The average tractor-trailer outweighs the average commuter car by several thousand pounds, and that is before multiple tons of cargo are loaded into the truck’s trailer to make it even heavier. All this weight makes semi-trucks uniquely difficult to operate without specialized training and hands-on experience behind the wheel—and unfortunately, some trucking companies push things even farther by deliberately overloading their trucks with more weight than they are designed to safely carry.
Even compared to other types of truck accident litigation, overloaded/overweight truck accidents in Reno can make for particularly complicated civil lawsuits, especially if you need to recover for permanent and debilitating injuries. Put simply, this is not the kind of situation you have to or should try to handle without help from our seasoned truck collision attorneys at Shook & Stone.
What Are the Legal Weight Limits for Tractor-Trailers in Reno?
Under federal law, commercial trucks traveling on interstate highways or across state borders on other routes can have a gross vehicle weight rating—in other words, a maximum weight across their cab, trailer, and cargo combined—of 80,000 pounds at most. Additionally, they cannot operate with more than 20,000 pounds of weight being put on any single axle or with more than 34,000 pounds of weight being put on any tandem axle, with the underlying assumption being that the truck’s total weight is distributed evenly across all its axle groups.
Nevada state law imposes identical restrictions on trucks traveling on local roads or entirely within the state’s borders. Furthermore, it prohibits trucks from traveling with more than 600 pounds of weight per inch of traffic width placed on a steering axle or 500 pounds per inch placed on any other axle. However, trucking companies may apply for permits to carry oversized loads across short distances, provided that the driver carrying that load stays within state borders and gets state approval for their route beforehand.
Holding the Right People Accountable for an Overweight Truck Crash
One unique aspect of overloaded and overweight truck wrecks in Reno is that individual truck drivers are usually not directly to blame for the incident, since they are rarely the people who actually make the decision to knowingly flaunt legal weight limits. Most of the time, trucking companies looking to save time and money on routes make that decision, which then compels their drivers to take unsafe trucks out on the road.
Unfortunately, these companies usually know what they are doing is illegal and are not above breaking the law again by hiding or destroying documentation that would otherwise show that they put an overweight truck on the road. Hunting down all available evidence and piecing together exactly how heavy a truck was is one of many things our seasoned lawyers can provide irreplaceable assistance with during the legal process.
Contact a Reno Attorney for Assistance After an Overloaded/Overweight Truck Accident
Overloaded trucks are more likely to suffer mechanical breakdowns, harder to slow down, and more difficult to steer when going around sharp curves. Put all that together, and you have a fundamentally unsafe vehicle that is likely to cause catastrophic harm.
Anyone who knowingly or accidentally allows a vehicle like this out onto public streets can and should be held liable for any injuries that occur as a result of an ensuing wreck. Call Shook & Stone to discuss your legal options following an overloaded/overweight truck accident in Reno.
