Coral Springs Truck Accident Attorneys

Put Decades of Experience on Your Side

Florida is a long trek for truck drivers. In fact, truck drivers around the country travel long distances, often without stopping, in order to meet strict deadlines for the shipments and orders they carry. Truckers’ tight schedules, complicated equipment, and heavy cargo loads—while necessary to get their jobs done—can all contribute to serious accidents if not handled properly.

Law Offices Cytryn & Velazquez, P.A. handles truck accident claims all over the State of Florida. Truck accident cases often involve more severe injuries and deaths than other accident claims, which can result in millions of dollars in damages and large jury verdicts. Our Coral Springs truck accident attorneys have gained a deep understanding of how such cases work during their decades of legal experience. If you or someone you love has been seriously hurt or killed in a trucking collision, we will fight to ensure you obtain the medical treatment and financial compensation you deserve.

To discuss your case with our truck accident attorneys, contact us to set up your free, no-obligation legal consultation today.

Common Truck Accident Causes

According to a recent annual report by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), there were approximately 93,000 people injured nationwide by truck accidents. Sadly, 3,000 of those accidents resulted in fatalities. The DOT determined that fatigue, alcohol use, and speeding are the top three reasons why truck accidents occur. However, there are many other causes that result in truck accidents on the road by truck drivers.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) conducted a study to examine the reasons why truck accidents occur. The results from the study demonstrate that truckers often lose control of the wheel because of weather conditions, going too fast for the cargo load, a shift in the cargo, or a malfunction in the truck’s system.

Other causes of truck accidents listed by DOT include:

• Brake problems
• Traffic flow interruption
• Prescription drug use
• Unfamiliarity with roadway
• Roadway problems
• Over-the-counter drug use
• Inadequate surveillance
• Inattention or distraction

Though most truckers try to do the best job for their employers or whoever hired them to deliver their load, unfortunately, many of them are sleep deprived. Some may use drugs or other substances to stay awake. Regardless of how they try to cope, truck drivers often swerve, lose control of their vehicle, or fall asleep at the wheel due to fatigue, resulting in deadly accidents.

Of course, the truck driver is not always the cause of the accident. Often it is the fault of another driver. In other situations, there are underlying issues with poor truck maintenance, which may cause the driver to lose control of a big rig while driving. Under those circumstances, the trucking company would be held accountable for the accident.

Truck Accident Prevention

To prevent truck accidents, drivers are required to follow federal regulations. Among the list of regulations, truck drivers must undergo drug and alcohol testing, have specific qualifications, and satisfy special training requirements. The FMCSA has the complete list of federal regulations for truck drivers.

In addition to federal regulations, trucks are required to follow state regulations. Each state has specific regulations that trucks must comply with.

The Florida Department of Transportation lists the main requirements for trucks as follows:

• All parts and equipment must be in full working condition
• They must display a Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles fuel decal if the vehicle exceeds 26,001 pounds in gross weight or if the power unit has three or more axels, regardless of weight, and if operating interstate
• They must display a valid Florida or USDOT number
• They must have a valid and current tag registration
• They must not exceed size and weight limits

To avoid being involved in a truck accident, individuals driving standard motor vehicles should be more alert and cautious when driving by trucks.

The first recommendation is to not drive next to a large truck when possible. The size of big rigs creates massive blind spots, so motorists should keep a safe distance from trucks at all times. If an individual is unsure of the appropriate distance, a good method to use is to make sure you can see the truck’s side mirrors. If you can’t see the mirrors, then the truck driver can’t see you.

Also, avoid aggressive driving such as cutting off a truck or speeding past a truck. Excessive speed may cause the truck driver to “miss” a vehicle when switching lanes or making turns. If a truck driver is swerving or demonstrating unsafe driving practices, report the truck to the authorities.

What Are the Hours of Service Regulations?

Because truck accidents can cause so much damage to other motorists on the road, truck drivers are required to follow more regulations than other motor vehicles. One of these rules, called the hours of service regulation, regulates how long a trucker can be on the road and when they must take breaks in order to prevent fatigued driving accidents. According to these rules:

• Truck drivers can work up to 14 hours in a day but can drive for 11 hours
• Drivers must rest for at least 10 hours before starting a new day
• Truck drivers must take days off at regular intervals

Truck Accident Liability

Determining liability in a truck accident case often comes with additional challenges. With so many people and companies involved in a single truck—the driver, the loading company, the trucking company, product manufacturers, repair staff, etc.—it can sometimes be difficult to determine who exactly is to blame for a crash, especially if it was caused by a mechanical error or something else outside of the driver’s control. Our many years of experience handling these types of cases place us in a unique position to fully appreciate the complexities of these cases.

We once handled a lawsuit involving a truck that was improperly loaded. When the truck driver went to unload, some metal joists that had shifted during the transport fell on his arm, breaking it. We hired a truck expert who was a professor at the University of Miami who helped determine the loading company was at fault, and we were successful in obtaining a settlement for the injured young man who we represented. Visit our verdicts and settlements page to see more examples of our results.

If you are the victim of a truck accident, call the Coral Springs truck accident lawyers now at (954) 833-1440 for your free consultation.