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At Dunk Law Firm, we truly care about each and every one of our clients. We know that being involved in an unexpected accident or losing a loved one in a tragic incident is overwhelming. We're here to help.
MEET THE TEAMcontact usFederal regulations are in place to limit how heavy a tractor-trailer or commercial truck can be because going over that limit puts everyone on the road in danger of a serious crash. If you were hurt in a truck accident and evidence suggests that the truck had been overloaded, then the trucking company might be fully liable for your damages.
Dunk Law Firm and our Memphis overloaded truck accident lawyers can help you get your claim rolling. Our attorneys are backed by years of collective legal experience, which we can put to good use when working on your case. If the insurance company representing the trucker who hit you has been in business for long, then we’re sure they’ll recognize our name. We’re reputable among our peers, clients, and insurers for knowing how to land big results at the end of difficult cases.
For more information about our firm, dial (901) 231-4779.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has three distinct weight limits for trucks:
Trucking companies often try to defend themselves against accusations of having an overloaded vehicle by saying that the gross or total weight was still under 80,000 pounds. What they might not be taking into account that the weight over a single axle or axle group might have exceeded the weight limit, which can make the truck just as dangerous as one that has been fully overloaded. Exceeding any of those three weight limits can put the liability on the trucking company.
Overloaded tractor-trailers are so dangerous because they make a truck much more difficult to control. Even experienced truck drivers cannot safely operate an overloaded big rig because the physics behind the truck’s design are not meant to accommodate that much weight. If something goes wrong, then an accident is nearly unavoidable.
An overloaded truck could:
Trucking companies are sometimes tempted to overload trucks and their trailers because it is a quick way for them to maximize their profits. Truck drivers are paid by the mile driven, not the hour worked. Overloading trailers could mean a trucking company saves large amounts of money by scheduling fewer drivers overall or having its drivers complete fewer routes in a pay period. In other words, the unfortunate truth is that most trucking companies that overload trucks do so intentionally and to save money, even if it puts everyone on the road in danger.
When an overloaded truck causes a crash, the liability for the accident will often be divided. The truck driver can be liable because they were driving the truck, so it was up to them to prevent the accident. The trucking company can be liable if they encouraged or required the truck to be overloaded. Lastly, a third-party company could be liable if it was their staff that overloaded the truck.
Our overloaded truck accident attorneys in Memphis are here to help you pursue the maximum compensation owed to you after being in a wreck that was not your fault. We are on a mission to help make the roads and highways of Memphis safer by holding negligent trucking companies liable whenever we can. If you’re on the same mission, but on a more personal level, then call (901) 231-4779 to let us help you with your case from start to finish.
