Flatbed Trucks Most Common Accidents

Monday, October 11, 2021

Flatbed Trucks Most Common Accidents

Written by Malman Law, reviewed by Steve J. Malman.

Truck collisions are notoriously serious accidents in the Chicago area and especially dangerous when they involve flatbed trucks. Flatbed trucks are popular because of their capacity to carry large and bulky items for transportation, such as heavy steel pipes, lumber, pipes, construction equipment, and heavy machinery.  

 

What makes them dangerous, however, is the fact that they don’t have any walls on the sides of their truck trailer to securely keep their cargo on board should the truck lose control or get into an accident. This means that accidents involving these trucks often involve a lot of heavy materials and debris flying around the crash scene. 

 

These risks pose inherent dangers for those unlucky enough to be in close proximity to a flatbed truck accident and lead to a higher risk for serious injury or death in accidents involving these types of trucks. Anyone injured should call a Chicago truck accident attorney today.

Proper Loading

Over ten years, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 63 deaths of workers involved in loading and unloading construction equipment from flatbed trailers.  The large nature of the freight these trucks carry can also cause shifts in weight within the truck should it move abruptly during travel. Even when cargo is loaded and secured properly, the jolt of a crash or a rollover accident can cause large items to come loose and spill.  

 

Common Causes of Flatbed Truck Crashes

Some of the most common causes of flatbed truck accidents include: 

 

  1. Inexperienced truck drivers
  2. Inebriated truck operators
  3. Distracted truck drivers
  4. Truck malfunctions
  5. Failure to properly screen drivers prior to hiring for qualifications
  6. Failure to perform routine maintenance checks by the driver or trucking company
  7. Inadequate cargo loading 
  8. Inadequate training

 

Flatbed truck drivers must secure their cargo in accordance with state and federal regulations to mitigate the high risks that come with towing such large cargo at such high speeds. Failure to abide by these rules is a leading cause of accidents involving flatbed trucks. The failure to abide by these regulations is considered negligence per se, and would give those with proper legal representation a strong case to recover for their injuries against the trucking company. 

 

Due to the size and weight of flatbed trucks, when one is involved in an accident with a passenger car, the passenger vehicle often bears the brunt of the damage and even frequently ends up underneath the flatbed truck due to the height of the truck relative to passenger vehicles. Accidents involving flatbed trucks often lead to serious injuries for other drivers.

 

Contact a Chicago Truck Accident Attorney

If you’ve been injured in a flatbed truck accident, and the truck driver is at fault, you have a right to compensation for your injuries and the costs suffered as a result of the accident.  If you’re in the Chicago area, you need to find the best flatbed truck accident attorneys to represent your case. An attorney can obtain the maximum recovery possible from the trucking company or whoever is at fault in causing your accident.  

At Malman Law, our attorneys know what matters most to clients seeking to recover compensation for the injuries they suffered due to another driver’s negligence. Our Chicago truck accident lawyers will fight tooth and nail to make sure you receive all the compensation you’re entitled to for your legal claim. Contact us online, or give us a call today at (312) 629-0099 for a consultation for your potential case today.

Steve Malman

Malman Law’s founder Attorney Steven Malman has over 30 years of experience handling personal injury, nursing home, medical malpractice, truck accidents, car accidents, premises liability, construction, and workers’ compensation cases in Chicago, IL.

Years of experience: +30 years
Illinois Registration Status: Active and authorized to practice law—Last Registered Year: 2024

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