Virginia truck cargo spill accident attorneys

Helping those injured in Virginia trucking cargo spills

Virginians were involved in an alarming 2,484 truck accidents in a recent year, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT). That’s almost 7 trucking accidents every day.

If you’ve been in a truck accident, especially one with a cargo spill, you know how devastating these collisions can be. You also know that the financial fallout is more than one person or family can handle.

Thankfully, if your crash was caused by someone else’s negligence, you have the right to ask for compensation from them. This will let you pay your medical bills, repair your car, and cover any lost wages during your time off for healing.

That being said, recovering fair compensation requires the help of an experienced cargo spill truck accident lawyer at GibsonSingleton Virginia Injury Attorneys. Call us at (804) 413-6777 to speak with a member of our incredible team. We are here to help you.

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How do cargo spills happen?

When a truck’s freight is weighed and loaded properly and evenly balanced and strapped down tightly in the trailer, the risk of a spill is zero. But sadly, trucking companies and their employees can skip safety procedures by cutting corners to save time and money. The truth is: cargo spills happen because at least one person made a bad decision. Some common causes of cargo spills include:

• Cargo overload
• Improperly balanced cargo
• Unsecured cargo
• Tanker leaks and open valves
• Rollover accidents
• Mechanical malfunction

If the driver, mechanic, loading teams, and trucking company all acted responsibly, then a cargo spill just doesn’t happen. But the responsible people often focus more on meeting deadlines than on keeping people safe. As a result, victims are injured or killed across the United States daily.

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Why are cargo spills so dangerous?

Much of a truck’s weight comes from its cargo. That’s what makes a cargo spill so dangerous: all of that weight, sometimes as much as 60,000 pounds, rushes out of the truck onto nearby cars and pedestrians.

More than 300 Virginians were killed in trucking accidents in a recent year, according to VDOT. Some were due to cargo spills. Few trucking accidents are as deadly as cargo spills, especially if the cargo itself is dangerous.

Some of the more hazardous cargo includes:

Cement: One of the safety benefits of cement trucks is they can be taken only on short trips. Wet cement begins to harden after about 90 minutes, so these drivers have a tight timeframe that doesn’t allow them to become fatigued. But the trucks that carry cement are top-heavy, making it easy for them to tip and spill. Wet cement can easily crush people or vehicles unfortunate enough to be in its way.

Logs: Wood is an important material for fuel, construction, manufacturing, and papermaking. You can spot trucks throughout Virginia carrying dozens of logs, all weighing thousands of pounds. If the logs are not balanced properly or strapped down correctly, they can fall off the truck, crushing anyone driving nearby and causing catastrophic damage.

Fuel: Oil and gas are critical to our daily lives and our economy. Countless tankers, or trucks that transport chemicals, drive through Virginia at any given hour. If a valve on a tanker is left open, the tank leaks, or a collision causes the contents to spill, the results can be deadly. Given how flammable oil and gas are, an explosion is possible. At the least, a serious fire can occur.

Dangerous chemicals: Different chemicals are needed for building, processing fuel, and manufacturing. But many of these chemicals are dangerous. Some are explosive. Some are flammable. Others cause cancer when ingested or inhaled by people. When hazardous chemicals spill, the damage can be catastrophic.

Any cargo spill can be dangerous. Even a truckload of fruit could cause a highway pile-up when spilled, leading to countless injuries.

If you have been injured in a cargo-spill accident, you have the legal right to ask for compensation. The first step of that process is determining who is liable for your damages.

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Who could be responsible for a cargo spill?

Trucking accidents have been steadily rising for the past several years. In fact, fatal trucking accidents have seen a 31% spike in America between 2009 and 2018. That’s alarming, and yet, the number of deadly trucking accidents is still rising.

The biggest reasons for that spike? Our increase in online shopping – and trucking companies putting profits over the safety of others. If you are looking for the person responsible for your injuries, it may be someone in the trucking company.

The driver: The truck driver is the one making sure that the truck stops, turns, and slows down safely. Any wrong move can result in a collision and a cargo spill. The driver will often be the party liable for your injuries.

The loading team: Trailers and tankers are often loaded by special crews. These loading teams are responsible for making sure the load is even, the cargo is properly strapped down, and the truck is under the legal weight limit. If the team fails to do this and the cargo spills on the road as a result, then the loading team would likely be liable.

The mechanic: Some cargo spills are caused by mechanical failures, such as a popped tire or worn-down brakes. In such cases, if the truck’s mechanic failed to notice and fix obvious issues, the mechanic would be liable for the crash and your injuries.

The shipping company: In many cases, transportation companies are responsible for the actions and negligence of their employees. This is especially true if the company pushed employees to work longer hours, overload trailers, or skip important safety steps for the sake of time. Whatever the cause of your wreck, the company may have some level of liability.

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Who should I call for help after a Virginia trucking accident?

When you are facing a difficult Virginia truck accident claim, consider working with local attorneys who can give you outstanding support. We at GibsonSingleton Virginia Injury Attorneys have helped countless truck accident victims in our area and we are ready to help you.

With our Zero Fee Guarantee, you can rest assured that we won’t be adding to your pile of bills. We take our calling to help our neighbors seriously. We are more than happy to meet with you in a free consultation to hear about your particular case and advise you accordingly.

When you call us at (804) 413-6777 or toll-free at (855) 781-6777, we will listen to your entire story and give you the legal advice to help you make the right decisions for you and your family. If you choose us to represent you, our lead attorneys, Ken and John, as former U.S. Marines, will fight smarter to get you the money you deserve to move forward with your life.

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