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Rollover Truck Accidents

Montana’s productive industries require large commercial vehicles weighing up to 80,000 pounds to share the road with much smaller vehicles. As necessary as trucks are to the nation’s infrastructure and Montana’s productivity, they also cause devastating crashes. Some of the most catastrophic truck accidents in Montana are truck rollovers. Rollover accidents sometimes block multiple lanes of traffic in an instant, resulting in multi-vehicle crashes. They can also affect the local community when rollovers cause chemical spills.

What Causes Rollover Truck Accidents In Montana?

A truck’s cab is much taller than a standard family vehicle and has substantially larger tires. Unfortunately, the limited width of traffic lanes makes it impossible for commercial truck manufacturers to widen a truck’s wheel base enough to properly balance the added height. This inherent design factor makes trucks top-heavy, unstable, and more prone to tipping and rolling than average vehicles. The most common causes of truck rollovers in Montana and elsewhere include the following:

  • Speeding or driving too fast for road conditions
  • Speeding around curves
  • Abruptly steering around obstacles
  • Overcorrecting (jerking the steering wheel)
  • Improper braking
  • Uneven lanes
  • Driving too close to a road shoulder with a steep incline or sharp drop-off
  • Sudden shifts of improperly secured cargo
  • Tire blowouts
  • Impaired driving
  • Distracted driving

Trucking companies and truck drivers have a legal obligation to follow Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations, local speed limits, and trucking laws to minimize the risk of serious accidents, including truck rollover crashes.

Injuries In Rollover Truck Accidents

According to the National Safety Council (NSC), over 70% of truck accident injuries and fatalities occur to those in other vehicles, not the truck driver. Common injuries reported in rollover crashes involving other motorists include the following:

Rollover accidents often result in catastrophic injuries, severe trauma, or even fatalities. If you lost a loved one due to a fatal rollover truck accident, contact a wrongful death lawyer in Bozeman, MT today.

Liability In Montana Truck Rollover Accidents

Montana is a fault-based accident state with a modified comparative negligence system. Under this law, an injury victim who seeks compensation for accident-related damages, like property damage to their vehicle, medical expenses, lost wages, pain, and suffering, must file a claim against the at-fault party. The claimant bears the burden of proving that the other party’s negligence caused the accident through carelessness, recklessness, or wrongdoing, making them legally liable for truck damages. This becomes complex in truck accident claims because multiple entities are involved in trucking. Depending on the results of the investigation, one or more of the following parties could be liable for rollover truck accident damages:

  • The truck driver, if they are an independent contractor
  • The trucking company
  • A negligent truck maintenance company
  • A negligent freight loading company
  • The manufacturer of defective tires or equipment
  • A negligent road planning or road maintenance agency
  • A third-party driver

A successful claim requires an independent investigation and compelling evidence of liability. 

How Can a Montana Rollover Truck Accident Attorney Help?

Large trucking companies and their powerful insurance companies are not on the injury victim’s side in an accident claim. Their goals to protect company profits directly conflict with your objective to obtain the full compensation you deserve for your losses. Instead of leaving your case in their hands, you deserve experienced legal representation to prioritize your best interests. Call or contact Beck, Amsden & Stalpes PLLC for a free consultation to learn more about your rights.