Florida Personal Injury Blog
What do I do after an accident that involves a U-Haul truck?
In Miami, Jonathan Perazzo and his personal injury staff of motor vehicle accident attorneys recommend U-Haul drivers, passengers, and all third party accident victims to treat the U-Haul truck accident just like any other traffic accident. However, not all U-Haul truck accidents occur while driving a U-Haul truck.
Most people associate U-Haul truck accidents with traffic collisions. However, many accidents involving U-Haul trucks occur while a U-Haul truck is being loaded or when a trailer is being hitched. Moving with a U-Haul truck is very convenient and there’s no doubting that. However, knowing how to load and secure cargo can require proper instruction in order to prevent accidents and injuries from occurring.
In this article, the Perazzo Law Firm shares insight into dealing with accidents that result in personal injury and losses from U-Haul truck rental incidents, some of which do not necessarily involve driving.
Common Injuries while loading a U-Haul truck
Loading and unloading furniture such as tables, chairs, appliances, paintings, and many other oddly shaped and awkward to carry objects, may cause inadvertent accidents to take place. But how is that U-Haul’s fault? It’s not, but U-Haul provides its customer the option of renting items such as hand trucks, dollies, and trailer hitches. Upon offering these moving items to its customers, U-Haul assumes to legal obligation to guarantee that these items are safe to use and pose no threat of injury to customers.
Hooks, latches, straps, ramps, more…
Unlike the trunk of your car, a U-Haul truck must be latched and secured before taking to the road. Sometimes these latches or hooks may not be secured properly or function correctly. A low hanging hook or loose latch can cause injury to U-Haul customers, especially if there is negligence in warning customers about possible injuries. Hand trucks and dollies must be intact and their wheels well oiled for proper use by customers. A loose hand truck wheel or wobble dolly can result in a loss of balance that can lead to property damage or personal injury. Everything that U-Haul rents to its customers, must be regularly inspected and safe for use during a move.
Common Injuries
- Slips, trips, falls
- Cuts and lacerations
- Bumps and contusions
- Fractures and breaks
- Spinal disc herniations
- Other…
In the event of suffering bodily harm or injury, take photographs of the injury, where it took place, and the truck features that caused the accident. This can include latches, overhanging hooks, rusty bolts or hitch parts, etc.. Always treat injuries at a professional medical facility and keep all medical records and bills. Contact the U-Haul operator and report the injury. Contact the Perazzo Law Firm and talk to one of our personal injury lawyers for sound advice on how to proceed with a possible insurance claim for compensation to cover injuries and losses from the U-Haul truck related accident.
If you feel poor maintenance or negligence on behalf of U-Haul Truck rental operator resulted in bodily harm, damages, or losses to you, a friend or relative, contact Jonathan Perazzo at the Perazzo Law Firm’s Miami-Dade offices NOW for a FREE initial consultation.
Traffic accidents involving U-Haul trucks
The size and dimensions of U-Haul trucks make driving them more challenging than normal cars or light trucks. Furthermore, a loaded and oversized vehicle on narrow city streets can be difficult to maneuver for drivers unaccustomed to driving trucks. Many U-Haul truck accidents occur when turning or changing lanes in traffic. Also, many U-Haul accidents involve backing up or pulling out of driveways as visibility when operating a U-Haul truck is a major factor and one of the many reasons why U-Haul accidents happen. Poor implementation of rearview mirror use is also a cause for accidents. Sometimes U-Haul truck drivers fail to adjust rearview mirrors and can’t use them when turning or changing lanes in traffic. The Perazzo Law Firm recommends that U-Haul truck operators drive slowly, carefully, and always use the vehicle’s rearview and side mirrors at all times.
Contact the Perazzo Law Firm ONLINE for a FREE initial consultation and ZERO OUT-OF-POCKET FEES to clients.
THE PERAZZO LAW FIRM – DEDICATED TO PUTTING YOUR INTERESTS FIRST!
OFFICES IN MIAMI-DADE
(786) LAWS-411