Denver Truck Rollover Accident Lawyers
Representing Victims of Negligent Trucking Companies
Driving next to, behind, or even in front of a truck can be nerve-wracking. These behemoth vehicles can quickly and easily drive over nearby cars, especially if their trailer has been overloaded. But nothing is more devastating than when a truck begins to tip to the side, ultimately falling over and crushing the cars next to it under its incredible weight.
If you have been involved in a rollover accident, you may be wondering where you go from here. These accidents are devastating and involve a wide range of debilitating injuries. When truck drivers and their companies are negligent, then they need to be held responsible. But to get the justice and compensation you deserve after a truck accident, you need to work with Leventhal Puga Braley P.C. Our Denver rollover truck accident attorneys have more than 40 years of experience and can vigorously advocate for compensation in a settlement negotiation or jury trial on your behalf. For excellent legal help, call us at (303) 759-9945 or toll-free at (877) 433-3906 today.
How Negligence Causes Truck Rollover
You may assume that a truck is difficult to roll over, given the vehicle’s size and weight. However, the size is precisely what makes 18-wheeler such a rollover risk. The larger something is, the higher its center of gravity. Unlike your average passenger vehicle, trucks have a high center of gravity that can easily be tipped over if its cargo is not secure or if a driver speeds into a turn.
Common causes of truck rollovers include:
- Speeding
- Overloading the trailer
- Distracted driving
- Driving while fatigued
- Drunk driving
- Unevenly loading the trailer
- Stopping too abruptly
- Poor road maintenance
- Taking turns too quickly
Most of the time, a truck rollover happens due to the negligence of the truck driver. The driver could be intoxicated, distracted, or overly tired and thus not paying attention to the road and the traffic around them. Unfortunately, one person’s act of negligence could put dozens of others in extreme danger. The truth is that rollover accidents are among the most devastating truck collisions that can happen on Colorado roads.
The Dangers of a Denver Rollover Accident
Every truck accident is dangerous. The vehicles can weigh upwards of 80,000 pounds, meaning that they can easily crush passenger vehicles beneath their tires or trailers. They are also difficult to stop, even when they run directly into another car or object in the road. This allows for the destruction to spread across long stretches of roads, potentially involving dozens of other vehicles. But rollovers can increase that damage drastically.
When a truck rolls over, it flips to one side, slamming into the ground and skidding several feet. It could land on the cars to the side, as well as skid forward into the cars ahead of it. The sudden accident could also make it difficult for cars behind the truck to stop in time, potentially leading to a pileup. There is also the extreme risk to any nearby pedestrians, who can suffer fatal injuries in a rollover.
On top of that, rollover accidents also bring the risk of a cargo spill. Trucks carry all kinds of cargo, and depending on what is being shipped, it could make the accident all the more destructive. For example, if the truck is carrying logs, and the cables holding them snapped during the rollover, that could send dozens of incredibly heavy logs rolling onto the roadway, slamming into vehicles and pedestrians alike. Or, if the truck is transporting chemicals, such as oil or gasoline, the trailer could leak, causing fires, explosions, and even illnesses. These types of traumatic events should not go unpunished.
Who Is Responsible for Your Injuries?
Several different parties are involved in a trucking route, each of which could have acted negligently and caused your crash. But trucking companies do their best to cover their footsteps, meaning finding evidence of their wrongdoing can require an in-depth investigation, as well as the knowledge of where to look.
In most cases, the liable parties include:
The truck driver: As we said earlier, it is often the truck driver who carries most of the responsibility for a rollover. Trucks, if driven improperly, can be incredibly dangerous. As such, truck drivers must be held to a high standard of training and care. If one acts in negligence and causes a rollover, they should be held liable.
The trucking company: That being said, sometimes truck drivers only act in negligence under the pressure or direct orders of the company they work for. Many trucking companies prioritize profits over safety. This means they may pressure a driver to skip breaks and rest periods or may have trailers overloaded in order to ship more goods faster.
The loading team: Often times a small team of workers is responsible for loading up a trailer. Trailers should always be loaded evenly and under the Coloradoan weight limit, which is 80-85,000 pounds. If the team neglects these precautions, then they may be the ones responsible for the accident.
The manufacturer/mechanic: Sometimes the cause of a rollover is actually a mechanical issue. Perhaps a tire popped or the brakes failed. In such cases, the mechanic responsible for upkeep or the company responsible for manufacturing the failed auto part may be liable.
The party responsible for road maintenance: If the road is cracked, uneven, or overly slick, then that can lead to a rollover, as any large bumps can cause the truck to begin to tip. Typically, the roads are maintained by the state government. This means that if road maintenance is found to be the underlying cause, then you may be facing a claim against a government body, which can be extremely complicated without a skilled lawyer.
Contact the Denver Truck Collision Attorneys at Leventhal Puga Braley P.C. Today
When you go out for a drive, whether to work, the grocery store, or a friend’s house, you expect to make it to your destination safe and sound. Sadly, when negligent truck drivers and their irresponsible companies are involved, that isn’t always the case. If you or a loved one were victimized and injured a rollover truck accident, then you need a strong legal ally at your side to get compensation. Look no further than Leventhal Puga Braley P.C. We are not afraid to take major insurance companies to court to get you the compensation you need after a Colorado rollover accident. To schedule a no-cost initial consultation with an experienced Denver truck accident attorney, call our office at (303) 759-9945 or toll-free at (877) 433-3906.
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