Your Daytona Beach Attorney for Truck Accident Injuries
When an automobile accident involves a large truck or commercial vehicle, the damage to property and bodily harm can be catastrophic. Truck wrecks have taken the lives of 4,700 people in 2017 and caused injuries to tens of thousands of others. Most of the trucks involved in fatal accidents are tractor-trailers, and the majority of those killed are people in cars and other smaller vehicles. Large trucks are involved in about 1 in 10 highway deaths, even though they account for just 4 percent of the 268 million vehicles on the road. Cars are much lower to the ground than trucks, so they can slide underneath a semi in a crash. Known as underride accidents, they are often fatal even at slow speeds. The car occupants may end up crushed, trapped, or decapitated. If they survive, it is typically with severe head or neck injuries. A fully loaded semi-truck can weigh up to 80,000 pounds or 40 tons. The typical car weighs about 3,000 to 4,000 pounds. Trucks cannot slow down or stop as fast as cars and will hit cars at higher speeds and produce a greater impact, leaving the occupants with devastating and often fatal injuries.
Common Causes of Truck Injuries
- Driver error is a contributing factor in most fatal crashes involving large trucks. Truck driver errors were a factor in almost one third of truck crashes, according to the Federal Motor carrier Safety Administration, which oversees safety practices for truck drivers and other commercial motor carriers. Examples of these driver errors include speeding, distraction and inattention, failure to yield right of way, impairment (Fatigue, Alcohol, illness, etc.) or careless driving.
- Truck driver fatigue is a big problem in the trucking industry. The truckers work long hours and many only take naps instead of extended sleep. A Federal study found truckers averaged only 4.8 hours of sleep per day. More than half reported at least one 6-minute interval of drowsiness while at the wheel.
- Distracted driving: A study by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration found that distractions played a role in over 70 percent of commercial vehicle crashes and 46 percent of near crashes.
- Nearly 30 percent of all crashes in work zones involve large trucks. Over the past 5 years, more than 1,00 people were killed and 18,000 were injured in work zone accidents involving large trucks.
- Driving under the influence: More than half of the truck drivers who tested positive for drugs were found to have stimulants in their system. The next most commonly detected drugs were Marijuana and narcotics.
Verdicts & Recoveries
Attorney William Ogle has successfully handled thousands of truck related accidents involving personal injuries. Truck drivers, truck companies, and other parties may be held responsible for an accident that was caused by negligence or oversight. Truck companies have a duty to safely and properly maintain the vehicle’s brakes, tires, and overall condition of their trucks. Cargo is sometimes improperly loaded into vehicles, which may lead to dangerous shifting of cargo within the vehicle, and can cause flips, turns, and spills.
What Kind of Compensation Can You Seek in a Personal Injury Lawsuit?
- Medical and hospital expenses, past and future
- Mental and physical pain and suffering
- Physical impairment, disfigurement
- Lost income starting from the time of the accident and projected until you recover
- Lost earning capacity
- Rehabilitation
- Property damage- your car may be repaired or replaced
- Loss of consortium
- Lost capacity to enjoy life
- If a loved one lost their life as a result of another’s negligence, the survivors may seek compensation in a wrongful death lawsuit
Contact Daytona Beach Personal Injury Attorney William Ogle for a free Case Review
Daytona Beach personal injury attorney, William Ogle and Parama Liberman are experienced, effective, and successful plaintiff’s rights lawyers. William Ogle also holds the distinction of National Board-Certified Civil Trial Specialist. No Fees Unless We Win your case. To schedule your complimentary consultation, call our office in Daytona Beach at (386) 253-2500 or at our Alachua office at (386) 462-0476.