Dump Truck Accident Lawyer in Louisiana

If you don’t work in construction or a related field, it’s likely that dump trucks do not play a huge role in your life. However, with over 28,000 dump truck services around America, dump trucks are more common on local roads than ever before. While they are vital for the booming construction industry, dump trucks can cause serious harm.

Dump trucks are massive, and can carry around 14 tons when fully loaded with material. As a result, collisions between passenger vehicles and dump trucks result in a high chance of serious injury or death in the smaller car. After a dump truck accident, the driver and passengers of the smaller vehicle often require extensive medical treatment to heal. Their treatment, coupled with the inability to work following a major injury, can lead to massive medical bills.

If you or a loved one has been involved in a dump truck accident, the Louisiana truck accident lawyers at Gordon McKernan Injury Attorneys can help you. We can help you hold those who caused your injuries accountable for the damages you’ve suffered. Call us for a free consultation today at 888.501.7888 or fill out our easy-to-use online form to learn how we can help you.

What Causes Louisiana Dump Truck Accidents?

Every car accident is unique, with its own blend of risk factors, causes, and outcomes. That’s why it’s important to hire a dump truck accident lawyer who’s committed to a full investigation. Only through a committed analysis of the evidence in your case can we hold the proper parties accountable for the damages they’ve caused.

That being said, the following are among Louisiana’s most common causes of dump truck accidents.

Driver Error

The majority of all car accidents are caused by driver error. This can be even more true for commercial drivers, as they’re on the road for long hours, and can become distracted or drowsy, miss a hazard, and cause an accident.

Some of the most common errors that drivers make, causing an accident, include

• Failure to yield
• Speeding, tailgating, and other forms of aggressive driving
• Distracted driving
• Driving while impaired from drugs or alcohol

If the injuries you’ve suffered are serious enough to require compensation, determining fault becomes of paramount importance. The other driver’s insurance company may try to argue that you were to blame for the crash in an effort to deny or devalue your claim.

Blind Spots

Even with rearview mirrors, all vehicles have blind spots. However, large trucks like dump trucks and tractor-trailers have much larger blind spots than passenger cars.

Almost every large truck has four main blind spots. Avoid these areas when you’re near a truck on the road:

• Under the left side mirror
• Under the right side mirror, and extending out to cover the next lane
• 30 feet behind the truck
• 20 feet in front of the truck

Staying in these blind spots for any length of time, the truck driver may not notice you as they check to see if it’s safe to merge into your lane, leading to an accident.

Tip-Overs

Tipping dump trucks pose major risks, not only for their driver but for other vehicles on the road and workers on a construction site. When the truck’s fully loaded box is raised, it has an even greater likelihood to experience a rollover accident.

Other risk factors that can lead to a tip-over accident include

• Improperly secured load
• Uneven ground
• High-speed or tight corners
• Uneven load shifting

Load Spilling

Because dump trucks are often full of thousands of pounds of loose material like rocks, sand, or gravel, improper securement of the load or other issues can lead to a spill. Falling debris from the truck can injure nearby construction workers or pedestrians, or cause a major hazard on the road, leading to highway blockages, further traffic accidents, and more.

Regulations for Operating Dump Trucks in Louisiana

The Federal Department of Transportation defines the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, which classifies a vehicle meeting one or more of the following criteria as a commercial vehicle:

• A vehicle that’s used on an interstate or intrastate highway
• A vehicle with a gross vehicle weight or gross combination weight of at least 10,001 pounds
• A vehicle that’s designed or used to transport more than 8 passengers for a commercial purpose
• A vehicle that’s designed to transport more than 15 passengers
• A vehicle that’s used to transport hazardous material

Dump trucks meet multiple of these categories, so they’re classed as commercial vehicles under the law. That means they’re subject to the following rules and regulations:

• Drivers must hold a Class B Commercial Driver’s License (CDL), which requires they pass an approved training course, pass background checks, have no DWI convictions within 24 months of the application, and physical requirements including
  • Vision of at least 20/40 in each eye, with or without correction
  • Hearing able to hear a forced whisper from at least 5 feet away
  • Diabetes: if a person requires needle-injected insulin, they cannot qualify for a CDL
  • Blood pressure above 180/110 is disqualifying; blood pressure over 140/90 is time-restricted
  • Blood sugar levels must be above 10%
  • Sleep apnea can result in disqualification as well
• Vehicles must pass annual maintenance inspections, which will cover the following parts:
  • ABS system
  • Brake drums or rotors
  • Brake hose
  • Brake tubing
  • Exhaust system
  • Fuel system
  • Hydraulic brakes
  • Lighting devices
  • Parking brakes
  • Safety devices
  • Service brakes
  • Steering mechanism
  • Suspension
  • Tires, wheels, and rims

What to Do After a Louisiana Dump Truck Wreck

If you’ve been seriously injured following a dump truck accident, you need a law firm you can trust to help you recover the compensation you’re owed. Gordon McKernan Injury Attorneys have over 679+ years of combined legal experience helping the people of Louisiana recover their compensation after truck wrecks, and we can help you too. Give us a call at 888.501.7888 for a free legal consultation. Our team will help you maximize your compensation for hospital bills, rehabilitation, medication, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more. We understand that this is a confusing and stressful time, and you’re busy focusing on your recovery. Let us take care of finding the compensation you need to fully heal.