Big Rig and Semi Freeway Rollovers

Commercial trucks are vitally important to U.S. industry and economy. Since trucks in America are responsible for the majority of freight movement over land, they are some of the most important vehicles on the roads. Truckers and the huge big rigs they drive carry tons of food, clothes, and other items from manufacturers to retailers for consumers to purchase. They are integral to the manufacturing, transportation, and warehousing industries. As important as these trucks are to the country’s economy, these trucksare also some of the most dangerous vehicles on the roads. Big rig and semi truck accidents are responsible for thousands of deaths and injuries each year, costing millions in damages. Freeway truck accident rollovers are a terrifying type of accident. They often occur because of a speeding, the instability of the truck’s load which has a negative impact on the truck's center of gravity.

How these Big Rig and Semi Truck Rollover Accidents Happen

The most common places for truck rollovers to occur are on freeway and highway exit and entrance ramps because the truck driver has underestimated how sharp the curve of the ramp is while also taking the ramp at excessive speeds. Interestingly, more often than not the shifting of the truck’s load is a result of the rollover and not the explicit cause of the rollover, even though the shifting ofthe load can cause the rollover on rare occasions. Slick road surfaces, steep hills and winding roads, and soft surfaces are some of the road conditions that are more conducive to causing a truck to rollover. Other causes of truck rollovers include the following:

• Driver fatigue
• Driver was impaired by drugs or alcohol
• Reckless driving
• Underestimating the curve of an exit or entrance ramp
• Speeding
• Driver was driving while emotionally distressed or angry
• Driver abruptly maneuvered truck to avoid another vehicle
• Under-inflated tires
• Poorly maintained brakes
• Cargo improperly distributed in the trailer
• The cargo shifts when the driver makes turns
• Bad weather conditions

Liability

The majority of cases involving freeway truck accident rollovers placethe liability solely on the drivers of the trucks. Almost all rollovers can be avoided if the driver of the commercial truck had taken extra caution and care when operating his or her vehicle. When the case appears in court the plaintiff, or injured motorist, must be able to prove that the driverof the truck had a duty of reasonable care to the plaintiff and that that duty of reasonable care was breached due to negligence on the part of the truck driver.

Injuries and Compensation for Big Rig and Semi Truck Rollover Accidents

Truck rollover accidents can leave occupants in all the vehicles involved with multiple injuries. Victims of freeway truck accident rollovers can suffer head trauma, broken bones, severed limbs, fractures, comas, concussions, and sometimes even death. Victims of rollovers truck accidents can sue the truck driver and/or the trucking company for compensation for including but limited to:

• Pain and suffering
• Medical bills
• Hospital bills
• Loss of wages
• Loss of consortium
• Repair costs
• Legal fees
• Court fees
• Funeral costs

Obtaining Legal Help

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a freeway truck accident rollover, begin exploring your legal options by contacting an attorney at the law offices of Gordon & Elias, L.L.P. immediately for expert legal advice. We are here to help you receive the compensation you and your family deserve. Ourfreeway truck accident rollover attorneys along with our truck accident invstigatory specialists will seek to obtain all of the evidence needed to prove that the defendant, the truck driver, trucking company etc in your case is held liable.