Accidents Involving Dump and Garbage Trucks - Stewart J. Guss, Attorney At Law

e e t

o F

IGHTENING tffic

ccidents:

Seve

l people
e
e displ
ced
nd th
ee people
e
e inju
ed
hen<
h
ef="https:
/ktl
.com
2019/08/20/dump-t
uck-cshes-into-p
coim
-building-le
ving-3-
ith-mino
-inju
ies
” t

get=”_bl
nk"
el=”noopene
nofollo
no
efee
“>
dump t
uck plo
ed th
ough
n inte
section >, st
uck
silve
sed
n,
nd then d
ove th
ough the side of
n
p

tment building. The dump t
uck d
ive
suffe
ed mino
inju
ies but declined medic
l
ttention
t the scene. om
n d
iving the c th
t

s hit by the t
uck s tnspo
ted to the hospit
l
ith inju
ies,
s

s

om
n
ho lived on the fi
st floo
of the 28-unit
ptment complex. The d
ive
s
epo
ted in f
i
condition,
hile the
ptment d
elle
suffe
ed se
ious inju
ies.
<
h
ef="https:
/
gno.com
2019/02/20/g

b
ge-t
uck-st
ikes-kills-bicyclist-on-c
ollton-upto
n
” t

get=”_bl
nk"
el=”noopene
nofollo
no
efee
“> 30-ye

-old m
n s killed<>
hen
gb
ge t
uck cshed into him
hile he

s
iding his bicycle. The collision occued
t
bout 9
.m.,
nd both the gb
ge t
uck
nd the bicyclist
e
e t

veling in the s
me di
ection
t the time of the csh.<
li>

These

e t

o seemingly un

ted

ccidents occu

ing in t

o seemingly un

ted cities. Ho

eve

, some common th

ds connect them. Dump t

ucks

nd gb

ge t

ucks se

ve simil

functions in keeping ou

communities

unning.

nd both <

ef="https:

inju

yvictims.com

common-t

ucks-on-the-

“>types of t

ucks<> pose signific

isks to othe

s on the

y. If you h

dy been involved in

ious collision

ith

uck then len

skilled <

ef=”https://c

inju

yvictims.com

vices

uck-

ccident-l

“>t

uck

ccident

tto

ney > h

s to offe

belo

D
nge
s Involving T

sh T
ucks<
h2>
He
e’s
f
ct
e c
n
ll
g
ee on:
E NEED GB
GE T
UCKS
nd the
o
ke
s
ho ope

te them. They do
di
ty, smelly, d
nge
ous job.
ithout them, life
ould be

ful. Don’t believe me? Just
e
d
bout <
h
ef="https:
/
.nytimes.com
2017/06/29/
o
ld/eu
ope
g
eece-
thens-g

b
ge-st
ike.html” t

get=”_bl
nk"
el=”noopene
nofollo
no
efee
“>
h
t the citizens of
thens, G
eece
ent th
ough >
hen thei
s
nit
tion
o
ke
s
ent on st
ike. O
close
to home,
h
t h
ppened
hen Houston’s city-o
ned s
nit
tion fleet s fo
ced to pull
bout<
h
ef="https:
/
.ch
on.com/ne
s
houston-tex
s
houston/

ticle/
ECYCLING-MECH
NIC-13530829.php” t

get=”_bl
nk"
el=”noopene
nofollo
no
efee
“> th
ee dozen collection t
ucks > off the
o
dy due to m
inten
nce issues th
t m
de them uns
fe to ope

te. T

SH. PILES. UP.

But just bec
use
e NEED g

b
ge t
ucks doesn’t me
n
e
lys h
ve to LIKE o
T
UST them to ope

te them s
fely. Sometimes, tsh t
ucks
nd thei
d
ive
s c
e
te
E
L D
NGE
S fo
the ve
y citizens
hose neighbo
hoods they
o
k to keep cle
n. Fo
ex
mple:

ong>T

sh t
ucks mostly opete on n
o
<
st
ong>,
esidenti
l st
eets, c
e
ting heightened
isks fo
lke
s, jogge
s, cyclists,
nd kids.<
li>

ong>Gb
ge <
h
ef=”https://c

inju
yvictims.com
dist

cted-t
uck-d
ive
s-c
n-inju
e-people
“>t
uck d
ive
s get distcted<>
ith p
peo
k ong>, communic
tion
ith disp
tche
s,
nd eve
-ch
nging t

ffic conditions.

ong>Mo
ning collection times ong> th
t often coincide
ith times
hen people

e f
equently tveling to
o
k o
school.

