Commercial trucks remain a vital presence on Florida roads, and these vehicles contribute immensely to the Sunshine State’s economy. Unfortunately, tractor-trailers and other oversized vehicles become involved in their fair share of accidents. Some accidents involve several victims and can lead to fatalities. Worse, many accidents happen because someone was negligent.
Commercial trucks and crashes
The U.S. Department of Transportation compiles statistics related to commercial truck accidents. Several years ago, 4,995 fatalities and 106,000 injuries occurred, revealing these vehicles’ substantial dangers to other drivers and pedestrians. Truck drivers may face blame in the court of public opinion after a crash, but such assessments aren’t always fair. A car could cause a collision, as might unforeseen road hazards. No matter whose fault results in an accident, colliding with a massive tractor-trailer could result in disasters for a smaller vehicle.
Tractor-trailers require a significant distance to come to a complete stop when traveling at high speeds. That’s one reason why cutting off a commercial truck is a bad idea. Similarly, tractor-trailers shouldn’t tailgate other vehicles, but such incidents happen. Other examples of negligence reflect how otherwise avoidable accidents take place.
Negligence and truck accidents
Truck accidents could result from many mistakes, including a lack of maintenance or not correctly loading the cargo. Sometimes, uneven loads could undermine a vehicle’s performance, leading to collisions. However, moving violations and other drivers’ performance problems remain consistent reasons for crashes.
Drivers who do not take the necessary breaks might become too fatigued to operate a vehicle safely. Even those traveling while suffering from the flu could cause truck accidents due to drowsiness.
Negligence could lead to a civil suit against a truck driver or a trucking company. Those hurt by someone’s negligent actions may have a valid claim for compensation.