One Woman Killed in Log Truck Accident in Opelika, Alabama

Opelika, Alabama –  A pickup truck was traveling south on Marvyn Parkway, approaching the railroad overpass, when a truck transporting logs struck the railroad overpass, causing the logs to dislodge from the trailer and to fall on the pickup truck.

The driver of the pickup truck, Miriam Atteberry, was killed on impact.

No further details have been provided.

Thoughts on Unsecured Cargo Crashes

The Federal Motor Safety Carrier Association (FMSCA) has strict guidelines on how trucks should secure their loads. Cargo that can easily roll has to be secured and held in place by chocks, wedges, cradles, tie-downs, and other means that will not come unfastened or loose while the vehicle is in transit.

Did this truck have any of these structures to help keep the logs from falling loose? Who helped secure the load onto the truck? Were inspections made to ensure the transport was within guidelines? Shipping companies also have a duty to load the vehicle properly. What actions did they take to ensure this did not happen?

Motorists deserve to travel to their destinations with peace of mind knowing that these rules are being followed.  That did not happen here. A woman lost her life due to someone’s failure to properly secure a load before transport. The driver, the motor carrier, and the shipping company may all be partially responsible for this crash.

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The Ammons Law Firm represents clients nationwide in catastrophic injury and wrongful death litigation, with extensive experience in complex auto/tire defect and commercial vehicle cases.

Disclaimer: This post is not legal advice. Information contained in this blog was compiled from third-party sources or is the opinion of the author. Please inform us immediately if false or misleading information is contained in this post.