Knoxville Garbage Truck Lawyers

35 years of strong advocacy for truck accident victims in Tennessee

Homes, commercial businesses, and industries in Knoxville rely on garbage services to keep their properties and communities sanitary. The garbage truck companies and drivers that provide waste removal services have a duty to ensure that the trucks that keep our neighborhoods clean drive safely.

At Banks & Jones, we have 35 years of experience fighting for injured drivers, passengers, pedestrians, and bicycle riders when trucks cause accidents. Our Knoxville garbage truck lawyers understand who is responsible and why they are responsible. We demand compensation for all your financial damages (including medical bills and lost income) and personal injuries (including pain and suffering). Call us today to assert your right to compensation.

How can we help?

How do garbage trucks operate in Knoxville?

Knoxville has a variety of garbage services. These services include garbage, recycling, bulk items, solid waste, hazardous waste, and commercial services. Garbage trucks normally use hydraulic lifts to load these items into the trucks. The garbage is then compacted to help fit more garbage. Once the garbage truck is loaded, drivers take the garbage to local landfills or recycling centers.

Generally, local private garbage companies employ drivers to pick up and remove the garbage from their customers. The City of Knoxville normally enters into contracts with these private companies that include specific times and conditions for leaving trash items for pickup.

According to All Garbage Disposal, there are different types of garbage trucks:

  • Long-haul garbage trucks. These trucks transport garbage from cities to landfills and recycling centers. Empty, they average about 33,000 pounds. Fully loaded, they can weigh up to 80,000 pounds.
  • Front-loading garbage trucks. These trucks are generally useful for commercial and industrial garbage collection. Empty, they weigh about 15,800 pounds. Fully loaded, they can weigh up to 37,800 lbs.
  • Rear-loading garbage trucks. These garbage trucks normally service residential neighborhoods. They can weigh from 25,000 pounds when empty to up to 50,000 pounds when they have a full load.

By comparison, the average pickup truck weighs about 6,000 pounds (three tons). The average dump truck weighs about 26,000 pounds when empty and up to 66,000 pounds when carrying a full load.

Why do garbage trucks cause serious accidents?

At Banks & Jones, our lawyers understand why garbage truck accidents happen. Our Knoxville garbage truck accident lawyers investigate the cause of the accident and explain to insurance companies and juries why your accident was preventable.

Garbage truck accidents are generally due to drivers who fail to follow the rules of the road and trucking companies that fail to inspect their trucks and monitor their drivers.

Common causes of garbage truck accidents in Knoxville include the following:

  • Garbage trucks are hard to drive due to their weight (described above), length, height, and width. Many trucks take up a full lane. Their blind spots make it hard for garbage truck drivers to see, which makes passing and turning difficult. Their size also makes it harder for any vehicles near the garbage truck to see around the truck.
  • Impact. The size and weight of garbage trucks mean that the occupants of other vehicles, pedestrians, and bicycle riders who collide with a garbage truck will likely suffer serious injuries or fatalities.
  • Control. The huge size and weight of garbage trucks make them difficult to control. Drivers often have problems adjusting to traffic emergencies. Taking turns and driving fast can be extremely difficult.
  • Residential communities. Parking garbage trucks in residential neighborhoods where there are many cars around can be very challenging. Drivers of waste disposal trucks need to communicate with other drivers who are trying to pass while being on the lookout for children, pedestrians, and bicycle riders.
  • Repair and maintenance. Trucks with defective parts or trucks that need repairs should be taken off the road until the proper repairs can be made. Garbage truck drivers and trucking companies should regularly inspect their vehicles.

What different types of garbage truck accidents do you handle in Knoxville?

At Banks & Jones, we represent injury victims and families when any type of garbage truck accident happens in Knoxville, including the following:

  • Blind spot accidents
  • Head-on accidents
  • Rear-end accidents
  • Sideswipe collisions
  • Wide turn accidents
  • Rollovers
  • Wide-turn accidents
  • Cargo accidents
  • Underride accidents
  • Overloading and improperly loading accidents
  • Driver distraction accidents because a driver is looking at a GPS to determine which roads to take
  • Accidents due to traffic violations
  • Accidents due to tired drivers
  • Accidents due to falling debris

Who is responsible for garbage truck accidents in Knoxville?

Our Knoxville garbage truck delivery accident attorneys review the contracts between the City of Knoxville and private contractors and the employment arrangements of the contractors and their drivers.

At Banks & Jones, we file claims against every responsible person or business, including the following:

  • The garbage truck driver
  • The City of Knoxville
  • Private garbage truck companies
  • Maintenance and repair companies
  • Manufacturers of defective truck parts
  • Anyone else who may be responsible

What is the value of my garbage truck accident claim in Tennessee?

Garbage trucks often cause catastrophic, permanent, and serious injuries. Many victims live with chronic pain. At Banks & Jones, we represent truck accident victims who have any type of severe injury, including head trauma, loss of limb, spinal cord damage, fractures, crush injuries, back pain, or any other injury that requires medical treatment.

Our Knoxville truck accident lawyers work with your doctors to understand the full scope and severity of your injuries. We seek to make you whole again by helping you obtain compensation for all your damages so far and all your future damages, including the following:

  • Medical bills
  • Lost income and benefits
  • Physical pain and suffering
  • Scarring and disfigurement
  • Loss of bodily function
  • Inability to enjoy life’s pleasures, including loss of consortium (marital relations)

We file wrongful death claims when a Knoxville garbage accident is fatal. Wrongful death damages include the funeral and burial expenses, the loss of financial support your loved one would have provided, and the loss of personal support (comfort, love, and guidance) your loved one would have provided.

Do you have a Knoxville garbage truck lawyer near me?

Yes. Our team of lawyers meets clients at 2125 Middlebrook Pike, Knoxville, Tennessee. If your injuries prevent you from traveling, we can make arrangements to see you away from our office. We also discuss truck accident claims by phone and through online video conversations. Our firm is located within a quarter mile of every major thoroughfare in Knoxville.

We’re ready to answer your questions and guide you through each step of your claim.

Get help from Banks & Jones today

Garbage trucks should make communities safer. They shouldn’t cause harm. At Banks & Jones, we have more than 35 years of experience fighting for truck accident victims. Our Knoxville garbage truck accidents have earned the respect of former clients, insurance companies, and the legal community for our persuasive representation and our strong record of verdicts and settlements. To schedule a free consultation with the firm that Fights 2 Win, please call us or fill out our contact form.