Learn More From an Experienced Columbus Truck Accident Lawyer

A disproportionate number of auto accidents involve commercial trucks. While commercial trucks only account for a small percentage of the vehicles on Ohio’s roads, they account for a much larger percentage of all serious and fatal accidents. As a result, if you find yourself in need of a Columbus truck accident lawyer, you are not alone.

The term “commercial truck” refers to any type of truck that is used for business purposes. Tractor trailers, dump trucks and flatbeds are all examples of commercial trucks—just to name a few. At Malek & Malek Law Firm, we handle all types of commercial truck accidents, and we can help you assert your legal rights after a serious or fatal accident in Ohio at no out-of-pocket cost.

15 Types of Commercial Trucks Commonly Involved in Accidents

Regardless of the type of commercial truck involved, you should speak with an experienced Columbus truck accident lawyer as soon as possible after a serious or fatal collision. Among other types of cases, our lawyers handle cases involving all of the following types of commercial trucks that are commonly involved in accidents in Ohio.

1. Tractor-Trailers (18-Wheelers or Big Rigs)

Tractor trailers (also known as 18-wheelers or big rigs) are extremely heavy, and this makes them extremely dangerous. Due to their size and weight, tractor-trailers are difficult to control and even more difficult to stop, and these factors contribute to the high number of serious and fatal tractor-trailer accidents in Ohio each year. Overloading, inadequate maintenance, and long-haul driver fatigue are common factors in tractor-trailer accidents as well.

2. Box Trucks

Box trucks are used for everything from moving furniture to delivering products to customers. They are a common sight on Columbus’s roads, and they are commonly involved in accidents on Columbus’s roads as well. While box trucks come in many sizes, even the smallest box trucks have limited visibility and maneuverability. When you add in factors like inadequate maintenance and drivers with limited experience behind the wheel of commercial vehicles, it’s not hard to see why box truck accidents are so common.

3. Bucket Trucks (Boom Trucks)

Bucket trucks (also known as boom trucks) are used to lift workers who need to work on power lines and other items high above the ground. Like tractor-trailers, bucket trucks are long and heavy, and they have limited visibility and limited maneuverability as well. But these are not excuses for causing accidents on Columbus’s roads. Like all drivers, bucket truck drivers have a legal duty to put safety first. When they fail to do so, they and their employers can (and should) be held accountable.

4. Car Haulers

Car haulers are specialized types of commercial trucks that are used specifically for transporting vehicles to dealerships. When carrying cars, they are extremely heavy, and it is critical that the cars on their trailers are properly secured. While you will frequently see car haulers parked in the turning lane or blocking traffic as they attempt to deliver their cargo, car hauler drivers owe the same legal duties as everyone else to follow the law and avoid putting other motorists in harm’s way.

5. Cement Trucks

Fully loaded cement trucks can weigh as much as 60,000 or 70,000 pounds. This is a lot of weight that cement truck drivers need to keep under control at all times. But while this is the case, speeding, turning too sharply, running red lights (because they are going too fast to stop) and other driving mistakes are all common factors in cement truck accidents. As a result, cement truck drivers and their employers will be responsible for these accidents in many (if not most) cases.

6. Crane Trucks

Crane trucks are also extremely heavy, as they need a huge amount of weight to counterbalance the loads their cranes carry while working. As a result, inadequate maintenance and other issues can be especially dangerous with these types of commercial trucks. If you need to file a claim for an accident involving a crane truck in Ohio, we encourage you to speak with a Columbus truck accident lawyer at Malek & Malek Law Firm as soon as possible.

7. Dump Trucks

Dump trucks present several types of accident risks, and this makes them among the most common of all types of commercial trucks involved in serious and fatal accidents. Not only can driver negligence and truck maintenance issues lead to dangerous and deadly collisions, but gravel, debris and other cargo falling or flying out of a truck’s dump bed can present extreme hazards for other motorists as well.

8. Flatbed Trailers

Flatbed trailers are used to transport everything from vehicles and machinery to scrap metal and building materials. While many factors can lead to accidents involving flatbed trailers, improper cargo loading is often a particular concern with these types of commercial trucks. Not only can cargo that hasn’t been properly secured fall into the roadway, but it can also negatively impact the flatbed driver’s ability to safely maintain control.

9. Garbage Trucks

Garbage trucks present risks similar to those presented by dump trucks. In neighborhoods and on Columbus’s city streets, they also present additional risks due to the fact that they frequently need to back up. Garbage truck drivers are often in a hurry, and they often have very limited visibility when going in reverse. These factors combine to make backing-up accidents common—and dangerous—even though this should not be the case.

10. Heavy Cargo Haulers

While typical tractor-trailers can carry up to 80,000 pounds of cargo, sometimes this isn’t enough. Heavy cargo haulers are specialized commercial trucks that are designed to carry the largest loads possible. While heavy cargo haulers are essential, they can also be extremely dangerous, and even driving mistakes and maintenance issues that seem minor out of context can lead to dangerous and deadly situations on the road.

11. Log Carriers

Log carriers are another type of specialized commercial truck that serves a specific purpose and present unique risks for motorists in the Columbus area. Like other types of commercial truck accidents, accidents involving log carries often result in life-altering, if not life-threatening, injuries. Recovering just compensation can be essential for managing the financial and non-financial costs of these injuries, and this makes it extremely important for accident victims and their families to seek representation from an experienced Columbus truck accident lawyer.

12. Tanker Trucks

Tanker trucks present unique risks as well. Not only are trucks with full tanks extremely heavy (in addition to having limited visibility and maneuverability), but they also require pressurization. Pressurizing a truck’s tank prevents its liquid cargo from sloshing, and this is essential for helping the truck’s driver maintain control. Sloshing liquid cargo is similar to solid cargo sliding forward and backward or sliding side to side. It adds to the forces the truck’s driver needs to control—and this increases the risk of the driver losing control and causing a dangerous or deadly collision.

13. Tow Trucks

Tow truck drivers have a financial incentive to make as many tows as possible. This means that they are often in a rush—and this means that they are prone to making mistakes and poor decisions that increase their risk of causing a serious or fatal accident. If you or a loved one has been harmed by a negligent or reckless tow truck driver, the towing company may be financially responsible, and you will want to speak with an experienced Columbus truck accident lawyer about your legal rights.

14. Wide Load Trucks

Trucks carrying wide loads are among the most dangerous trucks on Ohio’s roads. All of the risk factors we’ve discussed above come into play, and even when a wide-load truck driver is being careful, other drivers must be careful as well. Unfortunately, it isn’t always possible to stay out of harm’s way. If you need to know about your legal rights after a wide load accident in Ohio, we can help, and we encourage you to speak with a Columbus truck accident lawyer at Malek & Malek Law Firm promptly.

15. Work Trucks (Pickups)

While large commercial trucks present serious accident risks, they aren’t the only commercial trucks about which Columbus-area drivers need to be concerned. Pickup trucks used for business purposes (work trucks) are commonly involved in serious accidents as well. Under Ohio law, employers can be held liable for their employees’ negligence on the job—which means that victims and families coping with the effects of work truck accidents will be able to seek full compensation for their losses in many cases.

Need Help After a Collision? Talk to a Columbus Truck Accident Lawyer for Free

Do you need help protecting your legal rights after a commercial truck accident in Ohio? If so, we invite you to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation at Malek & Malek Law Firm. Call 888-444-7440 or tell us how we can reach you online to speak with an experienced Columbus truck accident lawyer in confidence today.