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If you or your loved one were involved in a truck accident involving a lowboy trailer in Washington, DC, you may have rights to compensation. The truck accident lawyers at Regan Zambri Long have a history of recovering the maximum amount of damages for their clients involved in trucking accidents. Your lowboy truck accident lawyer will work tirelessly to ensure you recover compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, and lost future wages if your injuries are ongoing or permanent. Call today for a no-obligation case evaluation to discuss your lowboy truck accident claim with the best truck accident attorneys in Washington, DC.
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Compared with other major cities in America, Washington DC’s population falls 21st in the nation, boasting just under 700,000 residents packed into a 68 square mile district. The Washington DC DMV issued over 300,000 vehicle registrations at all four of its service centers. In addition to DC drivers, the District is encircled by the Capital Beltway, which is made up of interstates 95 and 495 and sees 225,000 regular and commercial vehicles per day.
More congestion on the DC roadways increases the chances of accidents. If you were involved in a lowboy truck accident in Washington DC, contact the Regan Zambri Long lowboy truck accident lawyers right away. We will make sure the rights of you and your family are protected and that you secure the compensation you deserve.
A lowboy trailer is a semi-trailer with a drop flatbed that is lower to the ground than other tractor-trailer trucks. Hence the name “lowboy.” It is designed to carry oversized items that exceed the typical height and weight restrictions for regular cargo. The low trailer was designed as a safety feature. Because it’s lower to the ground than other trailers, the height changes the center of gravity when carrying such heavy cargo. Generally speaking, it helps keep the lowboy truck from tipping over while carrying the oversized cargo.
Lowboy trailers typically carry construction equipment and machinery, like excavators and bulldozers. It can also carry military vehicles, airplanes and parts, houses, and other heavy machinery. While carrying cargo, a lowboy truck can weigh over 80,000 pounds – 23 times the size of a regular sedan!
Since lowboy trucks are so specialized in the cargo they carry, they may pose a higher risk than other commercial trucks on the road. Since there is no structure to enclose the cargo on the trailer, a cargo shift can be disastrous for other drivers on the road. Cargo may fall off the trailer and hit another vehicle, or create a hazard in the roadway.
The sheer weight of the lowboy truck makes it extremely difficult to come to a sudden, complete stop, increasing the chances of passenger vehicles being hit from behind. Finally, lowboy trailers are uniquely difficult to maneuver, since the cargo is oversized and heavy. If the lowboy truck driver does not have enough experience handling the truck, a catastrophic accident can occur.
In 2019 5,005 commercial trucks were involved in fatal crashes – a 43% increase from 2010. Over 70% of the fatalities were the occupants in the regular vehicle. Not only do the size and weight of the lowboy trucks pose a threat to drivers, but the accidents they can cause because the lowboy trailers are different from and more dangerous than a typical car accident. The different types of lowboy truck accidents are:
A jackknife accident is when the lowboy trailer swings perpendicular to the tractor, causing the truck to look like a jackknife. These types of accidents most often occur when the lowboy truck driver tries to stop suddenly. The truck is not made to brake quickly and, while carrying cargo, it is almost impossible to do so. When jackknife accidents happen, they often involve several cars on the road, causing multi-car accidents.
Lowboy truck rollover accidents are among the deadliest crashes on the DC roadways. They most often occur on highways and ramps and account for nearly half of all fatalities in large truck accidents. These accidents happen when the lowboy truck driver misjudges a turn, swerves too quickly, or uses excessive speed around a curve.
Poor visibility, glaring lights, and driver fatigue all make nighttime driving dangerous. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration sets strict rules and regulations regarding how many consecutive hours lowboy truck operators can drive before taking a break (the limit is 14 hours). However, many trucking companies pressure their drivers to disregard the FMCSA’s rules to speed up delivery times and increase profits. Therefore, nighttime drivers may have to share the road with extremely fatigued drivers. Driver fatigue slows down reaction times and can cause the lowboy truck driver to fall asleep at the wheel, causing devastating accidents.
