(845) 802-0047Large commercial vehicles are intended to carry large and heavy cargo. That could be hundreds of boxes of manufactured product, several construction pipes, and materials, or just one large load like a construction truck, formed concrete, or even a small house. All types of loads have different risks associated with travel on New York roadways. But oversized loads create special and unique risks which could result in New York trucking accidents causing serious personal injuries or wrongful death.
What are Oversized Loads?
An oversized load is a cargo or a “load” that exceeds the standard or ordinary legal size or weight limits set for a roadway. Many times oversized loads are “non-divisible” meaning that they cannot be broken down into smaller sizes. This could be a particularly long concrete form for a bridge being built or a tall piece of factory machinery. Many times large air conditioning units placed on top of commercial builders are oversized loads given their heavy nature and large size.
There are also “superloads” which is where the combination of the vehicle and the cargo are over 16’ wide, over 16’ high, over 160’ long, or weigh more than 200,000 pounds.
Three Unique Risks of Oversized Loads
Oversized loads are dangerous and create three unique risks. These risks make oversized loads more likely to cause New York trucking accidents and more likely to cause serious personal injuries or wrongful death in any type of crash. The unique risks created by oversized loads on trucks include the following:
- Oversized loads create visibility challenges – Oversized loads create visibility challenges for both the truck driver and other drivers. This is because the larger and longer loads create more blind spots for truck drivers. This means that smaller vehicles like passenger vehicles or motorcycles may get lost in a truck driver’s mirrors due to excessive blind spots. Oversized loads also make it harder for other vehicles to navigate around them because of the sheer size and length of cargo. This means other vehicles cannot see what is around or on the other side of the transport truck. New York law requires all motorists to “see what there is to be seen” and large, oversized loads make that much more difficult.
- Heavier loads mean more momentum – Oversized loads are heavy, especially superloads. This means that cargo will cause a commercial vehicle to generate more momentum even at low speeds. This momentum is the pure force which is dispersed into whatever a truck collides within a New York trucking accident. This means greater personal injuries and a likelihood of wrongful death. Heavier loads also mean that a truck will need greater stopping distance because of the added weight. It also means that there is greater stress on mechanical parts which tests how well a truck driver and trucking company maintain their vehicles. Even small errors in maintenance could result in catastrophic failure when there is an oversized load being transported.
- Cargo Causing New York Trucking Accidents – Oversized loads are carrying abnormally wide, tall, or heavy cargo. This means that improperly secured cargo is significantly more dangerous than regular cargo on commercial trucks. The risks caused by oversized cargo include height and clearance issues such as impacting bridges or over obstacles, turning into poles or traffic in other lanes due to oversized loads, or simply not fitting down narrow roads not built for trucks—especially oversized loads. When cargo fails in any of these manners, the oversized load could crash onto other vehicles or into the roadway which results in serious personal injuries.
Common Reasons for New York Trucking Accidents Due to Oversized Loads
Like any other cargo, oversized loads create dangerous situations in adverse weather, high-speed highways, or congested roadways. But there are many reasons why oversized loads could result in serious personal injuries that are unique to this type of cargo.
Some of the most common reasons for New York trucking accidents due to oversized loads include the following:
- Improperly securing the cargo;
- Poor planning of a route that has enough height clearance and width clearance, as well as routes that do not place the public in danger by going through high traffic areas unless absolutely necessary (i.e., to make the final delivery);
- Truck driver inexperience;
- Failing to have a pilot vehicle or escort vehicle;
- Failing to mark the edges of the oversized cargo with red flags or reflectors for other motorists;
- Negligence in mechanical upkeep;
- Speeding;
- Failing to negotiate weather conditions such as high wind, snow, rain; and
- Many other causes.
Victims of New York Trucking Accidents Due to Oversized Loads Should Call Our Law Firm
Oversized loads are completely within the control of the truck driver and trucking company in that they responsible for placing them onto a truck, securing the cargo, and then monitoring the oversized load throughout the delivery. This includes monitoring by stopping numerous times to check on the securement straps as well as having pilot or escort vehicles monitor the cargo from afar. Thus, whenever a trucking crash occurs due to an oversized load, it is very often solely the fault of the truck driver or trucking company.
But both the truck driver and trucking company, as well as their respective insurance carriers, will blame victims for their injuries when an oversized load caused a serious tractor-trailer crash. That is why it is important to fight back with a New York trucking accident lawyer who knows the law and can prove your injuries after a serious crash. Call our law firm for a FREE consultation to learn how we can get started by holding the truck driver and trucking company responsible for your injuries due to their negligence.