Personal. Caring.
Aggressive.

Truck rollovers: 4 reasons why they happen

Sharing the highway with a lot of large commercial trucks is scary. After all, the average semitruck weighs 20 or 30 times more than the average passenger car, and their height and length make them far more prone to rollover accidents.

Rollovers are the “first harmful event” — or the precipitating cause of a wreck — in 4% of all fatal crashes involving commercial vehicles. They also cause 2% of all nonfatal wrecks.

What makes a truck suddenly overturn? It could be one of several causes:

Speeding

Speed is one of the biggest contributors to truck accidents in general, including rollovers. A driver may be rushing to meet a delivery deadline and ignore the posted speed limit, fail to slow down enough around a curve or simply drive too fast for the given weather conditions.

Inattention

Distracted drivers are everywhere — even in large commercial vehicles. A driver could be watching their directional system instead of the road or distracted by a radio call from their dispatcher. On a long trip, a driver may simply let their mind wander. Whatever the case, an inattentive driver may miss the signs that warn them of a steep curve or a hill. When they fail to make adjustments, they can end up in a rollover.

Insecure loads

Drivers are supposed to inspect their loads before they take off to make sure that their cargo is properly secured. When they don’t, their cargo can suddenly shift or fall, throwing the entire vehicle off balance.

Inexperience

Over the last few years, this nation has been experiencing a rapid demand for more truckers — and that means that many of the “newbies” on the road are somewhat inexperienced. They may simply fail to adjust their speed or their vehicle’s position on a hill or curve by mistake.

If your loved one was killed or you were injured when a truck overturned in your path, you have every right to hold the responsible party or parties accountable. Find out more about your legal options.

Archives

FindLaw Network

How Can We Help?