This week there have been two news bulletins about cement truck rollover which, fortunately, did not cause any serious injuries. It could be a lot worse.
I learned through one recent case that standard concrete industry truck driver training materials emphasize how handling characteristics of such vehicles differ from other trucks. With the high center of gravity and rotating load, concrete mixer trucks can easily roll over. Industry training materials illustrate how a mixer truck will roll over at 16 mph in making a ninety degree turn on a level surface.
In a recent case, a concrete mixer truck rolled over onto a vehicle, cracking the skull of a baby his in infant seat. The truck driver admitted he was going about 25 mph when he made the turn, that he had never been trained to know the speed at which a concrete mixer truck would roll over, and would never have taken a turn as fast as 16 mph if he had known. That case, which included a claim against the concrete company for negligent training and supervision, settled.
Ken Shigley is an Atlanta, Georgia, trucking trial lawyer. Currently he is Secretary of the 40,000 member State Bar of Georgia.