If you or a loved one were injured in a garbage truck accident, you may be entitled to financial compensation. Read on and give our firm a call today to speak with our skilled St. Petersburg motor vehicle accident attorneys today.
What are the different types of garbage trucks?
Not only are garbage trucks large and heavy, but they also contain many moving parts and typically carry dangerous materials. There are also different types of garbage trucks that range in size, weight capacity, equipment, and function. Even at low speeds, a garbage truck could severely injure a person. There are four main kinds of garbage trucks that are used to gather trash across the United States, including:
- Front-loader trucks: This kind of truck has a hydraulically owned forklift on the front of the vehicle that lifts and dumps the contents of the dumpster into the hopper. It is then compressed into the rear of the truck
- Rear-loader trucks: This type of truck has a large space at the back of the truck. The garbage collector can hang off the back of the truck to easily jump off to gather, refuse, and empty the contents of receptacles into the back
- Side-loader trucks: This type of truck can be packed either manually or with the use of an automatic robotic arm. The robotic arm picks up trash from the side of the vehicle and empties the contents into the truck
- Roll-off garbage trucks: This kind of truck carries a roll-off container, which can be dropped off, loaded, and then picked up to empty the contents at a landfill or recycling center. Roll-off garbage trucks are primarily used for large-scale commercial waste removals including construction and demolition sites.
How can a garbage truck accident occur?
There are a number of different ways that garbage truck accidents can happen. The drivers operating heavy machinery are often within close proximity to other vehicles and pedestrians. Because of the truck’s large size, it may have several blind spots that could impede the driver’s view. This may result in colliding with another vehicle, cyclist, or pedestrian. This can be particularly dangerous when handling the truck on narrow and densely occupied streets.
In some cases, speed is not the cause of these accidents. Some of the most common include:
- Driving while speeding
- Dumping waste that hits another vehicle or person
- Distracted driving
- Driving while fatigued
- Falling objects from the truck
- Failure to check blind spots
- Driving in the wrong lane
- Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
- Failure to follow traffic rules or signals
- Failure to yield the right-of-way
- Inadequate vehicle maintenance
- Hazardous waste spill
- Rear-end collision
- Lack of training
Contact our experienced St. Petersburg firm
If you or someone you know was injured in an accident and wishes to schedule a consultation, please do not hesitate to contact the Youngblood Law Firm today.