Semi-trucks can roll over when excessive speed, an unstable or shifting load, a high center of gravity, sudden steering, road conditions, or mechanical problems cause the truck to lose stability. Curves and highway entrance or exit ramps can be particularly dangerous because the lateral forces acting on a large truck increase as it turns.
Truck rollovers can cause devastating multi-vehicle crashes because a tractor-trailer may slide across several lanes, spill cargo, or strike nearby vehicles. Determining why a rollover occurred is an important part of identifying who may be responsible for a resulting truck accident.
The Short Answer: Speed, Load, and Center of Gravity Combine Against the Driver
A semi-truck is more likely to roll over when its speed and turning forces overcome the vehicle’s ability to remain stable, particularly when its cargo creates a high or unbalanced center of gravity.
Unlike passenger vehicles, tractor-trailers can carry tens of thousands of pounds of cargo. The location and movement of that weight can significantly affect how the truck handles.
Rollover risk may increase when several factors occur simultaneously, such as a truck entering a curve too quickly while carrying a poorly distributed load.
How Cargo Weight and Loading Affect Rollover Risk
Heavy, improperly distributed, or shifting cargo can make a semi-truck less stable and increase its risk of rolling over. Where the cargo is positioned can be just as important as how much it weighs.
A load placed too high can raise the truck’s center of gravity. Cargo concentrated disproportionately on one side can create an imbalance. Unsecured cargo can also shift while the truck turns, brakes, or makes an emergency maneuver, suddenly changing the vehicle’s balance.
Potential cargo-related rollover causes include:
- Overloaded trailers
- Uneven weight distribution
- Improperly secured freight
- Cargo loaded too high
- Broken or inadequate tiedowns
- Shifting cargo
- Improper loading procedures
When improper loading contributes to a rollover, responsibility may extend beyond the person driving the truck.
Why Curves and Highway Ramps Are High-Risk Rollover Zones
Curves and highway ramps create lateral forces that push a truck’s weight toward the outside of the turn. If those forces become strong enough, the truck can tip onto its side.
Speed, curve sharpness, cargo weight, and center of gravity all affect whether the truck remains upright.
Truck drivers must adjust their speed to conditions rather than assuming that a posted speed appropriate for passenger vehicles is necessarily safe for a fully loaded tractor-trailer.
The Role of Speed and Sudden Steering Corrections
Excessive speed reduces a driver’s margin for error. Sudden steering corrections can further destabilize the tractor and trailer.
A driver may make an abrupt maneuver because of:
- A vehicle suddenly changing lanes
- Traffic slowing unexpectedly
- A missed exit
- Road debris
- Distracted driving
- Following another vehicle too closely
- Drifting onto the shoulder
- Entering a curve too quickly
Jerking the steering wheel in an attempt to return to the lane can shift the truck’s weight rapidly. A high center of gravity or unstable cargo can make recovering from the maneuver even more difficult.
Other factors can contribute as well. Worn tires, brake problems, suspension defects, fatigue, and poor weather conditions may reduce the driver’s ability to maintain control.
Who Can Be Liable Beyond the Truck Driver?
A truck driver may not be the only person or company responsible for a semi-truck rollover.
Depending on the evidence, potentially liable parties could include:
- A trucking company
- A cargo-loading company
- A maintenance provider
- A parts manufacturer
- A motorist
Evidence such as electronic logging data, engine control module information, cargo records, inspection reports, maintenance records, surveillance footage, and witness statements may help establish what happened.
What to Do if You’re Involved in a Jacksonville Truck Rollover
After a Jacksonville truck rollover, prioritize medical care and preserve as much evidence as possible without putting yourself in danger. Trucking companies and insurers may begin investigating serious crashes quickly, so evidence preservation can become important.
If possible:
- Call 911 and remain in a safe location.
- Seek medical attention even if your injuries initially seem minor.
- Photograph the overturned truck, vehicles, cargo, skid marks, and roadway.
- Obtain contact information from witnesses.
- Avoid admitting fault or speculating about what caused the rollover.
- Keep medical records, bills, receipts, and proof of missed work.
- Do not sign a settlement or release before understanding your injuries and losses.
Speak with a Jacksonville truck accident lawyer about preserving evidence. The team at Baggett Law Personal Injury Lawyers has over 100 years of combined experience and has recovered tens of millions of dollars.
Contact the Jacksonville Truck Accident Lawyers at Baggett Law Personal Injury Lawyers for a Free Consultation
Semi-truck rollovers are rarely as simple as a truck tipping over. Speed, cargo distribution, center of gravity, driver decisions, mechanical condition, and the actions of multiple companies may all need to be investigated to determine why the crash occurred and who is responsible.
If you were injured, contact Baggett Law Personal Injury Lawyers for a free consultation with a Jacksonville truck accident lawyer.
We serve Duval County, St. Johns County, and the surrounding areas:
Baggett Law Personal Injury Lawyers – Jacksonville
9471 Baymeadows Rd #105,
Jacksonville, FL 32256
(904) 396-1100
Baggett Law Personal Injury Lawyers – Downtown Jacksonville
121 W Forsyth St Suite 1000,
Jacksonville, FL 32202
(904) 822-4225
Baggett Law Personal Injury Lawyers – Ponte Vedra
480 Town Plaza Ave #130,
Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32081
(904) 675-1167