Rental Moving Truck Accidents in Tennessee

Rental truck accidents can result in severe debilitating injuries and fatalities when the vehicles are not properly maintained or they are entrusted to inexperienced and unqualified drivers.  If you have additional questions about rental trailer and moving truck accidents after reviewing this blog, we invite you to contact us to schedule a free consultation with one of our experienced attorneys.

Rental Trailer Sway Accidents

Most people that rent trailers are college students, self-movers and others with little or no experience towing a trailer.  Many trailer rental companies permit fully loaded trailers to exceed the weight of the towing vehicle by 25 percent or more.  This can lead to extremely dangerous situations especially when traveling downhill on inclines.  The trailer can swing back and forth while gathering speed and force until the force of the trailer overpowers the towing vehicle.

When the trailer begins to sway from side to side, many drivers are unprepared and lack the skill and expertise to maintain control of the vehicle.  According to vehicle safety experts, the process of recovering control of a passenger vehicle-trailer combination when this occurs involves a substantial degree of experience and ability that most drivers lack.

These accidents are more common than many people realize according to an article published by the Los Angeles Times.  The article reported on a number of lawsuits that presented data aggregating crashes caused by sway accidents involving a tow dolly or trailer.  One lawsuit reported over 1,170 such trailer tow accidents during a 3.5 year period whereas another lawsuit reported 650 such accidents during a 12 year period exclusively involving tow dollies (i.e. two-wheeled trailers).

Although it is generally unsafe to tow a trailer with a passenger car, some rental truck agencies do not prohibit customers from using small lighter vehicles to tow trailers.  The greater the weight of the trailer when compared to the passenger care the greater the risk of a dangerous trailer sway collision on Tennessee roadways.  However, towing trailers and equipment dollies also can be dangerous when pulled by an SUV or pickup because the vehicles have a high center of gravity.  When a trailer sways or a collision occurs, this high center of gravity increases the risk of a rollover accident.

Trailer Detachment Accidents

When trailer hitches are defectively manufactured, poorly maintained or improperly installed, the trailer can separate from the tow vehicle resulting in the trailer traveling out of control or rolling over.  While trailer rental companies are expected to inspect equipment to ensure it is functioning correctly and instruct customers in properly securing the trailer to the tow vehicle, failure to comply with these responsibilities can lead to catastrophic injuries and wrongful death when towing cargo along Tennessee area freeways.

When you suffer injuries in a collision involving a rented truck, cargo trailer or tow dolly, you may suffer permanent debilitating injuries, such as closed or open head injuries, spinal cord damage, back and neck disc injuries, amputation of limbs, third-degree burns, potentially fatal internal organ damage, fractures or broken bones and other serious injuries or wrongful death.  Our Tennessee attorneys seek the fullest spectrum of damages to help our clients rebuild from these types of devastating injuries, which may include:

• Lost compensation from employment
• Medical care, surgery, emergency room treatment and other treatment related expenses
• Property damage loss
• Pain and suffering
• Adverse impact on one’s marriage and quality of life
• Burial and funeral expenses
• Emotional distress
• Punitive damages

While not every case will justify all of these forms of compensation, our experienced truck accident lawyers provide a free consultation so that we can evaluate your legal claim and advise you regarding your rights and the possible value of your legal claim.  Depending on the specific circumstances of your case, you may have a legal claim against the driver of the rental truck; the rental truck agency; a public entity for an unsafe road; or even the manufacturer of the rental trailer, truck or tow dolly.

If you are involved in a collision involving a rented truck or trailer, you may have a right to monetary recovery.  The experienced Tennessee truck accident attorneys at Bailey & Greer, PLLC offer caring and compassionate assistance to accident victims and their families. To learn more, call us at 901-680-9777 to schedule a time to discuss your case.  At Bailey & Greer, PLLC, we are small enough to care, big enough to fight, and experienced enough to win.