There are nearly 650 accidents involving cars, trucks, and bicycles every single day in Florida. With some of the most dangerous roads in the country and some 400,000 crashes every year, driving comes with a high-risk factor, according to the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FHSMV). These accidents become even riskier and much more serious when the vehicles include one as large and dangerous as a fuel truck. Fuel trucks carry a lot of weight, and even worse, they often carry flammable fuel as cargo.
When carrying flammable fuel like gasoline, the chances of fire and explosion increase dramatically. If either of these occurs, the blast could include a huge number of vehicles or pedestrians and could cause large amounts of property damage. This can make it a tough task for the emergency services when they arrive. It also means that any investigators who turn up to investigate the crash scene may find it difficult to examine, and this could hamper their efforts to assign liability. If you are the victim, this makes seeking the help of a skilled and experienced Englewood fuel truck accident lawyer essential if you want to seek the correct and fair compensation owed to you.
Here at The Law Place, our Englewood truck accident lawyers have over 75 years of combined experience in dealing with cases just like yours. Our team has seen it all over the years, and we will be able to analyze your case in a speedy manner, offering immediate legal advice that could aid your case and building a strong attack strategy that will allow us to fight aggressively for the compensation that you deserve.
We are that confident in our abilities that if we fail to get you the compensation you deserve, you won’t face a single cost. Call us today to schedule a free consultation at (941) 444-4444.
Common Causes of Truck Accidents
There are countless reasons why a truck accident might occur. Some of them are extremely common, some not so. The damages caused following an accident involving multiple passenger vehicles tend to have the worst and highest damages and result in more serious injuries and huge property damage.
One of the main problems truck drivers face is that the size and shape of commercial trucks make them extremely prone to blind spots, and this can make it near impossible to see certain hazards before it is too late. Another problem is the weight and braking capabilities of the vehicle. The heavier the vehicle, the longer it takes to stop when you slam on the breaks. This means that drivers need to be especially alert as they will need longer to maneuver in an emergency than a normal car.
Then you have the other drivers on the road. Most drivers lack the ability to predict what a truck driver is going to do in any given situation. This makes it hard to accurately predict certain movements that could give them the chance to move out of the way and avoid the collision.
These are just a few of the reasons why a truck accident might occur in Englewood, Florida, but they aren’t the only ones. Here is a list of common causes of accidents like this:
- Another driver made an unexpected and unpredictable lane change or maneuver in front of the truck driver that gave the truck driver little to no time to react.
- The driver of the truck was engaging in distracted driving behavior, such as texting while driving, looking in the mirror at themselves, eating food, or messing with the radio.
- The truck driver was not following the proper protocol in terms of resting and was driving while fatigued. This happens when trucking companies place huge amounts of pressure on drivers to keep driving even though taking sufficient rest periods is a legal requirement.
- The driver has not received the relevant and sufficient training required by law by the trucking company.
- The truck had been loaded up incorrectly, either with an uneven load or an overweight load that the driver was unaware of.
- There was a mechanical malfunction in the truck which led to the accident. There are a number of ways mechanics can malfunction, including broken brake lights, indicators, and headlights, meaning that fellow drivers are unaware of upcoming maneuvers.
- The driver was engaging in reckless driving such as speeding, tailgating, or road rage. If any of these can be proved by evidence, it is an immediate indicator that the duty of care was breached by the driver. By breaching their duty of care to other road users, liability can be assigned that the driver was at fault or partly at fault for the accident. Part of this fault may lie with the company that owns the large truck and hired the driver.
- The accident occurred when the truck driver was driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Nobody should be involved in a truck accident when it wasn’t their fault. If you have been unfortunate enough to be involved, you may be entitled to seek compensation for your injuries and damages. In order to seek a fair settlement in this situation, your best option is going to be to seek the help of an experienced personal injury truck accident attorney, such as those found here, at The Law Place.
The Florida legal system is complex and tricky to navigate without a wealth of experience. This can make seeking compensation extremely difficult on your own. We are committed to fighting for our clients and won’t rest until we have given every possible effort. Don’t suffer in silence, alone. Call us today and schedule a free consultation with a member of our team.
Dangers of Fuel Truck Accidents
The results of a fuel truck accident can be extreme, often resulting in serious injuries that could last a lifetime. Victims might face emotional or physical trauma, as well as financial problems as a result of huge medical bills.
If you are involved in a fuel truck accident, the resulting injuries are often more severe than normal car accidents. With the increased risk of fire and explosion you might be facing:
- Neck and spinal cord injuries.
- Broken or fractured bones.
- Internal bruising and bleeding.
- Organ damage.
- Traumatic brain injuries.
- Wrongful death.
Whilst money may not necessarily heal the emotional and physical effects of these injuries, it will ease the stress involved in your recovery. Knowing you will not have to deal with lost income and expensive medical bills will enable you to focus on what is really important, your recovery, health, and wellbeing.
No one should be held financially responsible for their injuries and damages when they were caused by the negligence of another driver. The pain and suffering caused by the other driver should be dealt with by an experienced Englewood personal injury attorney. You deserve compensation for everything you and your family have had to deal with as a result of the accident.
Here at The Law Place, our team of skilled and experienced attorneys will prioritize your health and wellbeing, as well as your attorney-client relationship. This means we will take the reins, removing the stress involved in personal injury cases. We will take care of the complicated paperwork, we will deal with the insurance companies, and we will build a case whilst you rest and recover.
