Trucking Accidents

Collisions due to wrongful acts of truck drivers and trucking companies are all too common in the United States. Ironically, in most truck accidents the truck driver walks away unharmed, leaving their victims with severe to life-threatening injuries.

One-quarter of the truck accidents that occur in the United States involve 18 wheelers and large tractor trailers.

 

 

Accidents involving large rigs and 18 wheelers have many causes:

 

•     driver fatigue

•     tailgating

•     aggressive driving

•     speeding

•     trucks without blind spot mirrors

•     faulty brakes, tires and lights

 

Recent statistics show:

 

•     Every day 90 people in the U.S. are injured or killed in a truck related accident.

•     More than 450,000 large trucks are involved in crashes each year.

•     More than 1,000,000 people were involved in the crashes.

•     More than 5,000 are killed each year.

•     More than 140,000 injuries occur due to a truck accident.

•     One third of the injured suffered catastrophic damage.

 

The Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety 

Administration keeps track of the trucking accidents in the U.S. They reported that the other most common circumstances of trucking accidents are:

 

•     a truck backing into other vehicle

•     head-on collisions

•     truck hits an object in the road

•     intersecting vehicles

•     no impact (fire, jackknife, other)

•     rollovers

•     side swipes

•     truck ran off road/out of lane

•     truck turned across path/into path

 

Federal and State governments have enacted laws and safety regulations requiring trucking companies and their drivers to take certain precautions in an attempt to make the roadways more safe.

 

Our knowledgeable team of truck accident lawyers will investigate the trucking company involved and see if they were adhering to the required standards of safety. There are numerous federal and state regulations that must be evaluated. Descriptions of regulations are as follows:

 

    Title 49 CFR Part 391: Qualifications of Drivers

•     Establishes driver qualifications for commercial vehicles and duties of motor carriers to ensure driver qualifications.

 

    Title 49 CFR Part 392: Driving of Commercial Motor Vehicles

•     Federal regulations must be followed by truck drivers, trucking companies and others involved in management, operations, and personnel management of drivers for interstate travel.

 

    Title 49 CFR Part 393: Parts and Accessories Necessary for Safe Operation

•     Parts and accessories to be regulated for requirements and specification for motor vehicles.

 

    Title 49 CFR Part 395: Hours of Service of Drivers

•     Limits driving hours that drivers can drive in a given length of time.

 

    Title 49 CFR Part 396: Inspection, Repair, and Maintenance

•     Establishes guidelines for inspection, maintenance, repair and reporting standards for commercial vehicles.

  

When choosing a lawyer, it is critical that you hire an experienced Florida Truck Accident Lawyer. You should be comfortable with your lawyer's experience handling Florida Truck Accident Personal Injury Cases. Choosing a highly experienced truck accident attorney in Florida is crucial to getting the compensation that you deserve. 

Our lawyers have over 45 years of combined experience successfully representing trucking accident victims and their families. We’ve won millions for our clients and we’ll fight to get you the compensation you deserve.

 

Florida Trucking Law

 

There are two types of Florida trucking accidents: interstate and intrastate. Interstate trucking accidents are governed by the Federal Motor Carriers Safety Regulations and they involve a vehicle, usually a semi-truck, that is used for transporting goods between different states. Intrastate trucking accidents involve a truck that is mainly stored and driven in Florida. 

 

SAFETY REGULATIONS IN FLORIDA LAW

Florida Statues 316.302 and 316.7011, contain the safety requirements that apply to the operation of commercial vehicles on the state’s public highways. In general, these laws have adopted the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations found in Chapter 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations (49 CFR)

 

Many Florida intrastate trucking companies do not even realize they are required to comply with some of the federal rules. We have had great success establishing violations of these rules by Florida trucking companies. There are nearly 20,000 intrastate Florida trucking companies registered with the Department of Transportation. If you have been injured in Florida by a large truck, contact an experienced Florida trucking lawyer to assist you with your claim.

 

Florida Trucking Insurance Requirements

 

All Florida motor carriers are required to file proof of insurance with the Department of Transportation. Florida requires the following insurance minimums:

 

•     $300,000 for vehicles of 10,000 lbs. or less transporting non-hazardous substances

•     $750,000 for vehicles over 10,000 lbs. transporting non-hazardous substances

•     $1,000,000 to $5,000,000 for vehicles transporting hazardous substances depending on the type of substances    carried 

 

Florida's trucking insurance requirements mirror those of the federal regulations. While these minimum insurance limits may seem like a lot, they have not increased since in many years. Considering the fact the trucking collisions usually result in catastrophic injuries, these minimum insurance limits do not seem adequate in today's world.

 

Contact an Experienced Florida Truck Accident Attorney

 

All motorists should be aware of the dangers associated with sharing our roads with large trucks. While proving a physical or emotional injury can often times be difficult, our experienced personal injury attorneys understand how to undertake difficult cases and win. We are committed to protecting the rights of the clients we represent. Our history of success with past truck accident injury cases should give you the confidence you need to have us represent you. 

 

If you or a family member has suffered a serious injury or death from a truck accident, contact a Florida truck accident attorney at Lewis & Williams to protect your rights. Delays can harm your case and important evidence can disappear, so call immediately and get a free consultation. There is no cost to you unless we win your truck accident injury case.

 

For more information call us today at 561-444-2260.