Rollover Truck Accidents in Murfreesboro

When a loaded tractor-trailer tips onto its side, nearby motorists can suffer serious injuries. Rollover truck accidents in Murfreesboro often occur because a trailer carries weight high above the road. This raises the trailer’s center of gravity, making it less stable than a passenger car.

After a rollover, you may need help identifying whether the carrier or the loading company created the danger before the truck ever entered a curve. A skilled truck wreck attorney from our firm can help preserve the evidence and establish who violated federal cargo rules. Ponce Law has represented injured people for decades and pursues trucking claims aggressively.

Why Do Loaded Trucks Roll Over?

A rollover truck crash can happen when a driver takes a curve or ramp too fast for the load. A car may stay upright in the same turn because its weight sits lower, while a loaded trailer leans farther because speed and turning forces push the load outward.

Cargo movement makes that problem worse. Freight that shifts during a turn transfers substantial weight to one side. Liquid tankers present a similar risk because the load can slosh inside the tank and shove against the trailer. Poorly loaded and distributed weight can make the trailer unstable before it departs.

When handling a case involving an overturned semi-truck, Ponce Law can look up the Murfreesboro crash on RoadProof and download camera footage from the state’s Department of Transportation. Video can capture the truck’s speed and its lean as it enters a curve or a ramp.

Federal Cargo Securement Rules Can Affect Fault

Federal cargo securement rules that govern commercial vehicle rollover wrecks in Murfreesboro cover more than cargo falling onto the roadway. Under these rules, workers must load and equip a commercial vehicle so its cargo cannot escape, shift, or otherwise affect the truck’s stability or maneuverability.

This stability requirement is intended to prevent freight from sliding to one side during a turn and tipping the trailer over. During an investigation, evidence often shows that securement or weight-placement failures existed before the truck left the loading dock.

Because this regulation binds the motor carrier, responsibility is not limited to the driver. Drivers often take a trailer after a company loads it, so an investigation can reveal that the carrier or freight loader may also be liable.

The 50-Mile Cargo Inspection Rule

A commercial truck can tip over and cause a collision in Murfreesboro if the driver failed to check the cargo after beginning the trip.  Federal rules require the proper distribution and adequate securement of cargo before a driver can operate the semitruck, or before a carrier can require or allow a driver to begin driving.

The driver must confirm the load and the fastenings are secure before they depart. Within the first 50 miles, the driver must recheck the cargo and securing devices. They must also add restraints if the load needs them. Later reexaminations give them another chance to correct a securement problem.

The 50-mile checkpoint can become important evidence. If carrier records show no required inspection or reveal a securement problem that the driver should have corrected, you can file a claim against the carrier as well as the driver.

Call Us After an Overturned Truck Crash in Murfreesboro

An investigation into an overturned semitruck should examine whether workers loaded the trailer correctly to keep the cargo stable during turns. In rollover truck accidents in Murfreesboro, those facts can show which party violated federal cargo securement rules.

At Ponce Law, a long-standing local firm, our attorneys move quickly to protect evidence. Among law firms in Middle Tennessee, only ours has been honored with the Better Business Bureau Torch Award for ethical commerce. Reach out today to schedule your free consultation.