Ohio Auto Negligence Lawyer
investigating trucking negligence claims
Commercial trucks travel Ohio highways daily, transporting goods that fuel the state’s economy. Federal and state regulations establish strict weight limitations designed to protect infrastructure and ensure public safety. When trucking companies ignore these standards and overload their vehicles, they transform routine cargo transport into deadly hazards. Excess weight compromises braking ability, destabilizes vehicle handling, and increases collision severity, leaving victims with life-altering injuries.
Almost 4,000 people died in large truck crashes last year, representing a 27 percent increase in road deaths from the last decade. There are a number of factors that contribute to unsafe road conditions, including the negligence of truckers and commercial truck companies and their failure to monitor driver fatigue, tire conditions and overloaded trucks. All of the above can increase the risk of accident, injuries and deaths for American motorists.
When truck accidents do occur, most deaths that result are passenger vehicle occupants, primarily because of their vulnerability in a smaller vehicle. Trucks often weigh 20 to 30 times as much as passenger vehicles. When trucks are overloaded, a semi’s braking ability is compromised.
Even legally loaded tractor-trailers require up to 40 percent more distance to stop than cars, and even longer with poorly maintained brakes or extremely heavy loads. The stopping distance increases with every pound added. Overloading raises the possibility of brake failure.
It is estimated that overloaded trucks account for around 5 percent of the truck accidents on the nation’s roads and highways. When trucks are overloaded with too much cargo, the likelihood of tire failure, rollovers and other deadly accidents increases.
About one in ten deaths on the nation’s highways is the result of a crash involving a large truck, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s Highway Loss Data Institute.
Joe Lyon is a highly-rated Cincinnati, Ohio personal injury attorney, experienced in investigating and settling overloaded trucks and traffic accident claims nationwide. To learn more about overloaded truck accidents & legal claims, call 800.513.2403.
Why Do Truckers Overload Commercial Vehicles?
Federal and state transportation departments have clear weight limits for commercial vehicles, however, truck drivers may be paid by the size of the loads they deliver.
Also, trucking companies can maximize profits when they maximize truck loads on each delivery. For these reasons, trucks often push weight limits and even exceed the legal weight limits, endangering everyone on the road.
The Ohio Revised Code and the Ohio Administrative Code are the authorities on the maximum allowable weights on roadway and bridges within Ohio. The Hauling Permit Operational Guide, published by the Ohio Department of Transportation, lists the following guidelines for truck weight limits:
- Single Axle maximum weight: 29,000 pounds
- Short Tandem maximum weight: 36,000 pounds
- Long Tandem maximum weight: 50,000 pounds
- Short Tri Axle maximum weight: 47,000 pounds
- Short Quad Axle or Long Tri Axle maximum weight: 60,000 pounds
- Long Quad Axle maximum weight: 80,000 pounds
Weight Restrictions and Why They Matter
Federal law limits commercial vehicle weights to 80,000 pounds on interstate highways, with individual axle restrictions preventing disproportionate load distribution. Ohio enforces these federal standards while adding state-specific regulations for various road classifications. Weigh stations positioned strategically throughout the state monitor compliance, though many overloaded trucks bypass these checkpoints through alternate routes.
These limitations exist for critical safety reasons. Excessive cargo weight extends stopping distances dramatically—an overloaded semi-truck traveling at highway speeds may require hundreds of additional feet to halt compared to properly loaded vehicles. This difference proves fatal when unexpected traffic slowdowns or obstacles appear suddenly.
Weight distribution affects vehicle stability during turns and lane changes. Improperly balanced loads shift cargo center of gravity, causing rollovers even at moderate speeds. Tire blowouts occur more frequently under excessive strain, sending trucks careening across multiple lanes. Brake systems designed for maximum legal weights overheat and fail when forced to manage heavier loads repeatedly.
Infrastructure damage represents another serious concern. Bridges engineered to withstand specific weight thresholds deteriorate rapidly under excessive strain. Pavement cracking and pothole formation accelerate when overweight vehicles traverse roadways constantly. These degraded conditions create hazards for all motorists, not just those sharing the road with overloaded trucks.
ABOUT THE LYON FIRM
Joseph Lyon has 17 years of experience representing individuals in complex litigation matters. He has represented individuals in every state against many of the largest companies in the world.
The Firm focuses on single-event civil cases and class actions involving corporate neglect & fraud, toxic exposure, product defects & recalls, medical malpractice, and invasion of privacy.
NO COST UNLESS WE WIN
The Firm offers contingency fees, advancing all costs of the litigation, and accepting the full financial risk, allowing our clients full access to the legal system while reducing the financial stress while they focus on their healthcare and financial needs.
Common Causes of Overloading
Economic pressures drive many overloading decisions. Trucking companies operating on thin profit margins maximize revenue by transporting more cargo per trip, reducing fuel costs and driver wages relative to goods delivered. Tight delivery schedules incentivize loading beyond legal limits to complete routes faster. Some shippers deliberately misrepresent cargo weights, leaving carriers unaware of violations until weigh station inspections reveal problems.
Inadequate oversight contributes to widespread violations. Smaller trucking operations may lack sophisticated weighing equipment or trained personnel to verify loads accurately. Drivers facing pressure to maintain employment sometimes ignore obvious overloading rather than refusing shipments. Cargo loading facilities occasionally lack scales entirely, forcing drivers to estimate weights based on visual assessment or shipper representations.
Seasonal agricultural transport presents particular challenges. Harvest periods generate enormous quantities of produce requiring immediate transportation before spoilage occurs. The urgency creates temptations to exceed weight limits, particularly in rural areas with limited enforcement presence.
Watch our Video About Subrogation in Auto Accidents
Tens of thousands of drivers and passengers are injured in large commercial truck crashes every year. U.S. truck drivers suffer a disproportionate number of injuries in motor vehicle crashes, and the number of deaths and injuries of innocent motorists in these accidents is five times larger. Common truck accident injuries include:
- Orthopedic Injuries
- Rollover Injuries
- Amputation
- Severe whiplash injuries
- Burn Injuries
- Spinal Cord Injuries
- Traumatic Brain Injuries
