A dump truck is an important tool in construction due to its ability to carry loose materials. However, these trucks often pose a safety threat. An accident involving a dump truck tends to have more disastrous outcomes than regular car accidents. This is due to the weight, size, and mobility of commercial trucks. However, the dump truck design poses a unique safety threat due to its instability. This leads to property damage, injuries, and even fatalities.
Common Causes of Dump Truck Accidents
Getting in an accident with a dump truck can often have disastrous outcomes, including injury and death. Therefore, it is important for drivers to stay informed about the common causes of dump truck-related accidents. Two of the most common causes include poor maintenance and driver fatigue.
Much like other trucks, dump trucks must be regularly examined and maintained. Maintaining a dump truck is crucial because it ensures that the vehicle is safe enough to load and operate. It is especially important that dump trucks are properly maintained because they often hold thousands of pounds of loose materials. Therefore, drivers and trucking companies have a responsibility to properly maintain dump trucks.
Many truck accidents are caused by driver fatigue. Drivers tend to fall asleep at the wheel after ignoring laws that force them to take breaks. They do this in order to meet strict deadlines that put their job at risk. However, doing so risks their safety and the safety of those they share the road with.
Instability of Dump Truck Designs
The dump truck design gives a truck’s bed mobility. However, this bed design is the cause of a multitude of fatalities. When the truck’s load shifts on the bed, it can lead to the vehicle’s imbalance. This imbalance leads to dump trucks tipping, causing vehicular damage, injuries, and even fatalities. In order to avoid tipping a dump truck, the driver should be informed of potential risks. One of these risks include parking the dump truck on an unleveled surface. This is because the truck’s load will start settling on one side of the truck, leading to an imbalance. Truck drivers should also ensure that the dump truck has an even amount of pressure in each tire. Drivers should also avoid loading an unleveled load on the truck’s bed or overloading the truck.
How to Collect Damages in Commercial Truck Accidents
In order to collect damages in a truck-related accident, victims and their legal team will often assign liability through negligence. To prove negligence, the victim must show that the driver had breached a duty of care while driving. Victims might claim that the driver was distracted, fatigued, or speeding. The victim must prove that the truck driver’s negligence led to the occurrence of the accident, leading to losses sustained by the victim. Losses might include economic or noneconomic damages, including vehicular damage, medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
Media Truck Accident Lawyers at Eckell Sparks Advocate for Victims of Dump Truck Accidents
If you or a loved one sustained injuries or property damage from a dump truck accident, please consider contacting a Media truck accident lawyer at Eckell, Sparks, Levy, Auerbach, Monte, Sloane, Matthews & Auslander, P.C. Our lawyers work closely with clients to ensure they receive their entitled compensation for accident-related losses. Contact us online or call us at 610-565-3701 for a free consultation. Located in Media and West Chester, Pennsylvania, we proudly serve clients throughout Delaware County, Chester County, and Montgomery County.