The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) sets strict weight limits for commercial trucks. The maximum weight of each truck largely depends on the type of truck, number of wheels, size of the axles, and other factors. The maximum possible weight of any type of commercial truck on the highways is 80,000 pounds. In addition to the FMCSA regulations, states and localities may impose additional weight limitations depending on the quality of certain roadways. If a truck exceeded the maximum weight limit and caused an accident and injuries to you, please call a Coweta County truck accident lawyer as soon as possible for assistance.
Trucks that are too heavy may cause the following issues:
Making it difficult for a driver to stop or slow down as needed
Too much weight can weaken axles and cause them to break or can suddenly blow out a transmission
Overloaded cargo can cause a trailer to go off balance and sway into other lanes, at time causes deadly jackknife or decoupling accidents
As you can see, these weight limits are in place for a very specific purpose—to prevent unnecessary accidents and injuries. If a party is negligent in operating an exceedingly heavy truck , that party should be held liable for all damage caused.
Contact a Coweta County truck accident attorney for a free consultation
If you have suffered injury because a commercial truck weighed too much and caused an accident, you deserve to be fully and justly compensated by any and all responsible parties. Many different parties may have been negligent in this situation, including the truck driver, trucking company, cargo loaders, or even the officials at the weigh station. An experienced truck accident attorney from Shane Smith Law knows how to bring legal claims against all possibly liable parties in order to secure the maximum amount of compensation possible for you. We offer free consultations, so please call us today at (980) 246-2656 for assistance.