movements - When trucks make sudden stops, starts, or turns, their loads can shift and become unstable, often leading to rollovers.
- Partial loads - Trucks that are not fully loaded can be more hazardous and prone to rollover, due to the possibility of shifting loads and the sloshing of liquids in tanker trucks.
- Distracted driving - Taking one’s attention off the road while driving is dangerous in any vehicle, but truckers who use their cell phones, adjust the radio, or eat and drink while they drive present a major danger to everyone around them. Truck drivers need to remain alert and focused at all times to ensure roadway safety.
- Truck maintenance - bA truck’s brakes, suspension, and tires must be properly maintained and regularly inspected, along with the equipment that holds its load in place. The failure of any of these systems can result in a deadly rollover accident.
- Steep grades - Steep uphill and downhill roads can cause loads to shift, limit a driver’s visibility, and affect a truck’s speed. Drivers should take proper care to negotiate these hills, including using their brakes and shifting gears.
- Environmental conditions - Rain, snow, ice, fog, and high winds can cause a driver to lose control of a truck, resulting in a rollover accident. During these conditions, drivers should reduce their speed and increase following distance, or even stop driving altogether.
- Road conditions - When roads are under construction or are not properly maintained, they can provide additional dangers. Hence, truck drivers must take additional care to avoid turning over.
Contact a Milwaukee Truck Accident Attorney
If you have been injured in a truck rollover accident, the attorneys of Gimbel, Reilly, Guerin & Brown, LLP will thoroughly investigate the circumstances of the crash and help you receive the compensation that you deserve. Contact our experienced Milwaukee, WI semi-truck accident lawyers today at 414-271-1440.
Sources:
http://www.aig.com/content/dam/aig/america-canada/us/documents/brochure/plcb-large-truck-rollover-prevention.pdf
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3256782/
