Being involved in an accident — any accident — can have a dramatic impact on your health, life, and wellbeing, but when an accident involves the massive weight difference between a car and a fully-loaded commercial vehicle, the consequences can be deadly. Commercial truck accident litigation is a separate area of personal injury law because there are many factors that don’t exist with a car vs. car accident.
Major Differences With Commercial Trucking Accidents
As was previously mentioned, commercial trucks weigh many times more than a car. According to the Department of Transportation, the gross weight of a commercial vehicle (cab and load) is 80,000 lbs or 40 tons. The average weight of a car is about 2800 lbs. With all other things being equal a truck can strike another vehicle with as much as 30 times the amount of energy as a car moving at the same speed. So, even at slower speeds, getting in an accident with a commercial vehicle can have devastating effects.
In addition to the size disparity, a truck’s load can be hazardous. Unsecured loads can turn into fast-moving missiles. Chemical loads can be spilled. Even if everything stays intact, the weight that it adds to the overall impact is substantial.
Common Truck Accident Injuries
Although the injuries that you can sustain in a truck accident are similar to those with a car accident, there is a much greater likelihood of serious injuries in a truck accident. Here are some of the more common injuries that occur during truck accidents:
- Broken bones
- Severed limbs
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
- Whiplash
- Soft-tissue injuries
- Burns
- Death
Truck Driver Requirements in Florida
Because the long-term effects of trucking accidents are so prevalent, truckers have additional guidelines they must follow to operate their massive vehicles. Truck drivers must have a CDL (commercial driver’s license) to operate a vehicle. In addition, there are different classifications depending on the weight of the rig. Drivers must also keep a logbook to show the hours and miles that they’ve driven. Drivers may drive 12 hours after they’ve had 10 hours off duty. They may also not drive more than 70 hours after seven days or 80 hours after 80 days.
If You’ve Been Involved in a Truck Accident
If you’ve been injured in a truck accident, you could be facing a long and painful recovery without income. But you are entitled to compensation for your injuries. Trucking companies and commercial enterprises carry large insurance policies, but these insurers tend to be very aggressive. It’s not uncommon for a representative from the insurer to respond to the scene of the crash and offer you a check right there. When you’re facing hospitalization, lost wages, and other expenses, this money will be very tempting.
If you’ve been injured in a truck accident, you could be facing a long and painful recovery without income. But you are entitled to compensation for your injuries, this is why you need to hire the best truck accident lawyers. Trucking companies and commercial enterprises carry large insurance policies, but these insurers tend to be very aggressive. It’s not uncommon for a representative from the insurer to respond to the scene of the crash and offer you a check right there. When you’re facing hospitalization, lost wages, and other expenses, this money will be very tempting.
But there’s a catch. These offers generally require you to sign a waiver of liability. If you sign it, you will not be able to request additional funds. In many cases, the initial offer is insufficient to cover all of your damages. It’s not recommended that you take this offer.
If you’ve been injured in an accident with a commercial truck, get medical attention immediately, and contact a personal injury lawyer who handles Florida truck accidents.
Learn more about truck accident law at fasigbrooks.com.
