TRUCKING ACCIDENTS

Garbage Truck Accidents in Colorado Springs

Colorado Springs Garbage Truck Accident Law Firm

Colorado Springs is a historic and attractive city, but it is also a bustling metropolis with people employed in various fields. Garbage trucks and dump trucks are essential for keeping Colorado Springs clean and attractive, as they are in any city. On the other hand, dump trucks and trash trucks may be significantly more hazardous and cause numerous accidents while travelling on the highways owing to their vast width and height.

You are not alone if you have been involved in a dump truck or trash truck accident in Colorado Springs. There are many reasons why this may have occurred, and if you were harmed as a result of a dump truck or trash truck driver’s carelessness, you might be entitled to compensation. This essay will explain why trash truck and dump truck accidents occur so often and what you should do if you are involved in one.

What Causes Colorado Springs Dump Truck and Garbage Truck Collisions?

Garbage and dump trucks are enormous. Small dump trucks can carry between 13,000 and 15,000 pounds (6.5 to 7.5 tons), but big dump trucks may handle up to 28,000 pounds (14 tons).

Large trash trucks weigh 64,000 pounds, whereas small garbage trucks weigh 40,000 pounds (20 tons) (32 tons). If there is a collision, so much weight on the road might pose a significant risk to drivers of smaller cars.

It might be tough to drive a dump truck or a trash truck. It might be exhausting to be on the road for long periods with no one to chat to. Drivers may be required to work long hours, resulting in weariness.

According to current statistics, dump trucks were involved in 8% to 9% of heavy truck accidents, whereas trash cars were involved in just around 2%. This is most likely because dump trucks and trash trucks spend more time on back roads or at construction sites, where they must go slower. Accidents do, however, happen in certain circumstances, and the consequences are typically disastrous.

You’re probably aware of how difficult staying focused and alerted when driving for lengthy periods on motorways and roads. It might be even more difficult for truck drivers to remain awake and drive properly when they work on the highways for a livelihood. Whether the accident involves a local trash service such as Infinite Disposal, or a major business like

After 10 hours of rest, truck drivers are only allowed to drive for 11 hours and take a 30-minute break every eight hours. Even such measures, however, cannot eliminate the risk of tiredness on the road.

Of course, no one denies that operating a dump truck or trash truck is tough. In huge, heavy trucks, navigating traffic and adverse driving conditions may be extremely difficult.

Free Consultation

NO FEE UNLESS WE WIN

The following are the most common causes of truck driver accidents

Driving while distracted

Distracted driving killed 3,142 individuals in a single year, according to the most recent statistics. Texting, chatting on the phone, conversing with other passengers, eating, drinking, and even changing radio stations or playlists may all cause a driver to get distracted enough to overlook a hazard and crash.

The state of the roads It’s challenging enough to manage a large truck around, but it gets much more difficult when you add slippery, rainy, or snowy roads to the mix. Many drivers lose control when driving in such circumstances, but losing control of a truck is considerably more difficult due to its size.

Obstacles in the way

Large cars find it difficult to stop or dart out of the path of animals or debris on the road. If they come across anything unexpectedly, they will have to either strike it or swerve, risking colliding with another car on the road.

Driving when inebriated

Truck drivers often consume compounds that impair their perception and response times, whether drugs, alcohol, or weariness.

According to research by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, fatigue, sickness, the impact of drugs (legal or illegal), and alcohol were responsible for 36 per cent of accidents.

Issues with the Driver

Car causes caused most collisions; however, braking difficulties caused roughly 29% of heavy truck collisions. Large trucks work long hours and are prone to unexpected engine or braking issues. Technically, the manufacturer or trucking firm, not the driver, is at blame for these collisions.

Mistakes made by drivers

Other causes of collisions come under the umbrella of driver error. These include driving too fast for the circumstances, feeling pressed to do the work as soon as possible, performing illegal maneuvers, being unfamiliar with the route, or following too closely.

What Should I Do If I’m Involved in a Dump Truck or Garbage Truck Accident?

Dump truck and trash truck collisions may be exceedingly deadly. The enormous car will not only endanger you and other drivers, but the massive weight these trucks carry may cause further harm.

Here’s what you should do in the aftermath of an accident to protect everyone’s safety.

Get to a safe place

Get everyone off the main road and away from any cars that could explode as quickly as possible. Because moving wounded persons is more difficult when hurt, you should only move them if they are in immediate danger from cars or other impediments. When moving them, try to twist their back and neck as little as possible.

Request an ambulance

Even if no one seems to be hurt, you should still contact an ambulance. Some injuries don’t show up until later, so get medical attention as soon as possible.

Contact the authorities

You’ll have to contact the cops if they aren’t already there. In every significant accident that results in injury or death, get official accident reports and witness accounts.

