Truck accidents in Miami are a common occurrence and they are a daily occurrence across the country. Unfortunately, the results are often death or catastrophic injury to the driver and passengers in the passenger vehicle. Nearly one in ten vehicle fatalities are the result of a collision with a big commercial truck.
Lawyers usually point to collisions caused by big commercial-type vehicles when relating to truck accidents. Commercial trucks are vehicles utilized to transport commercial goods or property and they are operated by trained, professional truck drivers holding a CDL license. Although the general public can assume pickups and large SUVs to be trucks, cases that are "truck accidents" typically apply to larger vehicles.
Trucking collisions share some similarities to motor car accidents in the sense that they may be caused by several different factors. However, certain causes are more applicable to truck crashes than to accidents involving passenger vehicles. For example, fatigue. Because truck drivers are typically paid per mile, they may try and drive as much as they can despite being tired or sleep deprived. Truck companies may also fail to provide proper maintenance to a truck, which could increase the chances of brake failure or tire issues.
Trucks also run the risk of potentially having cargo issues if the cargo is not sufficiently secure. If a truck encounters a sharp curve in the lane, bearing an exceedingly top-heavy load might theoretically cause it to tip over, causing the contents to spill all over the road.
Truck drivers are legally required to comply with speed limits and standard traffic regulations, such as red light guidelines, stop signals, merging, and lane changes. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has additional regulations that regulate the hours of truck drivers, vehicle requirements, weight restrictions, driver fitness, and other concerns of trucking. A violation of these laws could mean that the truck is responsible for the accident it was involved in.
It may be especially difficult to assess responsibility in a trucking accident. The truck driver may have caused the accident, part of the blame may be shared by the trucking company, the repair company may have failed to service the truck or performed shoddy work, or the loading company may have filled or overloaded the truck incorrectly.
A big truck crash may lead to hospital bills, potential costs of future medical care, reduced wages from missing work, pain and suffering, and in the worst cases, death. It is imperative, in the aftermath, for victims of a truck crash to seek the assistance of an experienced Florida truck accident lawyer to file a punctual lawsuit against the parties responsible for the truck accident. Particularly crashes involving large vehicles, there may be several parties participating in the sequence of high-speed traffic incidents. A lawyer's ability to decide what caused the accident is an important component of most truck accident-related lawsuits.
Truck operators are expected to travel on the roads safely. More precisely, drivers owe a duty of responsibility to others, and must not drive carelessly or in a dangerous manner. You will be entitled to claim liability if another driver drives their car negligently or recklessly, and ultimately injures you. Or, if a loved one suffered an injurious or lost their life as a result of the inability of another to follow the rules of the road, you may wish to look into filing a wrongful death claim on the loved one's behalf.
If you or a loved one has been injured in the state of Florida from a truck accident, the Law Offices of Mark Eiglarsh may be able to help you file a lawsuit to recover compensation for your losses. Remember, you are filing a claim against the trucking company, not the driver.
The general information provided above about truck accidents in Fort Lauderdale is meant for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for speaking directly with an attorney about the facts and circumstances of your case. Please call 954-500-0003 in Broward or 305-674-0003 in Miami to schedule a consultation with the Law Offices of Mark Eiglarsh.