transamz9 wrote:
So what you are saying is IF I was one that will sue on a drop of a hat that I couldn't sue you for anything? We all know there are people out there that are looking to sue someone for anything. If god forbid something happened and I was the cause of the accident then I will take full responsibility for it but keep in mind I keep extensive records on my vehicles and what I do to them so you are going to have to prove that me being over the little yellow sticker is what caused the accident.
You can sue anyone for anything in this wonderful time that we live in. In order to SUCCESSFULLY sue, you would have to prove that someone was grossly negligent to "overload" their vehicle, and that overloaded vehicle was a major contributing factor to whatever loss you are claiming.
Its going to be very hard to prove that a 3/4 ton truck was "overloaded" if it is under all its axle ratings by the manufacturer. Remember, my Ram 2500 is rated to 5500 lbs on the front axle and 6500 lbs on the rear axle. Lets not forget that AAM rates these same axles at something like 10K lbs a piece. My tires are rated to 3638 lbs each, or 7276 lbs per axle. My brakes are the exact same as those on the 3500, so they are rated to stop a fully loaded 1 ton. The frame is the same, except for different mounting points for the suspension. The wheels are the same with the 18" rims. The hardware is the same, the lugs are the same, the lugnuts are the same.
Simply being over the registration weight of 10K lbs doesn't imply that its overloaded, nor that it is safe. Too many people get too bent out of shape about the manufacturer GVWR. Those are simply registration, warranty or tax ratings... not maximum capability. ratings.
As far as legality goes (on the side of the road), all that matters is TIRE RATINGS and REGISTRATION FEES. I registered my 2010 Tundra for 10K lbs. It was rated for 7200 lbs. Maryland registration rates are for 7000 lbs vehicles (I would legally LOSE 200 lbs of already low payload ratings) or 10K lbs ( I would legally GAIN 2800 lbs of payload ratings). While I never came close to 10K lbs on that Tundra, there isn't anything that any cop could do to me if they stopped and weighed me... I was perfectly LEGAL.
