How Can Tourists File an Auto Accident Claim in Florida?

The weight and size of 18-wheeler trucks compared to passenger vehicles such as a sedan, SUV, pickup truck, or motorcycle creates a deadly situation in the event of an accident.  Smaller vehicles sustain the most damage in accidents, large commercial trucks, and small vehicles.  Moreover, 18-wheelers are tall and have a higher center of gravity, which can cause the truck to jackknife or tip-over.  The weight, size, and weight distribution mean truck collisions are different from an average auto accident.  A standard tractor-trailer truck is approximately 53 feet long and has a gross vehicle weight of around 80,000 pounds.  The weight and length of the tractor-trailer trucks limit the vehicle’s maneuverability, stopping time, and distance when moving at highway speed.  The forces of an 18-wheeler truck are tremendous and can be lethal.

Semi-tractor-trailer truck drivers must comply with regulations issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Federal Motor Carrier Administration (FMCA).

18-Wheeler Truck Accident Statistics in Florida

The Institute for Traffic Safety and Research released a statistical data sheet on truck accidents in Florida.  The study was based on published statistics from the Florida Department of Motor Vehicles.  According to the data, in 2016, there were 1,029 people tragically killed in motor vehicle accidents in the State of Florida.  Among them, 97 were deaths from truck accidents.  The majority of people killed in tractor-trailer truck accidents were riding in smaller cars.  In addition, approximately 3,900 people sustained injuries during a collision with a semi-tractor-trailer truck.

The time of day also matters when considering the dangers of traveling along a Florida highway with tractor-trailer trucks.  An astounding 88% of all injury and fatal collisions happened between Monday and Friday.  Also, 81% of those accidents transpired between 6:00 AM and 6:00 PM.  This is because these times and days are the busiest times and days on Florida roadways.

Another important statistic that was mentioned by the Institute for Traffic Safety and Research is how truck accidents often involve multiple vehicles.  Statistics show that about 88% of all injury and fatal accidents involving tractor-tractor trucks involved one or more additional vehicles.  This means only 12% of truck accidents involved the truck.  By contrast, approximately 69% of passenger vehicle crashes involve other vehicles.  

Catastrophic Injuries Sustained in Truck Accidents

The accident forces generated by an 18-wheeler truck make the occupants inside smaller vehicles more vulnerable to serious bodily injury or death.  The truck accident lawsuit lawyers at Fuentes & Berrio have represented clients who have sustained devastating accident injuries.

The types of injuries sustained by Fuentes & Berrio clients in an 18-wheeler accident include:

• Strains and sprains
• Amputation,
• Death,
• Broken bones,
• Head and neck injuries,
• Spinal cord injuries,
• Traumatic brain injury,
• Second- and third-degree burns,
• Internal wounds,
• Disfigurement,
• Whiplash, 
• Dislocated joints, and
• Severe lacerations.

Common Causes of Florida Truck Accidents

Tractor-trailer accidents occur for a variety of reasons, but the mechanism of the accident or the way the vehicles contact each other is limited.  Tractor-trailer accidents are often:

• Underride collisions,
• Jackknife collisions,
• Side slip collisions,
• Head-on collisions, 
• Roll-over collisions,
• Underlying collisions,
• Override collisions,
• Rear-end collisions,
• Voiding collisions, and 
• Turning collisions.

Most large truck accidents are caused by the truck driver losing control over the truck.  When the trucker loses the truck’s weight control due to speeding, the truck driver might oversteer, causing the truck’s trailer to move.  This can cause the truck rollover or the skid trailer might override onto another vehicle.

Call Us for Your Free Truck Accident Injury and Wrongful Death Consultation

Fuentes & Berrio represents injury victims and families of fatal injury victims throughout the state of Florida.  Our Florida Truck Accident Attorneys are available to serve you at your workplace, home, hospital, or anywhere else in Palm Beach County and Broward County, and especially in the cities of Deerfield Beach, Pompano, Lake Worth, Hillsboro, and Highland Beach.

If you or a loved one has been injured or if a loved one has been fatally injured, call us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, at 954-752-1110 for a free consultation and case review.  Protect your rights today. Nosotros hablamos español.