If you’ve never seen a megaload on the highway, that’s the way the trucking industry wants it. Take a good look at the picture below. Notice the semi-truck cabs in it. That will give you a sense of scale.

This is what they mean when they talk about megaloads. Seriously huge (and heavy) equipment on the move, on regular highways, sometimes at night and usually scheduled and routed so you won’t see them. The major reason is because when they come to the public’s attention, lawsuits get filed.

A recent spate just got reset as injunctions were issued against transporting huge refinery equipment across Montana from Idaho to oil fields in Canada.

The major problems with these loads are the damage they do to roads and the possibility of serious accidents with incredible clean-up costs. The final straw is that Montana receives no benefits from allowing these behemoths to use our roads.

The old saw about pictures never lying has a new twist: the advent of cell phone cameras means more trucking accident victims are able to document the scene of an injury accident for use in court later. One short video clip or a set of pictures taken immediately after a trucking accident can mean thousands (or hundreds of thousands) of dollars in damages.

“Traditionally, we’ve had to rely on police reports and witness testimony alone to establish what happened in an semi truck accident. While these are certainly still very important, the ability to capture exactly what damage was caused and where everything ended up gives plaintiffs a powerful tool,” said Billings trucking accident attorney Solomon Neuhardt. “The scene of an accident is often confused and quickly altered by emergency services. Roads need to be quickly cleared and one tow truck can completely change the layout, destroying any possibility of clearly understanding what happened.”

It took some time, but finally, at the end of last year, the Federal Department of Transportation issued a regulatory ruling that banned texting while driving in most commercial motor vehicles. The Motor Carriers of Montana has a link to the ruling here. Montana has had a statewide ban since July, 2010.

This follows some of the disturbing videos that have come out showing bus drivers texting during or just before accidents. One, out of Texas, shows the driver texting for six minutes and ends with a rear-end collision with a stopped vehicle. The data continues to accumulate, and a study out of Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) showed that for heavy trucks the following activities increased risk by:

• Dialing Cell Phone, 5.9 times more likely to have a crash
• Use/reach for an electronic device, 6.7 times as likely
• Texting, 23.2 times as likely.

Barreling along at 60 miles per hour, it takes more than the length of a football field to stop a big rig. At up to 40 tons, when commercial trucks meet passenger vehicles, the loser is predetermined. Serious injury or death is often the result.

Solomon Neuhardt, an accident attorney in Billings, Montana, has written a guide to help the victims of trucking accidents. “My clients have already suffered the direct tragedy of the original accident. My job is to help them avoid the additional tragedy of a lowball settlement from an insurance company.”

In 6 Blunders That Wreck Truck Accident Claims, Mr. Neuhardt covers the avoidable mistakes that can dramatically reduce settlements. Using the simple and effective techniques in this guide, readers will gain the inside knowledge needed to make the strongest possible case.

Covered material includes:

• Acting quickly before critical evidence disappears. The important information you should collect at the scene and afterwards.
• The principle of documentation and how to get the right things recorded the right way.
• Why you might sign something you shouldn’t and how to handle insurance
• investigators.The power of honesty and being truthful.
• When you need a lawyer and when you don’t.