Federal regulations limit the weight of trucks traveling on interstate highways to 80,000 pounds across their cab, trailer, and cargo combined. Despite that, far too many trucking companies still deliberately put trucks on the road that are heavier than the legal limit. On top of making it more likely to suffer a mechanical failure, overloading a tractor-trailer also makes it much harder for even an experienced and properly trained driver to maintain control during transit. This means they are much more likely to get involved in collisions with other vehicles.
In the aftermath of an overloaded/overweight truck accident in Pevely, you might have lots of questions about your right to be compensated for your injuries and other losses. Our trusted semi-truck accident attorneys at OnderLaw can give you the personalized guidance and supportto get the compensation you need to move forward with your life. We’re not just on your side; we’re by your side.
Any collision between a commercial truck weighing tens of thousands of pounds and a passenger vehicle is likely to have devastating consequences for anyone in the smaller vehicle. Overloading a truck with more weight than it’s designed to carry makes the situation even worse. People involved in these kinds of wrecks can experience debilitating injuries like:
Given the serious nature of these injuries, demanding fair compensation after an overweight truck accident in Pevely is crucial to minimizing the negative effects that a catastrophic injury has on your life. Damages our team can add into your lawsuit or settlement demand may include:
In situations that involve egregious negligence or deliberate misconduct by a trucker or a trucking company, the court may impose additional punitive damages meant to punish those responsible and award them to you as additional compensation.
Punitive damages are more likely to be a factor in overweight or overloaded truck crash claims in Pevely than they are in many other types of personal injury cases. While most truck accidents stem from some kind of misconduct or negligence by one or more people directly involved in the wreck, overloaded truck crashes are often caused by a trucking company knowingly disregarding federal or state law in an attempt to save money by putting dangerously overweight trucks on the road.
Unfortunately, this can also make these kinds of cases difficult to pursue, since trucking companies trying to hide illegal behavior may alter or even destroy important evidence like cargo manifests and shipping logs. In these situations, having help from experienced legal counsel is essential to getting a favorable result.
Trucks carrying too much cargo are extremely dangerous and may be violating the law. If you were hurt in a collision with a truck that was overweight, the company that owns and operates the truck may be responsible for all the losses you sustained.
Assistance from a reliable tractor-trailer collision lawyer can make all the difference in the wake of an overweight/overloaded truck accident in Pevely. Call today to learn how OnderLaw can help you.