Take pictures of the accident

Take photographs of the collision site, including any injuries to yourself or others, if you are not severely harmed. To submit a claim with the relevant persons, you’ll need detailed documentation of what occurred and how it happened.

Obtain statements from witnesses

The police will almost certainly gather witness testimonies, but you should also get some. Witness comments might help investigators figure out what occurred and who was to blame for the accident.

Give the other motorist your contact and insurance information. You’ll need information from the other motorist, just like in any other accident, so you can settle any claims as quickly as feasible.

Speak with a personal injury attorney

Whether or not the accident was your fault, you should consult with a personal injury lawyer to ensure that you make the best choices possible about a settlement and that you get the money you deserve.

In a Colorado Springs dump truck or garbage truck accident, who is at fault?

Drivers of garbage trucks and dump trucks in Colorado Springs must have insurance to cover responsibility, damages, and medical costs for persons harmed in incidents involving their cars.

Some insurance policies may cover both the transportation firm and the driver. The driver of a huge truck will often have less coverage than the firm or manufacturer, so you’ll need to figure out who’s to blame to receive the most coverage.

If a driver acts carelessly, they may be at blame. Driver weariness, blunders, and drivers under the influence of alcohol or drugs are some of the most prevalent causes of accidents. In this case, the driver’s insurance would normally pay any losses caused by the collision to you and others.

In such circumstances, the trucking firm is to blame. This is frequently the situation when the corporation purposefully overworked the driver, exhausting them. It might also be the case if the firm failed to keep up with car maintenance or made other errors that enhanced the risk of an accident.

If the truck was loaded by a firm other than the trucking company, that company might be held liable. If a dump truck was overloaded or poorly loaded, for example, and an accident occurred due to the error, the firm that loaded the car might be held accountable.

If the loads are overly large or incorrectly secured, sharp curves and high-speed restrictions become highly risky for dump trucks travelling with their relatively open loads.

It’s possible that the local government is to blame in certain circumstances. This is generally the case only when the government should have taken care of massive potholes or other roadblocks.

Finally, it’s possible that the car manufacturer is to blame. If a truck’s brakes or engine fail when they shouldn’t, the manufacturer is usually to blame. If the car was in bad condition when permitted on the road, the manufacturer might be held accountable for your injuries.

Colorado is a state that follows a modified comparative negligence system. Independent adjusters will establish who is responsible for the collision and to what extent, generally from your and the other driver’s insurance companies.

When an insurance company becomes involved in a dump truck or trash truck accident, it typically helps if the plaintiffs retain a truck accident lawyer to assist them. Truck accident attorneys are familiar with the rules governing responsibility and can assist you in pursuing a successful lawsuit.

What Kinds of Damages Can a Dump Truck or Garbage Truck Accident Cause?

The damages you can get in a Colorado Springs dump truck or trash truck accident are comparable to those you would receive in any other form of accident.

These may include the following:

Suffering and pain. Any physical or emotional pain or suffering that you experience due to an accident may be claimed as damages.

Health-care costs Large truck drivers are obliged to have insurance that covers medical expenditures incurred due to an accident they cause. These costs might include hospital bills, surgery expenditures, prescription bills, or other continuing treatment and therapy costs.

Emotional anguish

Any accident has the potential to cause severe mental suffering. You may want to include this in your list of losses.

Loss of earnings

You may need to take time off work to heal if your injuries are serious. In rare situations, your injuries may result in you losing your job totally, and you will be unable to return to that sector. In a truck accident claim, you may be able to receive compensation for this loss.

Death through wrongful means

If anybody was killed in the truck accident, you might be entitled to compensation for the pain and loss caused by the wrongful death.

Damages for retaliation

Punitive damages may be awarded in certain cases. These damages are meant to penalize the truck driver for their carelessness behind the wheel. Punitive damages are more difficult to obtain, although they are more prevalent when the motorist is intoxicated or otherwise reckless.

Do I Need a Lawyer in Colorado Springs If I’m in a Dump Truck or Garbage Truck Accident?

Jeremy D. Earle, JD is a truck accident lawyer.

You may believe that hiring a lawyer for a car accident is too much trouble. It may, however, assist a lot more than you realize. Truck accident attorneys are experienced in dealing with insurance companies and other lawyers who may want to settle your case for less than you deserve.

While you are recovering and do not want the extra burden of dealing with large insurance companies, lawyers may handle the discussions for you.

Furthermore, most truck accident lawyers operate on a contingency fee basis, which means they will not charge you attorney’s costs unless and until your case is won. That implies you won’t have to pay lawyers’ costs out of pocket. If you’ve been in a dump truck or trash truck accident in Colorado Springs, you should speak with a lawyer who can help you through the process and get the compensation you deserve.

Photo of Untitled 1

FREE CASE REVIEW

We are standing by ready, willing, and able to help you. You can schedule a free consultation here on our website, or give us a call and talk to us. Whatever you prefer, we will accomodate you!