Whether you love driving on Florida’s roads or hate it, unless public transportation is available, you’ll need a car to go to work, run errands, enjoy the beach or attend some fun event with family and friends. On your way to your destination, you’ll share the road with large commercial and non-commercial trucks and other passenger vehicles.
Most truck drivers transport goods across the country, which is essential for a healthy economy. However, if the truck driver or someone else is reckless on the road, various kinds of truck accidents can occur – and there are reasons for concern when they do. Of all the individuals injured or killed in large truck crashes on United States roads, 71% of the fatalities and 68% of the injuries were from occupants of other vehicles – not the large truck.
The injuries and deaths resulting from the seven common types of truck accidents discussed in this blog are often the basis for personal injury claims filed against truck drivers and trucking companies. If you or a loved one was injured in a Florida truck accident, call DiBiaggio Law at (561) 473-9800 to schedule a FREE consultation with our experienced and compassionate truck accident attorney.
1. Rollover Crashes
If the truck driver loses control of their vehicle, the truck may start sliding and roll over. This poses a significant threat to vehicles traveling behind or alongside the truck. Rollovers frequently result in victims being permanently disabled, disfigured, scarred, or killed. Some causes of rollovers are:
- Speeding
- Driving too fast on a curve
- Colliding with another object on the roadway
- Over-correcting
- Defective tires
- Mechanical issues
- Poor weather conditions
2. Rear-End Collisions
The enormous size and weight difference between a large commercial truck and a standard car can easily result in passenger vehicles being crushed upon impact in rear-end truck accidents. Truck drivers require much more time and distance to slow down, avoid road hazards, or come to a safe stop behind other vehicles because large trucks are heavy and slow to maneuver.
Truck drivers who are distracted, speeding, or tailgating can cause devastating rear-end collisions with other vehicles. Driver fatigue and impaired driving are also common causes of rear-end collisions. Inexperienced or hurried truck drivers who fail to observe the FMCSA-recommended following distances also pose a risk because they need more time and space to slow or stop.
3. Head-On Collisions
Truck drivers can drift out of their lane and directly into the path of oncoming traffic when they are distracted, reckless, lose control of their trucks, or have mechanical issues. If they disregard the proper right-of-way at stop signs, red lights, or other intersections, head-on collisions can also occur. Head-on collisions with commercial trucks can be fatal for other vehicles, particularly those significantly smaller than the truck.
4. T-Bone Collisions
These accidents occur when the front of one vehicle collides directly with the side of another vehicle. T-bone collisions occur most frequently at intersections. In most cases, the at-fault driver is negligent in one of the following ways:
- Failure to come to a complete stop at a stop sign
- Failure to yield to oncoming traffic in the absence of a stop sign
- Failure to come to a complete stop at a red light
- Failure to yield to oncoming traffic while turning left
- Attempting to beat a yellow light while running a red light
T-bone collisions are extremely dangerous for those in the car hit in the side by the truck. Most cars provide less protection for occupants in a side-impact accident than in a rear-end or head-on collision.
5. Truck Tire Blowouts
Blowouts can occur if truck drivers are not diligent in checking their tires before returning to the road. When a truck tire blows out, it can force the vehicle in unexpected directions, putting other drivers at risk of collision.
6. Sideswipe Accidents
The difference between a sideswipe truck accident and a T-bone accident is that the cars involved in a sideswipe accident typically move in the same direction at the time of the crash. Truck drivers often fail to adequately check their blind spots before changing lanes or merging into traffic, resulting in sideswipe collisions between trucks and passenger cars.
These collisions are dangerous because a sideswiped vehicle may be pushed sideways into other parallel lanes of traffic, resulting in multiple vehicle pileups and additional damage, injury, and death.
7. Unsecured Load and Spilled Cargo Accidents
Trucks frequently transport large amounts of cargo. If the cargo is not correctly loaded and secured, it can fall off the vehicle and cause serious accidents with other drivers.
Schedule Your FREE Trucking Accident Lawyer Consultation with DiBiaggio Law in West Palm Beach, Florida
If you have been the victim of a truck accident or have lost a loved one, you need help from an experienced truck accident attorney to deal with the aftermath. At DiBiaggio Law, we take a personal interest in our clients. We can investigate the accident, determine who was at fault, and assist you in fighting for your legal rights for compensation.
We have had a successful record of obtaining compensation for our clients for past and future medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages for over 30 years – and we can do the same for you if we take your case. We offer a FREE consultation where we’ll review your case and give you our honest opinion. If we take your case, we’ll do so on a contingency basis, which means you won’t owe us anything unless we recover compensation for you.
DiBiaggio Law is based in West Palm Beach, Florida, and serves clients in Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade, and Monroe Counties. Call us at (561) 473-9800 or complete our online form to schedule your FREE consultation. Let us fight for you and be your voice during this challenging time.
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The information in this blog post (“post”) is provided for general informational purposes only and may not reflect the current law in your jurisdiction. No information in this post should be construed as legal advice from the individual author or the law firm, nor is it intended to be a substitute for legal counsel on any subject matter. No reader of this post should act or refrain from acting based on any information included in or accessible through this post without seeking the appropriate legal or other professional advice on the particular facts and circumstances at issue from a lawyer licensed in the recipient’s state, country, or other appropriate licensing jurisdiction.
DiBiaggio Law
605 Belvedere Road, Suite 17
West Palm Beach, FL 33405
(561) 473-9800
https://dibiaggiolaw.com
