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According to the National Safety Council, over 5,500 large commercial trucks were involved in fatal wrecks in 2021. Although not every single one of these was a rollover, semi-truck rollover accidents present a significant danger of injury or death to motorists on the road and the truckers themselves.
There can be numerous reasons why a truck rolls over on the road, most of which are attributable to someone’s negligence. Uncovering the cause or causes of a semi-truck rollover crash can help prevent future accidents and inform you of the individuals or businesses who might be liable to you for your injuries.
Top Four Causes of Semi-Truck Rollovers
A semi-truck rollover occurs because of rotational forces on the longitudinal axis of the truck and trailer. If these rotational forces are too great, gravity will pull the top of the trailer to one side or the other, causing the remainder of the truck to crash. This can happen because of:
Failure to Lower Speed While Taking a Turn
Truck drivers must exercise caution to lower their speed before turning their trucks. Taking a turn too quickly can send the truck toppling over. When this happens, it is usually the truck driver’s fault, although municipalities may also be responsible if they fail to post warning signs about sharp curves in roads.
Weather
Semi-trucks are high-profile vehicles, making them more susceptible to strong winds than lower-profile vehicles like passenger cars.
Even though drivers may not be responsible for environmental conditions, they can decide whether to continue driving in the face of strong winds and severe weather. Rollovers caused by this factor are also the fault of the truck driver.
Improperly Loaded or Unsecured Cardo
Finally, companies responsible for loading cargo into trailers must be mindful of how they distribute the cargo load within the trailer. Loading cargo too high or on one side and not the other makes the trailer imbalanced.
This imbalance can cause the trailer and rig to roll over unexpectedly if the load shifts in transit. In this case, the loading company and its employees may be primarily responsible for paying compensation.
Reckless Driving
Finally, truckers may cause a rollover if they drive recklessly or disregard surrounding traffic. Aggressive braking and sharp, sudden crash avoidance maneuvers, especially when combined, can lead to a rollover accident.
These truck accidents are also caused by the truck driver, although other motorists or the company employing the trucker may be responsible.
Steinberg Injury Lawyers Is Available to Assist You
No matter the cause of the semi-truck rollover accident that hurt you or your loved one, compensation is available. Steinberg Injury Lawyers and our truck accident recovery team can act when you contact us and retain our services.
We will use our knowledge and resources to determine why your accident happened and who is to responsible for paying your damages. Contact us today.
