Truck Accident Lawyer In Big Pine Key

Challenges in Truck Accident Cases

That’s because not only does the trucking industry fragment its operations to reduce liability, but firms involved immediately dispatch skilled teams of investigators in the wake of a crash to dig through evidence to glean facts most favorable to them.

Often, this means finding information that might reduce fault on the part of the trucker or increase the degree of comparative fault found on the part of the victim (which can reduce the overall amount of damages awarded). These investigations are costly, but trucking companies know if they lose a truck accident lawsuit at trial, they are likely to incur millions in losses.

Serving victims in the Big Pine Key area, our truck accident attorneys work to counter these efforts with our own extensive inquiry. We work closely with expert medical teams and accident reconstructionists to determine the exact cause of the crash and extent and cause of injuries. We refuse to let our clients settle for less than they deserve.

Truck Crash Risk Factors

The majority of deaths in large truck accidents were passenger vehicle occupants. This is largely due to SIZE, and the fact people in smaller vehicles are more vulnerable in collisions with tractor-trailers.

Another factor is BRAKING. Truck drivers need a lot more time to slow down and stop – about 20 to 40 percent, depending on the weight of the rig and the size of the haul. A trucker traveling 60 mph needs about 310 feet (the length of a football field) to stop once applying the brakes. Truckers should have the experience to know how much distance they need to maintain in order to ensure they have enough time to stop safely if necessary. This assumes, however, their vehicle is properly maintained and there are no issues with faulty or damaged brakes.

TRUCK DRIVER FATIGUE is also a common cause of trucking accidents. Although federal regulations bar drivers of large trucks from driving more than 11 hours at a time, many drivers have admitted in anonymous surveys to violating these regulations. Some do so of their own volition to boost their paychecks, while others do so under direct or indirect pressure from employers.

HAZARDOUS CARGO may also be a contributing factor to the extent of damage. Contents that are unstable, flammable or slippery may cause an increased risk of additional damage or injury in the event of a crash.

Fortunately, the number of passenger vehicle deaths in truck accidents has declined significantly since 1975. The rate of passenger vehicle occupant deaths per 100 million truck miles was 3.39 in 1975, and fell to 0.88 in 2013. That has largely to do with the manufacture of safer trucks and more stringent federal weight limits and hours-of-service regulations for truckers.

4 Ways Broward Truck Accidents Differ From Other Types of Crash Claims

Large trucks are the lifeblood of our economy in Florida and throughout the U.S., a vital cog in virtually every supply chain wheel in the country. But they can also be incredibly dangerous to other motorists, as well as vulnerable road users such as bicyclists and pedestrians. When crashes with big trucks do occur in South Florida, there are some key differences in the way those cases unfold compared to your typical car accident case. As longtime Broward truck accident lawyers, we’re committed to holding truckers and trucking companies accountable when negligence results in irreversible consequences to others on the road.

Florida Truck Accident Statistics

Every day, operators of large trucks traversing our nation’s roads are the cause of serious crashes resulting in extensive property damage, serious injury, and tragic deaths. The term “large trucks” refers to medium or heavy trucks (excluding buses and motor homes) with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000+ pounds. This can include both commercial and non-commercial vehicles.

According to the National Safety Council, there were 5,700 large trucks involved in large crashes in 2021 – which represented an 18 percent increase from 2020 and a nearly 50 percent increase over the last decade. Part of the explanation for this rise is the fact that there are more large trucks on the road. But even so, the involvement rate per 100 million large truck miles has also increased – up 7 percent from 2020 and 22 percent over the last 10 years.

Big trucks are involved in 9 percent of all fatal crashes.

Differences in Broward Truck Accident vs. Car Accident Claims

If you’re injured in a Broward truck accident, you may have grounds for filing a civil claim for financial compensation – same as you would if you were involved in a car accident. You’ll still need to prove negligence (and strongly dispute any allegations of contributory negligence), as well as the extent of your injuries to establish your right to collect damages. But there are a number of ways in which truck crash cases differ from your typical car accident claim.

Severity: Broward truck accident injuries are almost assuredly going to be more serious than your typical car accident, by virtue of the simple fact that commercial trucks are so much larger/heavier than passenger cars (20-30x the size).

Insurance Coverage: Commercial vehicles carry much more insurance than is required for passenger vehicle owners/drivers. While all Florida motorists must carry $10,000 in personal injury protection benefits (paid out to insured regardless of fault), most aren’t required to carry bodily injury liability coverage (though it’s a very good idea). Commercial trucks, meanwhile, generally need to carry $300,000 in bodily injury liability – minimum.

Complexity: It’s also possible that you’ll be dealing with more than one defendant/insurance company because truck accidents may have multiple defendants, including the driver, the truck owner (which may/may not be the employer of the driver), the supplier, and the carrier.

Cause: In order to collect damages in a Broward truck accident case, we need to prove fault. And in order to figure out who’s to blame, we need to know what caused the crash.

Bottom line: Truck accident cases are inherently going to be more work than typical crash claims. It’s important to hire an injury lawyer with extensive experience in handling cases with extensive experience in successfully handling such high-stakes, complicated claims.