Why You Need an Attorney Who Understands the Distinguishing Factors
It may not seem like it at first, but, upon reflection, it’s easy to understand why dump truck accidents need a different approach than most other types of commercial or large truck accidents. The injuries suffered tend more often to be serious and/or catastrophic. As a general rule, there are typically more potentially responsible parties in a dump truck accident claim. Additionally, the common causes of dump truck accidents tend to be different. Let’s take a look.
Dump Trucks Have Long History of Higher Accident Rates
Dump trucks comprise a significant part of the national market for large commercial trucks, with an estimated $18 billion in revenue in 2017. At the same time, they have also been one of the most dangerous forms of trucking, with an average of nearly 350 deaths nationwide every year in dump truck accidents.
How Dump Truck Accidents Differ from Other Types of Truck Accidents
A number of characteristics of dump trucks make them more dangerous than other types of commercial big rigs, from their weight and elevated center of gravity to their increased stopping distance and likelihood of rollover accidents. On average, a dump truck weighs about 13 tons and typically carries another 7-14 tons of payload. Standard dump trucks are about 20-25 feet long and about 10 feet tall and can often be top heavy.
Among the distinguishing factors of dump truck accidents are:
- Serious and catastrophic result—The sheer weight and size of a truck can lead to a fatality or serious injury, even at extremely low speeds.
- The potential for multiple defendants—In addition to the trucking company and the driver, there may be liability on the part of the customer (dump truck companies typically haul for other persons and entities)
- The unique types of dump truck accidents—While operator error, speeding, poor maintenance, driver fatigue and substance abuse are common, there are causes unique to dump trucks, including:
- Raised bed accidents, where the driver neglects to return the bed of the truck to its flat position after handling a load
- Improper lowering accidents, where the driver lowers the bed of the dump truck without properly securing the area, causing persons to become trapped under the bed of the truck
Let Us Help Protect Your Rights after a Texas Trucking Accident
At the Law Office of Michael R. De La Paz, we have more than 26 years of experience protecting the rights of personal injury victims in Harlingen, McAllen, Brownsville and Houston, across Texas and nationwide, including people who have suffered any type of injury in a trucking accident. We will use our considerable experience, skill, knowledge and resources to help you get the outcome you want. Free call, text or chat, 24 hours a day, seven days a week–https://delapazlaw.com/.
Handling Motor Vehicle Accident Cases Nationwide, Including, But Not Limited to Texas, Florida, New Mexico, Illinois and Oklahoma