Practice Areas
Trucking Accidents
The Crenshaw Law Firm handles a large number of Florida cases involving tractor-trailer
collisions. From this experience Crenshaw is aware that each year, thousands of people are injured and killed as a result of trucking accidents. These are motor vehicle accidents caused by big commercial trucks, sometimes referred to as “big rigs,” “tractor-trailer trucks,” or “18-wheelers.”
The Trucking Industry’s Profit Motive Contributes to Trucking Accidents
It is tragic and yet true that the commercial trucking industry contributes to most of the commercial trucking accidents in Florida today. For instance, many large truck drivers – and their companies – are paid by the mile. Thus, they have financial incentives to operate their trucks often at unreasonable times and in an unreasonable manner.
Additionally, big rig drivers are allowed to drive non-stop for 11 consecutive hours under “hours of service” (“HOS”) regulations. This means that 18-wheeler operators will push that HOS limit in order to meet a deadline and to maximize their daily mileage rate. Meanwhile, studies show that truck driver fatigue is the major cause of commercial trucking accidents, and that the greatest risk of a large truck accident is when the truck driver is driving after being behind the wheel for 10 hours straight.
In these ways, trucking companies trade safety for profits, often causing serious injuries and death.
Big Rig / Tractor Trailer/ 18-Wheeler / Commercial Truck Accidents Have a High Death Rate
The average commercial truck on the road, loaded with cargo, weighs more than 80,000 pounds. Sharing the highway with them are cars like most Florida families drive – sedans, pick-up trucks, minivans – that weigh on the average 3000 pounds. When 80,000 pounds going at 60+ mph collides with a 3000 vehicle going at any speed, the results are usually deadly.
The Claims Process in a Commercial Trucking Accident is Complicated
After a big rig accident, insurance company adjusters are known to appear on the accident scene quickly, already gathering evidence and trying to minimize the exposure of those responsible. There can be lots of defendants in a trucking accident.
The truck driver, the owner of the truck, the distributor of the cargo, the manufacturer of the cargo, even the entity responsible for maintaining the roadway can all be partly responsible for compensating the victim and his family. Each accident is unique in the number of parties who may share responsibility for what all too often is a tragedy involving death and serious permanent injury.
Money Damages Available to Truck Accident Victims
Legal damages available to the victims of a commercial truck accident include lost income, lost earning capacity, pain and suffering, medical expenses, property damage, and wrongful death. Claims not only must be presented to all those parties who share responsibility for the wreck, they must also be carefully totaled with all the paperwork details from all the sources (doctors, hospitals, employers, etc.) that may apply. Even property damage down to the small items damaged or lost in a vehicle (car seats, cell phones, sunglasses) should be included in the final damage tally.
Crenshaw Law Firm Represents Victims of Trucking Accidents and Their Families
The Crenshaw Law Firm has experience in representing victims of commercial truck accidents and their families. Please feel free to schedule a free initial legal consultation at your convenience at (954) 430-3030.
For more information on big rig / tractor-trailer / 18-wheeler commercial truck accidents:
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
www.fmcsa.dot.gov
American Association of State and Highway Transportation Officials
www.transportation1.org/aashtonew/
Federal Highway Administration
www.fhwa.dot.gov
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
www.nhtsa.com
Truck Safety Coalition
www.trucksafety.org/About_CRASH.php
