As one of the most populous states with hundreds of miles of coast line and international ports, our state is an international hub. This means that we are often surrounded by tractor-trailers, which can have dire consequences for those involved in truck accidents with these large commercial vehicles. For example, this week, a fellow Floridian was seriously injured after their car was impacted by a tractor-trailer on US-301.
On a recent midweek day, Florida Highway Patrol was dispatched, and the local Fire and Rescue Department reported that a car was pinned under a semi-truck after a truck accident. The seriously injured person was trapped in the vehicle, and after extraction was sent to the hospital. Two other people were also transported to the hospital.
For passenger vehicles, merging lanes and driving on Florida highways is relatively easy, but this is not so true for larger commercial trucks. Because of their size and weight, freight-bearing trucks and even empty tractor-trailers require much more time and room to safely slow or merge multiple lanes. Stopping too quickly could cause the trailer to jackknife. Merging without enough room could force the truck off the road or into surrounding passenger vehicles. When these impacts due occur, because of the size of these larger commercial trucks, passenger vehicles can be particularly susceptible to major damage and those inside can suffer major injuries.
While two of the Floridians’ injuries were not life threatening, another was taken to the hospital with severe injuries. This shows how truck accidents can result in catastrophic injuries. Thankfully, Florida law allows accident victims to recover for their injuries through a personal injury lawsuit.