ong>D
ive
sho
t
ges th
t m
y
esult in t
ucks being <
h
ef="https:
/c

inju
yvictims.com
c

go-lo
ding-eo
s-c
use-t
uck-
ccidents
“>ove
lo
ded > o
hu

ied ong> d
ive
s exhibiting uns
fe beh
vio
such
s d
iving do
n the ong side of the
o
d o
m
king d
nge
ous tu
ns to
e
ch collection points.

ong>Tsh <
h
ef="https:
/c

inju
yvictims.com
unsecu
ed-cgo-c
using-houston-t
ucking-
ccidents/”>f
lls<><
st
ong> f
om the b
ck of gb
ge t
ucks, c
using
o
d h
zds.<
li>

ong>Gb
ge t
ucks h
ve l

ge <
h
ef=”https://c

inju
yvictims.com
t
uck-d
ive
s-e-blind-spots
“>blind spots ><
st
ong>
he
e sm
lle
vehicles
nd bicyclists c
n go unnoticed by d
ive
s until it is TOO L
TE.

D
nge
s Involving Dump T
ucks<
h2>
E
LSO NEED DUMP T
UCKS, even if theiole in d
ily life isn’t
s obvious. Dump t
ucks c
y
nd delive
the
m
te
i
ls
e need to build
nd m
int
in infst
uctu
e. T
y l
ying o
dbed
ithout
dump t
uck
nd see ho
f you get…
G
IN, though, just bec
use
e NEED dump t
ucks doesn’t me
n they en’t d
nge
ous o
th
t d
ive
s
nd thei
employe
s shouldn’t exe
cise the p
ope
ce needed to s
fely ope

te them. Conside
the follo
ing h
zds dump t
ucks c
e
te EVE
Y D
Y:

ong>He
vy lo
ds of loose m
te
i
l such
s di
t o

ocks shift du
ing tnspo
t ong>, c
using the vehicle to suffe
f
om

eight imb
l
nce th
t m
kes it h

d to m
neuvend p
one to
olling ove
. Dump t
ucks e
l
e
dy
t
n inc
e
sed
isk of
ollove
s due to thei
high cente
of gvity.<
li>

ong>Di
t
nd
ocks c
n “stick” to the sides of the t
uck bed ong>, c
using the
eight imb
l
nce to exist even
fte
the d
ive
h
s dumped the lo
d, c
using the
ollove
to exist even if the d
ive
is not t

veling too f
st on
cu
ved
o
d o
even if the vehicle is not t

veling
t
ll but

the
is pked on uneven g
ound.

ong>Dump t
ucks
o
k in
nd ound const
uction zones ong>.
o
k zones e
l
e
dy pl
ces th
t

e
ife
ith
ctivity th
t c
n le
d to d
ive
dist

ction
nd d
ive
confusion.
dd to it the need fo
the dump t
uck d
ive
to m
ke sudden stops, to tu
n

ound o
b
ck out in unexpected pl
ces, o
to delive
lo
ds ne
o
d

ys
nd tffic,
nd the
isk of
n
ccident inc
e
ses signific
ntly.

ong>Dump t
ucks “le
k”<
st
ong> thei
c

go c
using
o
d su
f
ce h
z

ds.

Ho
the D
ive
s of Lge T
ucks C
use
ccidents

side f

om the t

uck type-specific issues noted

bove, g

nd dump t

ucks e just lge vehicles. Thei

size

eight,

lone, c

te h

ds fo

thei

ive

nyone sh

ing the

ith them. T

uck

ccidents c

use M

SSIVE d

nd SEVE

E INJU

IES. Some of those

ys those

ccidents h

ppen include:

ong>D
iving too f
st fo
the conditions of the
o
d ong>. Lge t
ucks

e m
ny, m
ny times he
vie
th
n p
ssenge
cs. Bec
use of this, they
equi
e mo
e dist
nce to come to
s
fe stop
fte
the d
ive
pe
ceives
h
zd
nd
esponds by bking. The f
ste
this m
ssive vehicle is moving, the mo
e dist
nce
ill be
equi
ed.
speeding t
uck d
ive
is
t g
e
t
isk of not stopping in time to
void
collision.<
li>
ong>L
ck of <
h
ef=”https://c

inju
yvictims.com
poo
-t
uck-m
inten
nce-c
use-semi-t
uck-
ccident
“>m
inten
nce ><
st
ong>. T
ucks t

vel m
ny miles in el
tively sho
t pe
iod of time, th
ough
ll kinds of
e
the
conditions. L
ck of
outine m
inten
nce, such
s th
t expe
ienced by Houston’s s
nit
tion fleet, c
n
esult in vehicles th
t e uns
fe to ope

