I don't think a DOT officer was the issue it was the lawyers twisting things around in court. I think the charge was criminal negligence, for towing a load without a certified hitch. He did lose nevertheless. In Michigan my insurance company said we had to have a manufacturer's license, product liability insurance and a certified welder to stay out of trouble. It wasn't worth it to me. We had a hitch in one of our trucks that we made and I am sure you couldn't buy one stronger. But it is gone now, when you're running a business nowadays you don't look for trouble, there is too many people out there that are too lazy to earn a living like the rest of us. We are in the trailer business and we have heard of some suits that sounded crazy but thats the times we live in. The latest thing we are hearing more of is using the wrong rated ball mount for a trailer rating. Even empty, a ball mount has to be rated for the specified GVW or more then the trailer is. Or it is criminal negligence, in the case of a fatality in the crash. We have lost sales when a customer wanted to tow a trailer out of here with the wrong ball mount. Buy Michigan law we are partially responsible for the first 50 miles or until the customer gets home witchever comes first.
I'm not pretending to be a lawyer. If I'm looking for a fight I'll ask the wife for sex.