Unloading a truck can be incredibly dangerous if the truck was loaded improperly or the equipment used to secure the cargo was defective or poorly maintained. If a load was not properly secured, when a person opens the doors to unload the cargo, he or she could face serious injury or even death.
Like so much of the trucking industry, there are laws and regulations for the proper loading of a tractor-trailer or other commercial truck and many factors must be considered. In addition to not exceeding the proper weight over the truck’s axles, when loading a truck, the weight should be properly distributed from front to back. Of course, in order to do this, the weight of the cargo including any pallets or packaging must be known. Then, the load should be properly restrained so that it does not present a hazard from the forward, backward or side positions.
The trucking regulations allow a host of restraint mechanisms including webbing, chains, rope, clamps, latches, friction mats, ratchets, D-rings, grab hooks, shackles, winches, straps, dunnage, etc. The regulations also require this equipment be in good working condition with no damage or distress. Loaders should know the Working Load Limit (WLL) of the restraint equipment and are required to stay within it. In addition, some loads require chocks, wedges, cradles, etc. in order to prevent rolling.
Because there can be so many factors that go into loading a truck properly, some companies use software to help plan and properly load a truck. This type of software helps prevent the situation where cargo is not loaded properly but because of time pressures, either for the dock workers, the trucker or both, the cargo does not get reworked so that it is safe.
If you or a loved one has been hurt by an improperly loaded truck, you may have a claim against the company that loaded the cargo and against the truck driver who hauled the load. Trucking regulations require a truck driver to do a pre-trip inspection to ensure the load is secure. Thereafter, truck drivers are required to check the load after the first 25 miles and then every 3 hours or 150 miles of driving, whichever comes first.
At the Law Offices of John Day, our award-winning lawyers have been privileged to help people injured because of an improperly loaded truck. Some of the people we have helped suffered life-altering, catastrophic injuries, and we were able to help them get the compensation they deserved and needed.
Our experienced lawyers handle all truck unloading accidents on a contingency basis, which means we only get paid if we recover money for you and your family. In addition, we will advance all the expenses necessary to prove your case. For instance, we will pay to obtain your medical records documenting your injuries. We will pay for experts that are needed to prove your case. We will pay any court costs (in the event suit has to be filed). You only pay us back for these expenses if we recover money for you and your family. We advance all the expenses risk-free for several reasons: (1) we do not want you to have to bear any financial risk; (2) we only take cases that we believe have merit; (3) we are confident that we can be successful in your case.
To get our award-winning team working for you, all you need to do is call for a free, initial consultation. We have three convenient office locations in Middle Tennessee. But we understand that people who have been injured in these types of cases often cannot come to us, so we are always happy to come to you. Give us a call to get started:
Nashville: 615-669-3993
Murfreesboro: 615-867-9900
Brentwood: 615-742-4880
Toll-Free: 866-812-8787