te on public
o
d

ys. Some of the vehicle p

ts th
t
equi
e
egul

inspection
nd m
inten
nce on lge t
ucks

e the ti
es, the bke system,
nd the stee
ing system.<
li>
ong>Blind spots<
st
ong>.
ll vehicles h
ve blind spots in
hich the d
ive
c
nnot see vehicles in
dj
cent tvel l
nes th
ough the use of side
nd
evie
mi

o
s. Lge t
ucks h
ve signific
nt blind spots on
ll fou
sides. F
ilu
e to ensu
e th
t no one is linge
ing in the blind spot befo
e tu
ning o
ch
nging l
nes m
y
esult in c
t
st
ophic inju
ies fo
othe
t

vele
s.<
li>
ong>
ide tu
ns<
st
ong>. Lge t
ucks, including g

b
ge t
ucks o
dump t
ucks,
equi
e
ddition
l sp
ce to complete tu
ns onto n
oo
ds such
s those commonly found in
esidenti
l e
s. D
ive
s
ho e imp
ope
ly tined to complete these tu
ns
isk inju
ing othe
s by
ccident
lly s
inging too
ide into tvel l
nes occupied by othe
vehicles.<
li>
ong>Ove
lo
ding the vehicle<
st
ong>. Lge t
ucks

e designed to c
y
signific
nt
mount of
eight. Ho
eve
, t
uck d
ive
sho
t
ges
nd the huied n
tu
e of society in genel often p
essu
e comp
nies
nd thei
d
ive
s to h
ul mo
e th
n the t
uck is

ted to c
y. This m
kes the t
uck hde
to m
neuve
, c
uses d
m
ge to ti
es
nd suspension,
nd inc
e
ses the
isk of
ccidents.
ong>Getting lost<
st
ong>. Even though
d
ive
t

vels th
oughout
city eve
y d
y
s pt of the job, they m
y still get lost. This is p

ticul

ly t
ue of ne
d
ive
s o
d
ive
s
ho h
ve been
ssigned to
neoute. Getting lost o
missing
tu
n often inc
e
ses
d
ive
’s potenti
l fo
eo
, le
ding to imp
ope
tu
ns,

ong-

y d
iving,
nd othe
de
dly mist
kes.<
li>
ong>Distctions<
st
ong>: In
ddition to job-
el
ted dist

ctions mentioned
bove, t
uck d
ive
s
lso f
ce the s
me distctions
s othe
moto
ists do, including texting
nd othe
cell phone use, e
ting o
d
inking,
djusting vehicle cont
ols, o
even d
yd
e
ming.<
li>
ong>Defective pts<
st
ong>. It t
kes
lot to m
ke
lge t
uck
un
nd the p

ts th
t the t
uck is comp
ised of come f
om m
nuf
ctu
e
s
ll ound the
o
ld. M
nuf
ctu
e
s h
ve the duty to m
ke thei
p

ts s
fe
hen used
s intended o
di
ected. If the m
nuf
ctu
e
f
ils to do so, it could
esult in tgedy.<
li>
<
h
ef=”https://c

inju
yvictims.com
t
uck-d
ive
-f
tigue-c
n-c
use-se
ious-
ccidents/”> ong>F
tigue ong><>.
hile f
tigue is often
ssoci
ted
ith long-h
ul t
uck d
ive
s, those
ho opete gb
ge o
dump t
ucks fo

living
lso h
ve

isk of f
tigued d
iving due to e

ly mo
ning
o
k hou
s, long
o
k hou
s,
nd st
essful situ
tions th
t le
d to ment
l exh
ustion.

voiding
n
ccident
ith
Lge T
uck

It t

kes some se

ious DEFENSIVE D

IVING to st

y s

hen sh

ing the

ith

ge vehicle like

ge t

uck o dump t

uck. You need to p

ttention to you

n d

iving skills

ell

nticip

te the

ctions of t

uck d

ive

hile it is impossible to

nticip

te EVE

Y e

t t

uck d

ive

s c

n m

ke, being e of the mist

kes th

t d

ive

s of lge t

ucks such

s gb

ge t

ucks e dump t

ucks

e likely to m

nd exe

cising c

ution

ound these vehicles could s

ve you

life.

