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Concrete Mixer Truck Accidents
Concrete mixer trucks are highly specialized commercial trucks that require special training beyond the basic Commercial Driver’s License training course.
What is the big difference between concrete / cement mixer trucks and other big trucks?
In a loaded concrete mixer truck the center of gravity is high and constantly shifting. It is well known in the industry, and covered in training videos and Power Point presentations, that a loaded cement mixer truck will tip up on two wheels when making a ninety degree turn on level pavement at 12 miles per hour, and will roll over at 16 miles per hour.
What is the industry standard for safe operations of concrete / cement mixer trucks?
The National Ready Mixed Concrete Association provides a terrific package of driver training videos in DVD, PowerPoint and online video formats, the opportunity to earn the Concrete Delivery Professional Certification (CDP) Online Certification Program, a national competition for safe concrete mixer drivers, and a three-day safety course for supervisors. Unfortunately, too many cement companies do not bother to provide the extra training beyond showing new drivers how to operate the mixer controls.
What is an example of an accident with a concrete / cement mixer truck due to its different handling characteristics?
A partner at Johnson & Ward represented a family in a case in which concrete mixer truck in Georgia rolled over when making a turn in a level intersection, landing on a family vehicle and causing a head injury to a one-year-old in his child seat in the back. The cement truck driver had just obtained his basic Commercial Drivers License a couple of months earlier, and his training on cement mixer truck driving consisted of showing him how to work the mixer controls. At his deposition, the truck driver viewed for the first time the standard industry training video. He swore that he had never been trained on any of that, and if he had been trained the accident and injury would not have occurred.
If you or a loved one are seriously injured in an accident with a concrete mixer truck, call us at (404)253-7862 or submit our contact form.