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Unsecure Loads a Leading Cause of Tennessee Trucking Accidents
NBC10 is reporting that two people have been killed in a Tennessee trucking accident involving a farm trailer.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol reports A 24-year old truck driver was towing a farm trailer of logs east on State Road 63 when he hit a Corolla. The Corolla occupants included 81-year-old Robert Lee Cole and 74-year-old Mina Cole. Both were taken to the hospital, where they died on Monday.
The driver of the truck blamed the unstable load on the trailer, which he said caused him to lose control.
Drivers of farm vehicles and other trailers have the same obligation as other truck drivers in Tennessee when it comes to ensuring their load is secure. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has strict requirements for all types of loads. These regulations are designed to not only make sure a load is secure at a stop but that it can withstand the g-forces of the starts, stops and turns that will come with long-distance travel.
Unsecured loads are a frequent cause of Tennessee trucking accidents and semi accidents nationwide. Each type of load has its own guidelines. Liquids, gases, grain, liquid concrete, gravel, sand, logs, new automobiles and rolls of steel are just a few of the loads truckers commonly haul over the road. Not only can an accident with a truck be extremely hazardous, but in crashes where an unsecure load breaks free, it can endanger multiple vehicles on the highway.
Dangerous loads can result from any number of causes, including improper loading, faulty equipment, loads that shift during transport and loads left unstable due to offloading along a trucker’s route.
FMCSA has specific requirements and rules for securing loads:
-Commodity specific requirements.
-Tie down requirements.
-Proper use of securement devices.
-Proper use of anchor points.
-Proper cargo placement.
If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a trucking accident in Tennessee, contact Hartsoe Law Firm, P.C. for a confidential appointment to discuss your rights with our Knoxville injury lawyers and Maryville accident attorneys. Call (865) 804-1011.