![]() Violating laws or regulations that are enacted to enhance safety is considered negligence per se, which means that an injured person does not need to prove anything except a violation of the law or rule. An injured person could prove negligence by showing that the other party did not take reasonable care, and their injuries resulted from that failure. A party is negligent when they fail to take reasonable steps to protect others from injury. Driving an Overloaded or Overweight Truck is NegligenceĪn injured person has a claim for damages when they can prove that their injuries resulted from another party’s negligent act or omission. If so, it could be proof of negligence, leading to an obligation to pay damages to the injured party. A high center of gravity enhances the risk of jackknives, fishtailing, and rollovers.Īn attorney representing a Memphis truck accident victim could investigate a crash to determine whether the truck was overweight or overloaded. The center of gravity, already high in a truck, might become higher still if the truck is overloaded. ![]() The steering could become distorted, making it challenging for the truck driver to keep the rig in its lane. Excess weight could cause brake failure, extending an already long stopping distance and putting other vehicles at risk.Ĭontrolling the truck is challenging when it is hauling too much weight. Tire blowouts and broken axels, two of the most common mishaps that afflict overweight trucks, impede a commercial driver’s ability to control their rig, risking collisions with other vehicles. Overweight trucks strain the mechanical integrity of their vehicles, and crashes are often the result. The disincentive to overloading is the liability risk if the truck gets into an accident in Memphis. The incentive to overload often outweighs the risk of getting caught, so transportation companies and independent drivers continue the practice. Even when a 18-wheeler is weighed and found overweight, the trucker usually pays a small fine and continues their trip. Trucks could theoretically drive hundreds of miles without encountering an open scale. ![]() Unfortunately, enforcement of these weight limits is lax. Some drivers of overweight trailers are independent contractors trying to cut costs by delivering more goods faster.įederal law limits the gross weight of a tractor-trailer to 80,000 pounds, and the Tennessee Code Annotated §55-7-203 adopts the same standard. The trucking industry is competitive, and some transportation firms pad their margins by encouraging their drivers to haul overloaded trailers. Why Do Truck Drivers Overload Their Vehicles? ![]() Work with our team at the Reaves Law Firm to hold these negligent parties accountable for their wrongdoing. ![]() If you suffered an injury in an overloaded/overweight truck accident in Memphis, a truck injury attorney could provide information about your legal rights and the best way to pursue compensation. Although state and federal laws regulate trucks’ gross weight and the weight of their trailers, many trucking companies ignore these safety rules to increase their profits. Trucks carrying too much weight do not function properly, making them more prone to get into accidents. ![]()
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