Trucking Accidents
Commercial trucks are massive vehicles that can cause devastating damage in a crash. Victims of trucking accidents often face life-changing injuries, overwhelming medical bills, and battles with powerful insurance companies. Understanding the most common types of truck accidents can help injured victims recognize their rights and the compensation they may be entitled to pursue.
Head-On Collisions: A head-on crash with a tractor-trailer is among the deadliest types of accidents. The size and speed of a semi-truck often leave little chance for smaller vehicles to escape severe injury. These collisions frequently occur when a truck driver is fatigued, distracted, or crosses the centerline.
T-Bone Accidents: Also known as side-impact crashes, T-bone accidents often happen at intersections when a truck runs a red light or fails to yield. Because the side of a passenger car offers minimal protection, victims in these accidents may suffer catastrophic injuries.
Jackknife Accidents: A jackknife occurs when the trailer swings out at an angle from the cab, resembling a folding knife. This usually happens when a driver brakes suddenly or loses control. Jackknife accidents often involve multiple vehicles and can shut down entire highways.
Rollover Accidents: Truck rollovers are often caused by speeding, unsafe lane changes, or improperly loaded cargo. When an 18-wheeler tips over, it can crush nearby vehicles or block the roadway, leading to chain-reaction crashes.
Underride Collisions: An underride collision occurs when a smaller vehicle slides beneath the trailer of a truck. These crashes are particularly dangerous and often fatal. Federal law requires trucks to have underride guards, but when equipment is missing or defective, victims are at greater risk.
Spilled Cargo Accidents: Improperly secured or overloaded cargo can fall onto the road, creating dangerous hazards for other drivers. Spilled cargo accidents may involve not only the truck driver but also the shipping company or loading crew.
In addition to the types above, victims may also be hurt in:
- Rear-end truck collisions
- Blind spot or “no-zone” accidents
- Wide-turn crashes
- Tire blowout accidents
Common Causes of Truck Crashes
Truck accidents in Florida can happen for many reasons, but nearly all of them come down to negligence. Whether it’s a truck driver making reckless choices or a trucking company cutting corners, the result is often the same: devastating injuries for innocent motorists. If you or a loved one has been harmed, Hughes Law Group can help you pursue justice and compensation.
Some of the most common causes our semi-truck injury lawyers investigate include:
- Driving Under the Influence (DUI): Truck drivers operating under the influence of alcohol, illegal drugs, or even prescription medication put everyone on the road at risk. A DUI-related truck accident can be catastrophic, and liability may extend to both the driver and the trucking company.
- Drowsy or Fatigued Driving: Long hours behind the wheel are a reality in the trucking industry. Unfortunately, when drivers push past federal rest requirements, fatigue sets in. Drowsy truck drivers have slower reaction times and often cause rear-end collisions, lane drifting, or head-on crashes.
- Speeding: Semi-trucks require far more distance to stop than passenger cars. When truck drivers exceed speed limits on Florida highways, they often cannot brake in time to avoid deadly accidents.
- Tailgating / Following Too Closely: Truck drivers who tailgate smaller vehicles leave no room for error. A sudden stop can lead to devastating rear-end crashes involving thousands of pounds of force.
- Failure to Obey Traffic Signs and Signals: Running red lights, ignoring stop signs, or failing to yield is a frequent cause of intersection truck accidents across Florida.
- Distracted Driving: Texting, GPS use, and other distractions behind the wheel are just as dangerous for truck drivers as for anyone else — except the consequences are far more severe due to the size of the vehicle.
- Poor Vehicle Maintenance: Worn brakes, defective tires, or broken lights can make a semi-truck unsafe. When trucking companies neglect maintenance, they may be held responsible for resulting accidents.
- Improperly Loaded Cargo: Unsecured or overloaded cargo can shift during transit, causing rollovers, jackknife accidents, or spilled cargo crashes.
If you’ve been injured in a truck accident in Florida caused by a negligent driver or trucking company, our experienced Florida truck accident lawyers are here to help. We know how to uncover the cause of the crash, hold the responsible parties accountable, and fight for the full compensation you deserve.