NHTSA Complaint #10266968 — 1993 TALBERT TRAILER

LAW FIRM REQUESTING INFORMATION ABOUT INJURIES CAUSED BY A TALBERT GOOSE NECK CONSTRUCTION TRAILER . *NJ THE CONSUMER CAME UPON ONE OF HIS COMPANY'S CONSTRUCTION TRAILERS ON THE HIGHWAY. IT WAS LOADED WITH A LARGE EXCAVATOR. HE NOTICED THAT THE LOAD WAS RIDING LOW AND SUGGESTED TO THE DRIVER THAT HE STOP AND ADD A WEDGE OR SPACER TO THE TRAILER. THE WEDGES WERE METAL PLATES THAT WERE PLACED BETWEEN THE TRAILER NECK AND THE BODY OF THE TRAILER. BY ADDING A WEDGE, OR INCREASING THE SIZE OF A WEDGE, IT WOULD ALLOW THE DRIVER TO OPERATE THE FRONT LIP OF THE TRAILER HIGHER. THE WEDGE WAS THEN ATTACHED TO THE TRAILER NECK BY SPLITTING IT OVER A SHAFT OR POST AND PLACING A COTTER TYPE PIN TO HOLD IT IN PLACE. THEN THE DRIVER LOWERED THE TRAILER BODY ONTO THE WEDGE. WHEN THE DRIVER LOWERED THE TRAILER BODY AGAINST THE WEDGE, THE WEIGHT OF THE LOAD CAUSED THE WEDGE TO FLY OFF THE TRAILER, SHEARING THE COTTER PIN. THE WEDGE HIT THE CONSUMER IN THE HEAD AND FRACTURED HIS SKULL. FINDINGS BY AN INDEPENDENT ENGINEER , DISCOVERED THAT THE WAY THE WEDGE SYSTEM WAS DESIGNED, WHEN IT BEGAN TO WEAR, IT DEFORMED WHICH ALLOWED THE SPACER BLOCKS FOR SETTING TRAILER ROAD CLEARANCE TO BE FORCIBLY SEPARATED DURING NORMAL USE. *JB