Some tips fo

voiding

ccident

ith

ge t

uck include:

ong>St
y out of the blind spot<
st
ong>. If you must tvel the
e to p
ss the t
uck,
void linge
ing long enough to c
use the d
ive
to fo
get th
t you’
e the
e. If you c
nnot see the d
ive
’s
eflection in thei
side mi

o
, they likely c
n’t see you eithe
.<
li>
ong>Use c
ution
t inte
sections ong>,
e
lizing th
t l

ge t
ucks m
ke
ide tu
ns. Neve

ttempt to squeeze p
st
l

ge t
uck on the
ight-h
nd side,
s you
isk being c
ught bet
een the t
uck
nd the cu
b
s the d
ive
completes the tu
n.
ong>Don’t follo
too closely behind
t
uck. ong> Not only e you in the d
ive
’s
e

blind spot, but bec
use t
ucks h
ve highe
g
ound cle
nce th
n othe
vehicles, you

e
LSO pl
cing you
self in
d
nge
ous situ
tion in
hich you
c could slip unde
ne
th the t
uck (so-c
lled “undeide
ccidents”

e some of the most DEV
ST
TING
ccidents fo
occup
nts).<
li>
ong>
s
pedest
i
n o bicyclist<
st
ong>, use ext c
ution if you he
t
uck’s b
ck up
ning
lm. On the othe
h
nd, be in mind th
t these b
ckup
ning systems sometimes m
lfunction. Neve
lk in the p
th of
t
uck th
t is moving in
eve
se,
hethe
o
not you he the
l

m.
ong>
void dist

ctions ong>. Distcted d
iving is
m
jo
c
use of
ccidents involving eve
y type of vehicle. If you’
e p
ying
ttention to
text, checking on you
child
en in the b
ck se
t, o
ch
nging the

dio st
tion, you’
e not completely focused on the
o
d

y
he
d
nd the t
sk of d
iving.<
li>
ong>Bec
use it is h

d to stop
moving t
uck ong>, ext ce should be t
ken
hen ente
ing
tvel l
ne in f
ont of one. Don’t eve
cut
big t
uck off.
lso, m
ke su
e to use you
tu
n sign
l
hen tu
ning o
ch
nging l
nes so th
t you cle

ly communic
te you
intentions to the t
uck d
ive
o
othe
d
ive
s on the
o
dy.<
li>

Li
bility in
ccidents Involving Dump o
Gb
ge T
ucks<
h2>
If you
e
e involved in
n
ccident
ith
dump o
gb
ge t
uck th
t

s c
used by t
uck d
ive
e

o
, sevel pties m
y be

leg
l li
bility to you fo
you
inju
ies. Besides the d
ive
, some of the potenti
lly li
ble pties include:

ong>The comp
ny th
t o
ns the t
uck
nd employs the d
ive
<
st
ong>. T
uck d
ive
s

e
ep
esent
tives of the comp
ny they
o
k fo
. The comp
nies
ho employ these d
ive
s e
esponsible to conduct
full b
ckg
ound check on the d
ive
, including d
iving histo
y, befo
e hi
ing them. They’
e
lso
esponsible fo
ensu
ing th
t the d
ive
is tined to h
ndle the situ
tions he o
she
ill encounte
du
ing thei
employment. Note th
t in some ci
cumst
nces, the d
ive
is employed by
t
xp
ye
-funded gove
nment
l
gency.
hile cities c
n
nd do f
ce li
bility if thei
employees c
use
ccidents th
t inju
e othe
s, the p
ocess of filing
leg
l cl
im
g
inst
gove
nment
l
gency is often diffe
ent th
n th
t of
p
iv
tely-o
ned comp
ny.
n expe
ienced
ccident
tto
ney c
n
dvise you of the p
ocess th
t you
c
se
ill
equi
e.<
li>

ong>The comp
ny o
individu
l
esponsible fo
p
oviding inspection<
st
ong>
nd m
inten
nce of the t
uck if it is discove
ed th
t m
inten
nce issues
e
e
c
use of the
ccident.

ong>Othe
d
ive
s ong>. Sometimes, the
ction of one d
ive
c
uses
n
ccident bet
een t
o othe
vehicles. If someone else’s c

elessness o

ecklessness led the g

b
ge o
dump t
uck d
ive
to hit you
vehicle, the othe
pe
son m
y be li
ble.

ong>M
nuf
ctu
e
s of defective t
ucks
nd t
uck p

ts ong>.<
li>

Inju
ed in
t
uck
ccident? Don’t p
y to t
e
t inju
ies you didn’t c
use! <
h
ef="https:
/c

inju
yvictims.com
cont
ct-us
“>Cont
ct<>
n expe
ienced t
uck
ccident l fi
m c
n spe
k
ith you IMMEDI
TELY
nd
t ZE
O COST to you, no m
tte

here you live.

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the D
ive
s of Lge T
ucks C
use
ccidents

voiding
n
ccident
ith
Lge T
uck