Truck Accident
LAKEWOOD RANCH TRUCK ACCIDENT ATTORNEY
With more large trucks than ever on the roads today, the number of collisions between passenger vehicles and semi tractor-trailers (18-wheelers) continues to rise. Because commercial trucks often weigh substantially more (a loaded tractor-trailer can weigh 40 tons) more than do personal automobiles (which average 1,500 to 6,000 pounds depending on size), crashes involving a truck can result in serious injuries, even fatalities.
When the truck owners and operators are at fault, and when the collisions result in the wrongful death or serious personal injuries to others, Florida laws provide those victims and their surviving family members the right to file claims and lawsuits against the negligent parties.
Causes of Truck Crashes in Florida
Accidents caused by truck drivers have many of the same causes as any type of vehicle crash. There are additional factors at work that often worsen the consequences. Among them are these factors:
- Weight and size of the truck
- Fatigued drivers
- Drivers on tight schedules with tight deadlines
- Speeding
- Distracted driving
- Aggressive and reckless driving
- Poor background screening of truck drivers
- Poor training of truck drivers
- Improper truck maintenance
- Unsafe road conditions
- Truck drivers drinking alcohol or drug use
- Driving in conditions of poor visibility due to smoke, fog, snow or rain
- Poorly maintained tires
- Improperly loaded cargo
- Wide turns
- Failure to yield the right of way
- Missing and defective safety systems, reflectors, lights and other warning devices
Under the circumstances, it quickly becomes important to hire an experienced truck accident attorney who can assess liability and investigate such matters as:
- Whether federal and/or state regulations were violated
- Whether the driver was qualified to drive the truck and had the appropriate type of commercial driver’s license
- Whether speed or other appropriate traffic laws were followed
- Whether the driver had been driving longer than permitted
- Whether road or other conditions contributed to the accident
- Whether the driver was distracted by his cell phone or other things
- Whether truck equipment was working properly and appropriately maintained
- Whether the trucking company conducted inspections as required, repaired and maintained the truck appropriately and kept the appropriate records.
- Whether alcohol or other drugs contributed to the crash
In addition to accidents involving semis, tractor-trailers, and 18-wheelers, other types of truck accidents involving dump trucks, large construction vehicles, moving vans, buses, tankers, and many more can also cause serious and even fatal injuries.
What is common among all types of trucking accidents are these factors:
- Truck crashes are generally much larger and can inflict more damage than ordinary passenger cars, pickups and SUVs.
- They are often governed by different laws than those that apply to passenger vehicles.
- Most of these vehicles are owned by corporate entities that will strongly defend even the most legitimate claims by injured victims — or the survivors of drivers and passengers killed in the collisions.
Truck Accident Advocates
Regardless of the type of truck involved, the accident injuries that can result often cause pain, financial hardship, and uncertainty.
If a truck driver or trucking company’s negligence caused you or your loved one injury and harm in Lakewood Ranch, Sarasota, Bradenton, North Port, or anywhere in Florida, the truck accident lawyers of Luhrsen Goldberg may be able to help. Consultations are always free; you do not owe any attorney’s fees or costs unless and until we prevail.
