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Concrete / Cement Truck Accidents

Cement Truck Accidents

Ready mix concrete or cement delivery mixer trucks serve an important role in construction. Without them, it would be vastly more difficult and expensive to build all manner of concrete structures, roads and sidewalks.

When concrete mixer trucks are involved in catastrophic accidents on the roads, however, it is important to understand their unique handling characteristics that present special safety hazards.

Aside from the size, configuration and mechanical operation of the mixer drum and delivery chute, the greatest difference between a concrete mixer truck and other large commercial trucks is the high and constantly shifting center of gravity. With many tons of fluid concrete constantly rotating in the high-mounted mixer drum, the handling characteristics of a concrete mixer truck present unique challenges for drivers.

The National Ready Mix Concrete Association does a superb job of providing both written and video training materials on all aspects of concrete truck operations. Unfortunately, too many concrete companies fail to use those training materials with their drivers.

A point that is clearly covered in training materials, and which has come as a surprise to concrete truck drivers in our cases, is that a concrete mixer truck with a loaded and rotating mixer drum will begin to tip over when it makes a ninety degree turn at just 12 miles per hour. And when making such a turn at 16 miles per hour, the truck will roll over. If a family vehicle is sitting at a red light in the intersection at just the wrong place, the concrete truck will roll over on top of that family vehicle.

And if the contents of the concrete truck spill onto innocent bystanders, they may get serious chemical burns due to the chemical makeup of the concrete that is not known to most people who do not work with it on a regular basis.

Such concrete truck crashes are entirely preventable if the companies just use training materials that are readily available to them in their industry. However, in cases we have handled involving concrete companies in Georgia and neighboring states, we have yet to find one that bothered to provide such basic truck driver training.

Client Reviews
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"My family hired Ken after our parents were killed in a trucking accident in GA in 2013. We worked with Ken for 19 months before our case settled. During this time I thought Ken was outstanding. He was accessible to us at all times and maintained consistent communication. He was patient with us and took time to explain the finer points of law. While we avoided going to trial, he prepared diligently and I felt like he was leaving nothing to chance. I am relieved that our case is complete and I will miss working with Ken. He was very thoughtful and caring while helping us to stay relaxed. I would highly recommend him to anyone who requires these types of services." David U., Client, Vermont
★★★★★
"When tragedy struck our family in the form of the wrongful death of our son and caused me physical injuries and changed our lives forever, we dragged our feet about hiring a lawyer. I didn't want to face having to go through the stress. Big mistake. The first thing you do is hire local counsel. I found Mr. Shigley by surfing the web, and we got a listening ear. He was realistic, professional and worked very hard in our behalf. Not only that, he showed a genuine concern for our family, and ran interference for us on a number of issues relative to our case. If I had it to do over again, I would have hired him sooner." Carolyn R., Newnan, GA
★★★★★
"After my parents were killed in a tractor truck accident on December 2013, he fought hard against the insurance companies to help my brother, sister, and I. He was honest and always available to answer any questions I had. Ken went out of his way to meet with my brother and I while on vacation in New England. He was awesome in explaining everything to us in detail and looked out for us with every step of the lawsuit. I would highly recommend him." Joan M., Client, Massachusetts
★★★★★
"I first met Ken when I watched him try a very difficult case involving catastrophic injuries. He was an incredibly effective advocate and was able to obtain justice for his client. I have since come to know him as one of the state's leading trial lawyers, particularly in trucking cases, which involves complex regulatory and legal issues not involved in other types of cases. I do not hesitate to recommend Ken for any kind of personal injury case." John H., Attorney, Atlanta
★★★★★
"Ken Shigley is an excellent trial lawyer in the area of commercial trucking. He knows the specialized rules for handling truck wreck cases for the victims and their families when tractor-trailers leave a devastating loss, catastrophic injuries and deaths. He is an advocate who understands the impact on his clients and is highly effective in bringing them justice." Myles E., Attorney, Atlanta