- The most common causes of semi-truck accidents in Polk County, FL.
- The types of injuries caused by semi-truck accidents.
- The factors that make semi-truck accidents worse than passenger vehicle accidents.
What Are The Most Common Causes Of Commercial Vehicle Or Trucking Accidents Across Polk County, Florida?
The most common cause of a commercial or truck accident is operational negligence or error. But, in some cases:
- Trucks are not maintained appropriately,
- The drivers are illegally exceeding their allowable driving time limits, or
- The drivers are intoxicated by drugs or alcohol.
Note: Under federal motor carrier regulations, trucking companies are required to test truck drivers for drug or alcohol consumption after an accident.
What Types Of Severe Injuries Result From Passenger Vehicle & Trucking Accidents Across Florida?
A variety of severe injuries can result from a collision between a passenger car and a semi-truck. These include:
- Death
- Quadriplegia
- Paraplegia
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- Amputation
- Severe burns
- And more…
What’s more, there are also some less severe yet still life-changing injuries that result from accidents of this nature. For example, life-changing injuries such as herniated disks, torn ligaments, and other orthopedic injuries often result from accidents with commercial trucks involved.
What Accounts For The Severity Of Truck Accident Injuries? How Do These Accidents Differ From Passenger Car Wrecks?
The sheer size and weight of semi-trucks are typically the cause of such severe accident injuries. Thus, being in a semi-truck accident is far different from two equal-weight vehicles colliding.
The laws of physics dictate that momentum is conserved. Therefore, a heavier object (such as a semi-truck) moving at a fast rate of speed can transmit a tremendous amount of momentum to a much lighter-weight passenger vehicle in an accident. As a result, you can expect most or all of the damage between a car and a semi-truck to be on the car.
The other significant difference is that the semi-trailer deck rides above most vehicles’ bumper levels. So, an impact with a semi-truck is often located on the part of the car that is not designed for impact. Trucks have tried to minimize this impact in rear-end collisions with the rear underride bar required by Federal Motor Carrier Regulations. Still, that rear underride bar is hard and does not crumple like the crumple zones of a car, resulting in much more serious damage to smaller vehicles and their passengers.
My Loved One Was Seriously Injured In A Trucking Accident Near Lakeland, Florida. What Steps Should We Take To Pursue A Personal Injury Claim Against The Trucking Company, The Driver, Or Both?
There are two sides to helping someone through a personal injury case involving a serious injury: the medical side, and the business side.
The medical side of being injured is that your loved one will need help getting appropriate treatment and care.
The business side of being injured includes:
- Investigating the insurance coverage
- Finding liability facts, and
- Deciding whether to sue or settle.
Hiring an attorney earlier in the process will provide the best chance of a successful case because your attorney can help with the medical and business sides of the case.
Who Is Liable For My Serious Injuries After A Commercial Vehicle Accident In Florida?
There are many parties that can be liable for your injuries after a commercial vehicle accident in Florida. The list of who could be liable includes the following:
- The commercial vehicle driver,
- The business owning or operating the commercial vehicle,
- Federal Motor Carrier, and
- Others may have legal responsibility for a crash involving a serious injury.
Each case is unique, and the facts of each may be different. Under some circumstances, there may be a responsibility on a business that the commercial vehicle was serving for some reason, such as allowing traffic to back up onto a highway, or because there is something dangerous about the property or mode of operation of the business itself. As a result, you sometimes have to use creativity to think outside the box about liability.
How Much Is My Florida Trucking Accident Injury Case Worth? How Much Compensation Can I Get For My Traumatic And Permanent Injuries?
A wide range of compensation can be possible in Florida truck accident injury cases, depending on the nature of the injuries you have sustained. For example, non-complicated soft tissue cases can often be worth thousands. In contrast, severe injury or death cases can be worth seven or eight figures. The value of any injury is a correlation between the accident’s severity, the injury’s severity, and the availability of deep pockets to pay.
Why Is It Important To Hire An Experienced Commercial Vehicle Or Trucking Accident Attorney In Florida For A Personal Injury Claim?
Hiring an experienced attorney for your case is essential to maximize the chances of success because you must know how to take the right action at the right time. What’s more, it’s best to have an honest evaluation of issues in your case to know where you stand and how to make appropriate decisions about how to move forward. Without the help of an attorney, it can be incredibly difficult to make the appropriate decisions and act at the right times.
For more information on Filing A Trucking Accident Injury Claim In FL, an initial consultation is your next step. Get the information and legal answers you seek today by calling (863) 243-6166.