Contact The Law Place today for a free consultation with a member of our team.
We’re here to serve you. Our phones are open 24 hours a day. What Is Duty of Care?
According to Florida Statute 316.208, every single driver on the road has a legal obligation regarding their duty of care to other users of the road. This means that you need to act in a reasonable manner to ensure the safety of everyone else. This applies to drivers, pedestrians, and passengers.
The statute is clear and applies to everyone on the road, no matter what kind of vehicle they are driving. Small cars have the same rules as large trucks in terms of responsibility to other drivers and pedestrians.
In order to successfully win a case, your attorney will seek to prove that the other driver, or the company they work for, acted negligently, thus causing the accident and breaking their duty of care to you.
To do this, they must prove:
- You were owed a duty of care.
- This duty of care was breached.
- This breach led to the accident and caused your injuries/damages.
We’re Florida’s top litigation team with over 75 years of combined experience Who Can Be Held Responsible for a Truck Accident?
Determining who was responsible for an accident is an extremely difficult task, even more so when there has been damage from an explosion or fire. This can make the task of an accident investigator a challenging one, as the evidence they would normally use may have been destroyed in the fire/explosion.
There are countless different reasons why an accident might occur. Drivers may be under the influence of alcohol/ drugs, or there may have been a mechanical fault. Most truck accidents occur because of trucking company negligence, however. When companies are more focused on profit than the safety of their drivers and other road users, accidents are bound to happen. Especially when they force drivers to work longer shifts than they are legally allowed, load the truck up with more weight than recommended, or use drivers who have not got the training necessary to drive such a dangerous load.
Figuring out whether the accident is due to the result of the trucking company is one of the jobs your attorney will be able to do for you. They will collect evidence on your behalf, combined with your statement and injuries, and will hold the company or driver, depending on who is at fault, liable for your compensation. Trucking companies are often huge corporations, with lots of money to throw at fighting your case and hiring strong legal teams.
Luckily, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, a legal body that monitors and regulates the actions of these companies, ensures that you have a good chance of holding them responsible.
Here at The Law Place, we never back down from a fight, and with many years of experience fighting companies ranging from small to behemoth, we know what we are doing. We will fight tooth and nail to ensure you are treated fairly. We don’t care how big the company is, you have the right to compensation for your damages, and we will ensure you get it.
We offer a free consultation service so that you can meet a member of our team and get some free legal advice, no strings attached. We know that it is massively important that you feel comfortable with your attorney, so call us today and let us put your mind at ease.
From the initial call to updates on your case status, we are here to get you answers. What Damages Will a Fuel Truck Accident Attorney Help Me to Claim in Englewood, Florida?
Although every single vehicle on the road has the potential to cause an accident that results in injury and property damage, accidents involving fuel trucks are typically more devastating. The injuries that result from such an accident are usually more severe and the damages higher. Time spent off work and medical bills can quickly add up to financial problems, and in some cases, damages can be so high that your insurance company won’t cover all of it. This makes it so important to seek compensation with a skilled truck accident lawyer.
There are a number of damages that you may have faced and can be included in your claim by your truck accident lawyer, including:
- Medical bills – With the cost of medical care in the United States being so expensive, bills add up quickly, especially when injuries are severe and require ongoing treatment and specialist attention. You can seek compensation for all of these expenses, from treatment to prescriptions and traveling to and from the hospital or doctors. By law, you can seek damages for all past, current, and future medical bills.
- Loss of income – Following a traumatic truck accident, you may have to take time off work to deal with your injuries or mental trauma. This can lead to a loss in income that may leave you and your family in a tough situation. Your truck accident attorney will review your case and determine how much you are entitled to, including any potential future losses of income that you might face.
- Property damage – If you have been involved in an accident with a fuel truck, you will most definitely have some serious damage to your vehicle. You can seek damages to repair this and even for any personal possessions inside the vehicle at the time.
- Pain and suffering – Certain damages are difficult to place a firm monetary value to. Common examples are mental and emotional trauma and suffering following an accident. A skilled truck accident attorney will be able to work out what you are entitled to.
- Loss of enjoyment – If, as a result of your accident, you have found you no longer enjoy life to the same degree, you should discuss this with your personal injury lawyer. This can include being unable to take part in hobbies or being scared to drive again.
- Wrongful death – Florida Statute 768.21 states that, following a traffic accident, any family who has lost a family member in an accident has the right to claim compensation for their loss.
Contact The Law Place Today
Fuel truck accidents can be severe and may lead to horrific injuries and damages on a large scale, especially when the collision is with a pedestrian, bicycle, or small vehicle.
If you or someone you love has been involved in a truck accident that wasn’t their fault, then you may be entitled to compensation. The first step you should take is to seek the advice of a law firm like The Law Place. We offer a free consultation to enable you immediate access to legal advice that could prove instrumental in a successful compensation claim.
Remember, the truck company will most likely have an aggressive legal team working for their insurance division. They will be working against you from the moment you crash, so even the odds a little. Don’t let them bully you. Speak to us and have an attorney ruin their efforts.
We work on a contingency basis. If you don’t win, you don’t pay, so there is nothing to lose.
Don’t put it off any longer. Contact us today and arrange a free consultation with a member of our team. Our lines are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so call us now at (941) 444-4444.
