Serious Truck Crashes Require Serious Representation
A collision with a tractor-trailer can be unlike any other motor vehicle accident.
The size and weight of a commercial truck can cause devastating damage to a passenger vehicle and catastrophic injuries to the people inside. A crash that lasts only seconds can leave a person facing surgery, rehabilitation, lost income, permanent disability, or the loss of a loved one.
Truck accident cases can also be considerably more complicated than ordinary car accident claims. The driver may not be the only party involved. A trucking company, vehicle owner, maintenance provider, cargo loader, manufacturer, or another party may have played a role in the crash.
At Diez-Arguelles & Tejedor, we represent people and families who have suffered serious injuries in truck and tractor-trailer accidents. We investigate what happened, identify the parties who may be responsible, and pursue the compensation available under Florida law.
If you or someone you love has been seriously injured in a truck accident, call our Orlando office for a free, confidential consultation.
Diez-Arguelles & Tejedor stands up for victims devastated by catastrophic truck accidents. Our attorneys are committed to protecting your rights and helping you pursue the maximum financial compensation needed to secure your medical recovery and long-term financial future.
Call (407) 705-2880 to learn how we can help.
Truck Accidents Can Change Lives in an Instant
Commercial trucks are substantially larger and heavier than passenger vehicles. When a tractor-trailer collides with a car, SUV, or motorcycle, the difference in size and weight can produce tremendous forces.
The consequences can include:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Paralysis
- Broken bones
- Internal injuries
- Severe burns
- Amputations
- Permanent disfigurement
- Other catastrophic injuries
- Wrongful death
The seriousness of the injuries can also make these cases more complicated financially. A person who suffers a catastrophic injury may need extensive medical treatment and rehabilitation while being unable to work for months, years, or permanently.
The true impact of a truck accident may not be fully apparent immediately after the crash.
Why Truck Accident Cases Are Different
A typical car accident may involve two drivers and their respective insurance companies.
A commercial truck accident can involve far more.
The truck driver may be an employee, an independent contractor, or operating under a different business arrangement. The truck itself may belong to another company. Maintenance may have been performed by a third party. Cargo may have been loaded by another business. A defective component may have contributed to the crash.
There may also be extensive records concerning the driver's work, the vehicle, the cargo, and the circumstances leading up to the collision.
Truck accident cases may therefore require investigation into:
- The truck driver's conduct
- The trucking company's policies and practices
- Driver qualification and training
- Hours-of-service compliance
- Vehicle inspections
- Maintenance and repair history
- Cargo loading and securement
- Electronic logging information
- Vehicle data and event-recording systems
- Dashcam or surveillance footage
- Dispatch records
- Cell phone records
- Drug and alcohol testing
- Applicable federal and state trucking regulations
The more parties and records involved, the more important a thorough investigation becomes.
What Causes Truck and Tractor-Trailer Accidents?
Truck crashes can happen for many reasons. Some involve driver behavior, while others involve the trucking company, the vehicle, the cargo, or conditions surrounding the roadway.
Common contributing factors may include:
Driver Fatigue
Truck drivers spend long hours on the road. Fatigue can affect reaction time, judgment, attention, and the ability to safely operate a large commercial vehicle.
Distracted Driving
Looking at a phone, adjusting equipment, eating, or engaging in other distracting activities can prevent a driver from recognizing a developing hazard.
Speeding or Unsafe Driving
The size and weight of a tractor-trailer make speed particularly important. Driving too fast for traffic, weather, or road conditions can make avoiding a collision much more difficult.
Impaired Driving
Alcohol, drugs, or certain medications can impair a driver's judgment, coordination, and reaction time.
Improper Vehicle Maintenance
Commercial trucks require regular inspection and maintenance. Defective brakes, worn tires, steering problems, lighting failures, or other mechanical issues can contribute to a serious crash.
Improperly Loaded or Secured Cargo
Cargo that is improperly loaded, unsecured, or distributed incorrectly can shift during transportation and affect the truck's stability and handling.
Unsafe Trucking Company Practices
A trucking company may potentially bear responsibility when its hiring, training, supervision, scheduling, maintenance, or other practices contribute to a crash.
