Tore down Power lines? Am I liable for damage?

Not sure if this is in the right place? I was leaving Leads, AL on a truck route doing about 50 mph and caught a low power line my truck was 13'6 or less it ripped open part of my trailer i am a o/o pulled over called boss he said to get the hell out of there. Now says i am liable for damage to trailer. If i had called the police wouldn't have the power company been liable?

 

If the line was crossing a public street, road, or highway it has to be a certain height. The power companies usually watch that pretty close.
Are you sure it was a power line and not a phone or cable tv line? They have to abide by the height law but it's not enforced everywhere.
You might have had a case but since you left the scene you're pretty much screwed now. Your boss gave you some bad advice.

As far as your liability for trailer repairs. that's between you and your boss but we probably wouldn't fire a driver for that...or make him pay the repairs either.

 

Lines are supposed to be 14 feet. I think is minimum height.

Unless it's definitely a no truck street.

But that don't mean constant supervision was taken. Poles leaning or whatever causing lines to hang down.

 

You say you are an O/O. What does your contract say about damages done to the companies trailer or other equipment of theirs that is not yours. It should be plainly annotated in the contract.
You did sign a contract to work for this company?
Now depending on the specific type of road you were on. Lowest clearance would be 14' on local controlled/city streets. State and US highways will either be 16' or 20'. And i believe interstate highways are 24' clearance.

 

Working in a residential neighborhood, caught a wire going to house. Wire peeled down corner of house with about 6' of vinyl siding. Lady came out of house SCREAMING about who was going to pay. Cops arrived, asked if I was over 13'6". When I told him I was not, he said I was all set, so I left. Never heard about it again.

 

O/O but you have a boss?

 

Sure, divorced the last one. Had present boss for almost 10 years.

 

Trucking has some awesome traditions (sarcasm)

 

So you were involved in a hit and run and now you care about the legal aspects only when it hit your pocketbook?
My advice is stop commiting felonies (hit and run is a felony)

 

Several years ago I was hauling a combine to a farmer way out in the country. I was legal height, but when I got to the farm I noticed 3 phone lines hung on the combine bin and dragging behind me. Cleaned up the mess off my trailer and never did here anything about it, but there were at least 3 people on my route without phone service.