ProPickup
pounds, they range between
5,000 and 8,500 pounds for
heavy-duty pickups.
Change the hitch to a weight-
distributing, and half-tons can
tow trailers weighing between
9,000 to 11,000 pounds (de-
pending on make/model, of
course), while heavy-duty pick-
ups' weight-distributing ratings
can top 18,000 pounds.
It's not your call
Think of tow ratings this way:
The speed limit is 55 mph. You
get caught driving 65. You tell
the offi cer you thought the con-
ditions and truck you are driving
is safe at that speed. Does the
offi cer let you go? Probably not.
Now think of being in court
facing a jury where pain, suffer-
ing and maybe death are the re-
sult of towing with a pickup not
set up per the vehicle manufac-
turer's recommendations. Where
is the jury's vote going?
Towing without regard to the
properly equipped limitations
instantly makes the driver face
the "Law of Negligence" charge
in the eyes of an astute attorney
and opens the door wide for a
slam-dunk lawsuit.
"A plaintiff who was injured
as a result of some negligent
conduct on the part of a defen-
dant is entitled to recover com-
pensation for such injury from
that defendant," says Ashley
de la Cerda, a partner at WBC,
which specializes in such legal
issues.
Attorneys say a vehicle's
driver – and the company that
employs him – who blatantly
disregards having their tow ve-
hicle properly equipped per the
vehicle manufacturer's specifi ca-
tions for trailering is negligent.
That is because it is the
vehicle operator's responsibil-
ity to read the operators manual
and operate the vehicle in a safe
and prudent manner according
to the owner's manual – not
based on one's own observa-
tions and deductions.
J U N E 2 014 To t a l L a n d s c a p e C a r e . c o m 4 9
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