Green Bay truck accident attorney for unsecured cargoWisconsin sees more than 7,000 accidents involving large semi-trucks each year, with many resulting in injuries. In some cases, a crash happens solely because of the negligence of the truck driver, perhaps due to drunk, distracted, or fatigued driving, or simple driver error. However, sometimes the cause of a truck accident is more complicated, including in cases involving loose or unsecured cargo.

Why Is Loose Truck Cargo Dangerous?

Unsecured cargo can cause or contribute to accidents and injuries in a variety of ways, some of which include:

  • Falling onto other vehicles: Semi-trucks and other large commercial vehicles often carry tens of thousands of pounds of cargo, and heavy objects that fall off a truck and onto other vehicles can cause serious injuries.
  • Obstructing the roadway: Loose cargo that lands on the road can cause an accident directly if another vehicle collides with it, or indirectly if a vehicle attempts to swerve or stop to avoid it and crashes with another vehicle as a result.
  • Shifting the truck’s balance: Trucks must be carefully balanced to ensure they can be driven safely, and if heavy cargo shifts inside the truck, the vehicle can become more difficult to control and may be at risk of rolling over.

Determining Negligence

As with any car accident resulting in an injury, it is important for you to get medical help and contact an attorney as soon as possible. We can help you gather timely evidence from the scene of the crash, including pictures of the vehicles involved and any cargo obstructing the road, camera footage of the crash, recordings of 911 calls, and witness testimony, all of which can help you establish the facts when making a claim for compensation from the negligent parties. This may be especially important if the truck was not directly involved in the collision.

We can also help you investigate the case further to determine if there was negligence in the loading and securing of the cargo. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration requires certain standards for weight balance and securement equipment, and if these regulations are not followed, the trucking company and the loading crew may be partially at fault for the crash, giving you additional avenues through which you can recover damages.

Contact an Appleton, WI Truck Accident Lawyer

Truck accident cases, especially those involving loose cargo, often require a different legal approach than other car crashes. The experienced Green Bay personal injury attorneys at Herrling Clark Law Firm Ltd. are well equipped to handle your case and work toward a favorable outcome through a settlement or trial. Contact us today for a free consultation at 920-739-7366.

Sources:

https://wisconsindot.gov/Pages/about-wisdot/newsroom/statistics/final.aspx

https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/regulations/cargo-securement/cargo-securement-rules

https://newsroom.aaa.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/RoadDebris_REPORT_2015.pdf