Under federal law, commercial tractor-trailers traveling on interstate highways like I-84 can weigh up to 80,000 pounds across their cab, trailer, and cargo combined, which means the average semi-truck outweighs the average commuter car by several thousand pounds. Unfortunately, even that huge weight limit is not enough for some trucking companies, who may try to save time and money on routes by knowingly breaking the law and overloading their trucks.
Overloaded/overweight truck accidents in Danbury tend to be especially devastating, even compared to other types of accidents involving these massive machines. Fortunately, though, you likely have grounds to file suit over a wreck specifically caused by a truck driver or trucking company putting too much weight into a truck’s trailer. The truck accident lawyers at Berkowitz and Hanna, LLC are prepared to fight for the compensation you need and deserve.
Traffic crashes in Danbury involving overweight tractor-trailers are uniquely dangerous. The more a truck weighs, the more mass it has, and the more force it can impart on another vehicle—as well as on the people inside that vehicle—in the event of a collision.
On top of that, overloaded trucks require more power from their engines to start moving and do not come to a stop as quickly as they should when their driver applies the brakes. They also are more likely to break down while in motion, since each individual component of a tractor-trailer has a weight limit that, if exceeded, can lead to that component buckling and failing. Put all that together, and you have a fundamentally unsafe vehicle that is unreasonably likely to get into a wreck, no matter how skilled or careful the person behind the wheel is.
Another thing that makes overloaded truck accident lawsuits in Danbury unique is that, unlike most other truck accidents, it is generally rare for an individual truck driver to be the person mainly at fault for the incident. Most of the time, truck drivers just take whatever cargo they are assigned on the route they are told to drive it on. Truckers who take on overweight loads are often explicitly pressured to do so by their employers under threat of being fired if they refuse.
Unfortunately, trucking companies who do this kind of thing are also aware that what they are doing is illegal, and they may break the law again to avoid liability for a crash by falsifying or destroying important evidence like shipping manifests. Retaining a skilled lawyer quickly after being involved in this sort of wreck can be key to preserving key information and building a strong claim in spite of the opposition put up by a defendant trucking company.
Every traffic accident involving a semi-truck is a frightening and potentially debilitating experience for everyone involved. However, overloaded/overweight truck accidents in Danbury are even more likely than usual to result in catastrophic injuries and losses, and they can also be difficult to file suit over.
Put simply, this is not the type of case you want to try handling alone—and fortunately, you do not have to do that with your claim. Our team at Berkowitz Hanna has extensive experience handling cases like these, and we are here to take the legal burden off your plate. Let us get to work for you—contact us today to set up your free initial consultation.
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