Types of Florida Truck Accidents

Truck accidents in West Palm Beach are very common. There are different types of truck accidents with multiple determining factors. There are also a number of causes of truck accidents, such as blind spots and potential mechanical errors. Truck accidents can vary between civilian trucks, trucks owned by private companies, and government-owned trucks. The intricacy of building a civil suit in a truck accident relies heavily on whether or not if the truck is owned by a common civilian or by some sort of bigger entity such as a company.

If you wish to learn more about the different types of truck accidents, contact an experienced attorney. A West Palm Beach truck accident lawyer may be able to provide you with more information.

Truck Blind Spots

There are many things that cause blind spot accidents such as changing lanes, making right turns, making left turns, having vehicles passing, or the side-by-side changing lanes. There are many risks with blind spots to other motorists, pedestrian’s, bicyclists, and motorcyclists. The two most common triggers are changing lanes and making turns.

Trucks are inherently large vehicles. They are long and wide and oversized vehicles. As a result, there are increased risks of blind spots because of the size of the vehicle. It is important that drivers operating the tractor trailers are even more diligent regarding what is around them, beside them, behind them, and in front of them to make sure their vehicle does not become a hazard to other motorists.

There is no difference between the damages from blind-spot accidents and any other accidents. They can result in catastrophic injuries and property damage to the car. Accidents involving tractor-trailers as a whole typically result in significant personal injuries and/or death of the occupants in the motor vehicle.

The most common location for blind spot truck accidents in Florida is on the roadway. An accident can occur anywhere on the road or highway. The driver might be changing lanes or unable to see a vehicle because of the blind spot. A truck accident can occur when the truck is backing up or is making a turn from one road at an intersection.

Accidents Involving a Municipal Waste Truck

There are many situations where a person is involved in an accident with a municipal waste truck. A garbage truck may not see a car on a residential street because it is behind them and they back up into it. A garbage truck may make too wide a turn and hit an oncoming vehicle. A garbage truck might rear end a vehicle. A garbage truck may break down on the roadway and become a hazard to other vehicles if the driver does not put out hazard warning equipment.

Determining who is to be held responsible for an injury claim is case specific. The lawyer looks at whether there is an independent insurance policy that covers the situation. When a municipal vehicle is run by the municipality, city, or a state government, that municipality may be sued. There is a limitation under the Sovereign Immunity Cap.

Injuries as a Result of Mechanical Problems

The injury claim is litigated in the same way. The injury claim is not affected when the injury is a result of a mechanical problem. One would be looking at the owner of the truck as well as the driver for their negligence and failure to maintain the vehicle. Another factor could be the driver’s failure to perform a pre-trip or post-trip inspection to be alerted to any mechanical issues with the vehicle. While the damages would not be affected, the lawyer looks into a failure to maintain the vehicle as opposed to a failure to use due care in the operation of the vehicle.

Weight of a Truck

Some trucks can weigh as much as 80,000 pounds. Weight limitations for trucks take into consideration the number of axles on the truck, the distance between the axles, and tire width.

There are weight stations on the highways that a truck must go through to make sure their weight is within regulation. A trucking company has a duty to make sure their trucks are safe, visible, and the weight is properly distributed. The truck driver must ensure that the load is properly secured and nothing is a hazard to other vehicles such as logs hanging over the truck. The trucking company has a duty to make sure its vehicles are safe and in compliance with federal and state laws.

It is common for trucks to not be in compliance with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulation as it relates to equipment and basic requirements that the truck adheres to such as lighting and reflector requirements. A trucking company may try to cut corners by using a truck that is not in compliance with the law.