Phoenix Truck Accident Lawyers, Arizona

What types of truck accident cases does your Phoenix law firm handle?

Our attorneys handle a variety of accident cases, including:

• Underride accidents
• Multi-vehicle accidents
• Back-up accidents
• Overpass/underpass accidents
• Jackknife accidents
• Wide turn accidents
• Head-on crashes
• Broadside accidents
• Rear-end collisions
• Blind spot crashes

When there has been a catastrophic commercial vehicle accident, you need high-quality legal representation from dedicated, honest lawyers who can help explain and navigate the complexities of these cases.

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Rollover and tire tread separation

Many rollover accidents are caused by defective products. The defect may be in the vehicle itself, the tires it rides on or both. How or why do tires fail? Sometimes a tire is damaged by sharp objects in the road or by failure to maintain correct tire inflation and pressure. But manufacturing defects all too often cause the tread to separate suddenly from the tire body, resulting in a catastrophic inability to control the vehicle.

Overloaded trucks

Have you ever noticed weigh stations located on the side of the highway? These checkpoints are there to ensure that truck drivers are not driving improperly loaded trucks. Operators are generally required to pull into these stations for weighing and inspection, where station employees look for overweight loads and illegal cargo.

Federal and state regulations restrict the amount of weight that a truck can carry. These limitations consider such factors as the difficulty of handling a truck with extremely large loads and the amount of weight that most highways and bridges can safely carry. Arizona’s limitations on truck heads include:

• Single axle trucks: 20,000 lbs.
• Tandem axle trucks: 34,000 lbs.
• Tridem axle trucks: 42,000 lbs.
• Gross allowable weight for five axles or more: 80,000 lbs.

Overloaded trucks can be extremely dangerous on the roadways. They are difficult to control, and they can cause mechanical malfunctions within the truck. Our experienced Phoenix truck accident attorneys have seen numerous injuries involving overloaded trucks. Some of the causes for these truck accidents include:

• Collapsed roadways. If gross truck weights exceed the amount of weight allowable on a street or bridge, the road may give way and collapse. These serious incidents can severely injure the truck operator, as well as other drivers in the immediate area.
• Compromised tires. Overloading a truck can place too much pressure on the tires, causing them to burst. Tires are only meant to hold up to a specific amount of weight. Placing too much pressure on them can cause the threading to stretch to the point of giving out completely. A tire blow out can cause the operator to lose control of the truck.
• Failed brakes. Brakes are also designed to handle specific amounts of weight. An excessive load can cause the brakes to give out and not adequately stop the truck. When brakes fail, truck operators may run through red lights or intersections, placing other drivers at serious risk of harm.
• Inadequate uphill travel. Overloading can impede the truck’s ability to travel uphill. This can prove dangerous to other drivers who are traveling behind the truck. In some of the most severe cases, an overloaded truck can roll backwards down the incline.
• Improper handling. Overloading can raise the center of gravity on a truck, making them more prone to rollovers. This risk is even more severe when the driver fails to operate the truck in the proper manner. Excessive speeds and improper handling of turns can lead to rollovers, especially when the truck is overloaded.
• Inadequate stopping distances. Tractor-trailers already require substantial distances to stop in a safe manner. The additional weight of an overloaded truck requires even longer stopping distances for the breaks to work effectively. When operators follow other vehicles too closely or fail to provide themselves with adequate room for stopping, the brakes may not have enough space to stop before crashing with another vehicle or running through an intersection.

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Inadequate training and maintenance

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), along with the Arizona Department of Transportation (DOT), establishes guidelines and requirements for the upkeep of commercial trucks. These regulations are put in place to promote adequate upkeep and maintenance. Owners and operators are expected to periodically inspect and repair all mechanical aspects of the vehicle, including:

• The braking system
• Trailer beaks
• Wheels and axles
• Tires
• Steering mechanisms
• Coupling devices

When improper maintenance causes an accident, it can be challenging to gather necessary evidence. Truck owners and their insurance companies are unlikely to voluntarily hand over maintenance and repair records. That is why the assistance of experienced Phoenix truck accident lawyers is so important to the development of a strong case.

Operator actions and decisions are also leading causes of serious truck crashes. Driving a 20,000-pound vehicle requires more than an afternoon training course and a few hours of supervised driving. Operators need extensive training to learn how to properly handle these vehicles under various driving conditions. Along with initial training, drivers should also participate in periodic training sessions to reinforce appropriate driving habits and assess abilities. Driving companies are responsible for ensuring that their drivers are properly prepared to handle their trucks on the road. When they fail to meet this responsibility, everyone on the roadway is at risk. Inadequate driver training can lead to such incidents as:

• Poorly executed turns
• Speeding or driving too fast for road conditions
• Following too closely
• Improper braking
• Distracted driving
• Fatigued driving
• Stopping at an improper distance

When inadequate driver training causes a serious truck accident, the employer or trucking company may hold some responsibility for resulting injuries. Our attorneys have the knowledge and skill to fight against large trucking agencies and their insurance companies.

If separation occurs within one of your front tires, you have a higher chance of regaining control of the vehicle. However, if the tread separation affects a rear tire, the loss of control is generally more serious, often ultimately resulting in a catastrophic rollover crash. Rollover crashes are often complex and require multiple experts to prove fault. Our knowledgeable Phoenix rollover injury attorneys have decades of experience handling product liability cases like these. Even a well-designed car can roll over — but when a rollover is caused by bad design or unsafe manufacturing, we can help.

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