Although commercial and other motor vehicle safety has improved significantly in the past ten years, trucks are still a major cause of numerous serious injury accidents. In fact, across the U.S., the number of truck injury accidents increased more than100% between 2009 and 2018, up from 60,000 to an alarming 121,000.
Because commercial trucks typically weigh 25 times as much as cars and are not as responsive, serious, life-altering injuries occur all too frequently as a result of these accidents. Unfortunately, truck accident victims can suffer multiple injuries that require extensive medical treatment and cause pain, suffering and financial troubles for many months, if not years, after the accident.
If you or a family member has been injured in a truck accident, help is available. The highly skilled Casselberry truck accident attorneys of Warner & Warner want to hear what happened to you so they can help. We are committed to putting their legal experience and expertise to work for you, holding those responsible for the accident accountable for the injuries they caused and helping you obtain the full compensation you deserve.
Truck Accident Injuries in the Casselberry Area
Truck and bus accident injuries have been increasing in the Casselberry area. Over a five-year period, they increased by 122, or 127% in Seminole County, as shown in the following chart.
Data sources: Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (2019, 2017).
While these numbers may not sound shocking, in many cases, they represent lives that have forever been changed and families who have experienced a great loss.
Causes of Casselberry Trucking Accidents
The main factors involved in truck accidents are brake problems, roadway problems, weather conditions, prescription and over-the-counter drug use, fatigue, traveling too fast, interruptions in the flow of traffic, lack of familiarity with the road, and inadequate surveillance. While truck maintenance issues, such as tire/wheel defects, brake defects, and unsecured or overloaded trailers can cause crashes, drivers are typically the primary cause for various reasons, including:
- Distracted driving – Drivers have always faced many distractions, but modern technology and mobile devices have significantly increased the number of traffic accidents caused by distracted driving. Federal law prohibits truck drivers from texting while driving, but many still use handheld electronic devices, too often with grave repercussions.
- Impaired driving – Alcohol and drugs, including medications, can impede a driver’s ability to avoid dangerous situations and collisions. Truck drivers who are impaired may change lanes without assured clear distance, merge onto highways without noticing oncoming traffic, not brake in time to avoid a collision, or unwittingly cause any number of very dangerous situations.
- Driving while drowsy – Federal laws restrict the number of hours a driver can be behind the wheel of a truck. However, drowsy driving is still a leading cause of truck accidents in the U.S. Studies have shown that if a driver is on the road for more than eight hours, the risk of crashing is doubled when compared to drivers on the road for less than eight hours.
- Speeding – Trucks cannot stop quickly to avoid collisions, and when drivers are speeding to get to their destination, the situation can be very dangerous. When truck drivers speed, for whatever reason in whatever conditions, they endanger everyone on the road.
Responsibility for Casselberry Truck Accidents
If you or a loved one has been injured in a truck accident, you may be able to file a lawsuit to hold the responsible parties accountable and to obtain compensation for truck accident-related injuries. Since a truck accident injury lawsuit must prove that someone else’s negligence was partially or wholly responsible for your injuries, you must clearly identify the at-fault party or parties, which, in a trucking accident, can be any of the following:
- Driver
- Trucking company
- Owner of the cargo
- Truck manufacturer
- Company responsible for maintenance/repairs
An experienced Casselberry truck accident lawyer will identify all responsible parties in your case to make sure they are held accountable and you are compensated fairly for your injuries.
Financial Compensation for Truck Accident Victims
After identifying the at-fault parties in your truck accident, an experienced Casselberry accident lawyer can help you pursue compensation for the following damages:
- Medical expenses, including existing and potential future hospital, rehabilitation, medication, transportation and other healthcare-related expenses
- Lost income due to having to take time off to recover/rehabilitate
- Diminished earning capacity in the future
- Physical and emotional pain and suffering
- Diminished qualify of life
- Disfigurement and permanent scarring
- Other damages recoverable under Florida law
If a loved one was killed in a trucking accident, you may also be able to pursue compensation with a wrongful death lawsuit.
Experienced Casselberry Attorneys Can Help You Get Compensated for Your Truck Accident Injuries
If you or a family member has been injured in a truck accident, please contact us as soon as possible. We have successfully handled many truck accident cases throughout Central Florida and have the legal experience and expertise to advocate for you and obtain fair compensation for your injuries and financial losses.
The accomplished attorneys of Warner & Warner are committed to helping accident victims obtain justice and get compensated fully and fairly for their injuries. We welcome the opportunity to review your case and discuss your rights with you. We would be honored to help get the justice you deserve.
Sources:
Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. (2019). Traffic crash facts.
https://www.flhsmv.gov/pdf/crashreports/crash_facts_2019.pdf
Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. (2017). Traffic crash facts.
https://flhsmv.gov/pdf/crashreports/crash_facts_2017.pdf
U.S. Department of Transportation. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. (2020). Large truck and bus crash facts, 2018.
https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/safety/data-and-statistics/large-truck-and-bus-crash-facts-2018#A2
U.S. Department of Transportation. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. (2020). Our roads our safety. Tips for truck and bus drivers.
https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/ourroads/tips-truck-and-bus-drivers