The following causes of lowboy truck accidents all have one thing in common: negligence. The fault may lie with the driver, the trucking company, or the municipality. Your Regan Zambri Long lowboy truck accident lawyer will work with a team of legal experts and local law enforcement to determine the cause of your accident, prove negligence on the truck driver’s part, and secure the maximum amount of compensation.
According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the biggest cause of lowboy truck accidents is due to brake failure. It is the responsibility of the trucking company to make sure their vehicles are in top condition before sending them out on the road. The company should be performing routine maintenance checks to make sure their lowboy trailers can make it to their destination as safely as possible. A DC lowboy truck accident lawyer will investigate the trucking company, using records and logs, to see if the truck involved in the accident was improperly maintained. If so, we will use the evidence collected to hold the trucking company liable for your accident.
The second-largest cause of lowboy truck accidents is reckless driving, mainly speeding. If the truck driver is going too fast for the conditions – whether it’s poor weather, curvy roads, or heavy traffic – they can cause a terrible accident if they do not obey local speed limits. If your accident was due to the truck driver speeding, your Regan Zambri Long lowboy truck accident attorney will hold the truck driver accountable. In addition, we may also pursue damages against the trucking company. It is the company’s responsibility to make sure they have well-trained drivers who have impeccable records. Our truck accident attorneys will investigate the driver’s records, including past employment with other trucking companies.
Lowboy truck drivers haul cargo in every part of the nation. Understandably, they do not know every route they are traveling. An unexpected curve may catch the driver off guard, leading to a rollover. Washington DC is responsible for proper upkeep of their roadways, filling potholes, and ridding them of hazards that may cause accidents. If your accident occurred on the Capital Beltway, the Clara Barton Highway, or another major DC highway, we may hold the District accountable for the accident.
Other major causes of lowboy truck accidents are:
The injuries a lowboy trailer accident victim can sustain can be catastrophic, leaving the victim with permanently debilitating injuries or even causing death. Here at Regan Zambri Long, our lowboy truck accident lawyers understand that the injuries a victim sustain affect not only the victim but their loved ones as well. A single accident can change the course of many lives and we will work to secure the maximum amount of damages so your family is not thrown into financial distress on top of dealing with severe injuries. The injuries a lowboy truck accident victim may sustain are:
A: When driving on the DC roadways, many drivers will come across trucks hauling the following trailers:
A: Contributory negligence is a law that is practiced in Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia that states if you are found to be at fault – even a small percentage – for the accident, then you cannot claim damages. For example, the accident you were involved in with a lowboy truck may mostly be due to the truck’s brake failure. However, if it is found that you were texting while driving at the time of the accident, that would be considered contributory negligence and you would not be able to collect compensation for your injuries. Our lowboy truck accident lawyers at Regan Zambri Long have litigated lowboy truck accidents for years and are well-versed in DC contributory law. We will use evidence to prove you, in no way, contributed to the accident to secure you the highest amount of compensation possible.
A: Our lowboy truck accident lawyers have extensive knowledge of DC law, federal trucking laws, and various insurance policies in the District. We deeply understand how stressful and heartbreaking a lowboy truck accident can be for the victim and their families. We want to work so you don’t have to. While you spend time recovering and getting your life back on track, we will turn our focus to prosecuting the party or parties at fault for the accident. Our lowboy trailer accident lawyers feel very strongly that you should not foot the bill for someone else’s negligence.
When you hire a Regan Zambri Long lowboy truck accident lawyer, you will have a legal advocate by your side until the very end of the claims process. We will take care of all the correspondence with the insurance and trucking companies. We will utilize all our resources to thoroughly investigate the accident and pursue damages against all parties responsible. Our team will build a rock-solid case and tirelessly work to secure a settlement or verdict in your favor. Call today for a free consultation with a seasoned lowboy truck accident attorney to get the claims process started.