Determining what caused a truck accident requires more than looking at the vehicles after the collision. The circumstances leading up to the crash must also be examined.
Who May Be Responsible for a Truck Accident?
One of the most important questions following a serious truck accident is who is legally responsible for the injuries and losses that resulted?
The answer is not always limited to the truck driver.
Depending on the circumstances, potentially responsible parties may include:
The Truck Driver
A driver may be responsible when negligent or unsafe driving causes the collision.
The Trucking Company
A trucking company may potentially be responsible for negligent hiring, training, supervision, scheduling, maintenance, or other conduct that contributed to the accident.
The Truck Owner
The company or individual that owns the tractor or trailer may have responsibilities relating to inspection, maintenance, and safe operation.
A Maintenance or Repair Company
A third-party company responsible for maintaining or repairing the truck may potentially be liable if negligent work contributed to the crash.
A Cargo Loader or Shipper
Improperly loaded or secured cargo can create serious hazards. Depending on the circumstances, the parties responsible for loading or shipping the cargo may need to be investigated.
A Manufacturer
A defective tire, brake component, steering system, or other vehicle component may contribute to a crash and potentially create a product liability claim.
Identifying every potentially responsible party can be particularly important in a serious injury case because different parties may have different insurance coverage and financial resources.
The Evidence Can Disappear Quickly
Truck accident investigations can be time-sensitive.
Important evidence may exist in the possession of trucking companies, drivers, insurers, maintenance providers, cargo companies, or other parties.
Some evidence may be electronic. Other records may be retained for limited periods of time.
Depending on the circumstances, an investigation may involve preserving and reviewing:
- Electronic logging device information
- Event data from the truck
- GPS and telematics data
- Driver records
- Vehicle inspection records
- Maintenance records
- Repair records
- Driver qualification files
- Dispatch communications
- Cargo records
- Bills of lading
- Dashcam footage
- Surveillance video
- Photographs
- Accident-scene evidence
- Witness statements
- Police reports
- Driver drug and alcohol testing
- Cell phone records
This evidence can help establish what happened before, during, and after the collision.
It can also help answer questions that may not be apparent from the accident report alone.
For that reason, families dealing with a serious truck accident should consider seeking legal advice promptly rather than waiting until important evidence has been lost or become more difficult to obtain.
Common Injuries in Truck Accidents
The forces involved in a tractor-trailer collision can produce severe and sometimes permanent injuries.
Depending on the circumstances, victims may suffer:
Traumatic Brain Injuries
A serious crash can cause concussions, traumatic brain injuries, bleeding, cognitive impairment, and other neurological problems.
Spinal Cord Injuries
Damage to the spinal cord can result in permanent loss of movement or sensation, including paraplegia or quadriplegia.
Neck and Back Injuries
Herniated discs, fractures, nerve damage, and other spinal injuries may require extensive treatment and rehabilitation.
Broken Bones
The force of a truck collision can cause complex fractures requiring surgery and prolonged recovery.
Internal Injuries
Internal bleeding and damage to organs may not always be immediately apparent following a crash.
Amputations and Crush Injuries
The tremendous force involved in some truck collisions can cause devastating crush injuries or traumatic amputations.
Permanent Disfigurement
Severe crashes can leave permanent scarring or other physical changes that affect a person's life long after the accident.
In the most tragic cases, a truck collision can result in death.
If You or a Loved One Has Been Injured in a Truck Accident
A serious truck accident can leave you dealing with much more than vehicle damage.
You may be facing painful injuries, mounting medical bills, missed work, uncertainty about the future, and an insurance company asking questions before you have had time to understand the full extent of what happened.
You do not have to navigate that process alone.
Diez-Arguelles & Tejedor represents people and families throughout Florida who have suffered serious injuries in truck and tractor-trailer accidents.
We can investigate the circumstances of the collision, help identify the parties who may be responsible, and pursue the compensation available under Florida law.
If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a truck accident, contact our Orlando office for a free, confidential consultation.
Serving injured individuals and families throughout Orlando and across Florida. Call Diez-Arguelles & Tejedor at 1-888-888-3773 to discuss your legal options in a free consultation.
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