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Garbage Truck Accidents

Garbage Truck Accidents Attorney Serving Nashville, TN

Garbage trucks and the workers who use them every day—including drivers and sanitation workers—provide a valuable service to communities throughout Middle Tennessee. In fact, most resident and business owners in the area depend on the pickup services they provide on a weekly or bi-weekly basis.

Although they contribute to making cities throughout the mid-state area clean and sanitary for residents, garbage trucks can also pose serious dangers to drivers on the road. Garbage trucks weigh several times more than even the largest standard passenger vehicles—and that significant weight difference means they can be extremely dangerous during accidents.

Why Do Garbage Truck Accidents Occur?

Garbage truck accidents happen for a variety of reasons, but our Nashville truck accident attorneys know that some causes are more common than others. Some of the most prevalent factors we see in our practice that contribute to garbage truck accidents include:

Poor visibility for drivers

Garbage trucks are designed for one purpose: to retrieve and haul away large amounts of waste materials from people’s homes and businesses. In order to be as effective as they are at accomplishing that task quickly and easily, garbage trucks sacrifice some degree of visibility for drivers. Garbage truck drivers may have difficulty seeing people or objects directly in front of them due to the raised position of the cabin, and their mirrors may not fully reflect people or objects at their sides or rears. In order to compensate for their limited visibility, drivers should make sure their mirrors are properly adjusted and be extremely cautious before backing up or maneuvering in tight spaces

Erratic and dangerous driving behaviors

Safely driving a garbage truck require strict adherence to traffic laws and company or city regulations. Because of their weight and size, garbage trucks can easily become difficult to control if drivers speed or take turns too sharply. As a rule of thumb, garbage truck drivers should always err on the side of extreme caution in order to protect themselves and other drivers on the roadways through Middle Tennessee

Improper loading procedures

Garbage trucks can carry thousands of pounds of waste materials at any given time. While those materials are generally well-secured inside the truck, improper or negligent loading procedures can make those materials susceptible to becoming loose and falling out of the truck. When a large piece of debris becomes loose in a garbage truck, it can cause an accident by either directly impacting a vehicle or by causing drivers to swerve out of the way to avoid, losing control of their vehicles in the process

Negligent maintenance

All vehicles require regular maintenance in order to remain safe to drive. Components like brakes, tires, lights, and even critical engine parts will eventually fail and should be repaired or replaced on a frequent basis. The same is true for garbage trucks, and it’s up to the company or party using the truck to schedule regular maintenance to avoid serious accidents due to parts failing while the truck is in motion.

Need an Advocate after Your Accident? Contact Matt Hardin Law

At Matt Hardin Law, we know that every car, truck, or industrial vehicle accident has the potential to change victims’ lives forever. But we also know that helping victims get compensation for their accident-related expenses requires handling each accident as a unique event with unique circumstances.

When you contact our Nashville garbage truck accident lawyers, we’ll investigate every aspect of the accident in order to find out what happened. Then, we’ll collect and analyze evidence to help prove the driver or company’s negligence that caused the accident in the first place.

It’s our goal to give you and your family the personalized and dedicated legal attention and representation you deserve. To speak with our legal team, dial complete our free and easy online form today.

Client Review

“I'm super pleased with Matt and his whole team. I was hesitant to contact a lawyer after my accident, but I'm so glad I did!”

William