When a commercial truck enters a street or highway with a load that’s not properly secured it’s a potential disaster waiting to happen. Drivers and shippers have an obligation to safely secure their loads so they don’t pose a hazard to others. Philadelphia truck accident lawyer Rand Spear says carelessness can cost the lives of others.

When securing a load drivers and shippers need to be prepared for the unexpected. The cargo needs to be secure enough so that in case of an accident the cargo doesn’t make a bad situation worse. In two instances loose loads created havoc on highways.

You may think concrete road barriers, or Jersey barriers, must be so heavy it mustn’t take much to keep them in place on a truck. That opinion may have been shared by the driver of a flatbed truck hauling them in Florida in 2015. The barriers spilled from the trailer causing chain reaction accidents on an interstate highway in Broward County.

A collision occurred with the truck, killing one. That accident resulted in the barriers coming off the truck, which led to a second fatal accident. The two that were killed were a high school student and a medical school student, according to the Sun Sentinel. In May the truck driver was arrested and charged with two counts of vehicular homicide and one count of reckless driving causing serious bodily injury.

The accident happened in a construction zone. Police claim the truck impeded traffic because it covered four lanes of I-75. The truck was hit by a sedan with so much force the vehicles traveled about a quarter mile before they stopped, killing the driver. Another vehicle swerved to avoid the truck, hit the trailer and one of the barriers fell onto the car, killing that driver. After these accidents barriers were scattered over the highway. A third accident was caused when a barrier was struck by a third car.

The unsecured load of one tractor-trailer, which hit another tractor-trailer, ended up seriously injuring the driver of a Toyota on Route 17 in Paramus, New Jersey, in February, according to WNBC. The driver of the first tractor trailer said his brakes locked while he was slowing down in the center lane because of traffic ahead. The truck came to a stop, the driver put on hazard lights and called for help.

Another tractor-trailer carrying steel beams weighing about 2,500 pounds each was traveling in the center lane and tried to avoid the truck but struck the back of the trailer. The steel beams came loose and spilled all over the northbound lanes. One of them went across the highway divider and struck the Toyota which was travelling in the opposite direction, demolishing the car and seriously injuring the driver.

Hazardous objects coming off commercial vehicles need not be as massive as Jersey barriers or steel beams to be dangerous. Often drivers will swerve to avoid much smaller objects falling off trucks, causing accidents and injuries.

Have you been injured in an accident because of an unsecured load on a commercial truck? If so, don’t wait to speak to a personal injury lawyer about your case. Protect your rights by visiting us on the web or by calling New Jersey and Philadelphia truck accident lawyer Rand Spear now at 877-GET-RAND.