Box Truck Accidents in Des Moines | Box Truck Injury Lawyer

A box truck is a truck with a cube shaped cargo area and cab on a single chassis. A box truck is also known by other names such as straight truck, cube truck, cube van, bob truck, or box van. Box trucks range from about 13 to 23 feet in length and are used mainly by moving companies or rental companies like Des Moines U-Haul and Des Moines Ryder truck rentals. Box trucks are generally used to haul large items such as furniture, appliances, and large boxes.

Des Moines Box Truck Accidents

It is not uncommon to see accidents involving box trucks in Des Moines, IA. Des Moines’s freeway system, which is made up of 739.3 miles of freeways and expressways in a ten-county metropolitan area, uses a hub-and-spoke freeway structure which is serviced by multiple loops.

The Iowa Department of Transportation (IDOT) is responsible for the maintenance and safety of the highways and roads located within the state.  On the website the IDOT gives information about road conditions, upcoming maintenance, construction and other information regarding the safety and efficiency of the roads.  Traffic cameras can be found on the website, as well as interactive maps to help view highly congested areas and help residents or visitors plan different routes regarding traveling throughout Iowa.  Information concerning weather and various restrictions are also available to help promote driver safety.

Des Moines Box Truck Accident Lawyers Need to Assess Cause

In many cases, Des Moines truck accident attorneys must retain the services of scientific and medical experts to prove both the cause of the accident and the cause of your injuries. Additionally, a qualified 18-wheeler accident lawyer will obtain all kinds of evidence concerning the scene of the crash, truck logs, and other important information to be used against the trucker, trucking company, or the company’s insurer. Arranging expert witness testimony and preparing important physical and documentary evidence is just one of many ways a Des Moines tractor trailer injury lawyer can help you after you’ve suffered a truck accident injury for a major commercial vehicle wreck.

If you or a loved one have been involved in a serious box truck wreck, semi crash or big rig accident, hiring a lawyer is the farthest thing from your mind when tragedy such as this strikes you, a family member, or a friend. However, this is when you need a Des Moines truck accident lawyer most. Do yourself a favor by calling one of the qualified Des Moines truck accident lawyers listed on this page. Hire a qualified Des Moines tractor trailer accident lawyer to help protect your rights.

Box Truck Cargo Area Susceptible to Overloading and Load Shifting

Although the cargo area and cab of a box truck both sit on the same chassis, the cargo area is usually completely enclosed and separate from the cab. However, some box trucks have a cargo area that is joined to the cab and in some of these models; the cargo area can be accessed from within the cab.

The cargo area in a box truck is just as susceptible to overloading and load shifting which could lead to an accident on a Des Moines highway, for example, Interstate 235 which runs throughout the city, including through the downtown area of the city.  When I-235 goes through downtown Des Moines it turns from a 6 lane freeway to either an 8 or 9 lane highway.

Des Moines Truck Rental Companies Offer Box Trucks

There are many U-Haul and Ryder Truck Rental locations in and around Des Moines, IA and many of them offer box trucks. Following is a partial list of Des Moines U-Haul and Des Moines Ryder Truck Rental locations:

Box Trucks Large and Small

A “box van” would be a smaller type of box truck because it would use a van cab similar to a family passenger van. A box van would also be built on a van chassis similar to a common 1/2-ton to 3/4 ton commercial vans.

Larger box trucks would have a bigger cab and use a heavier truck chassis built for heavier load capacities such as a 5-ton or 6-ton box truck.

Vehicle makers such as Ford, Chevrolet and International are manufacturers of box trucks.

Overhead Cargo Area

Some box trucks have an overhead compartment that extends the cargo area over the roof of the cab. The overhead cargo feature is commonly found on box trucks available from U-Haul such as their 14’ truck, 17’ truck, 20’ truck, 24’ truck and 26’ truck. All of these models are configured with an overhead cargo area that they call “Mom’s Attic®”.

The overhead cargo area feature has some advantages over regular box truck designs. It provides extra storage space above the cab and it allows movers to isolate more fragile items from regular cargo.

Box Truck Accident Attorneys Serve Des Moines and Surrounding Cities

Serving clients throughout Central Iowa, including Ames, Anita, Atlantic, Belmond, Bevington, Boone, Cambridge, Carroll, Cedar Falls, Cedar Rapids, Chariton, Clarinda, Corydon, Creston, Des Moines, Earlham, Emmetsburg, Granger, Greenfield, Grinnell, Guthrie Center, Harlan, Indianola, Iowa City, Iowa Falls, Jefferson, Knoxville, Madrid, Marshalltown, Mason City, Montezuma, Nevada, Newton, Osceola, Oskaloosa, Ottumwa, Pella, Perry, Pleasantville, Praire City, Story City, Washington, Waukee, Winterset, areas in the vicinity of Des Moines International Airport, and other communities in Polk County and Warren County.

Des Moines box truck accident attorneys are experienced in handling serious injury truck collision cases and can help you fight the trucking company or its insurer in order to get you the compensation you deserve. Contact a Des Moines box truck accident lawyer today for a FREE INITIAL CONSULTATION.