Trucking Accidents

Our Jacksonville truck accident lawyers have handled personal injury cases arising from trucking accidents for more than 18 years. Jacksonville is a major transportation corridor due to the presence of I-10, I-95, the port of Jacksonville, and the multitude of companies headquartered here that ship freight. As a result, the Jacksonville area sees more than its fair share of trucking accidents causing serious injuries and fatalities.

Trucking accidents often cause the most tragic of injuries. This is due in part to the sheer size and weight of a tractor-trailer compared to a passenger vehicle. Large eighteen wheelers can cause catastrophic damage to a normal vehicle even in low speed accidents. This is not surprising when you consider tractor-trailers can weigh up to 80,000 pounds compared to just 3,000 to 4,000 pounds for most types of cars. A crash with a large semi-truck can have the same impact as colliding with twenty cars simultaneously.

When handling a trucking collision case, it is important that you select an attorney with experience in this area of the law. The Department of Transportation governs the use of tractor-trailers and heavy commercial vehicles. There are specific laws, including the weight of the load, the use of lights on the trailer, vehicle maintenance, and driver credentials and licensing.

For example, it is important to obtain the trucker’s driving log so the number of hours on the road leading up to the collision can be determined. Federal law regulates the number of hours that can be driven during a set period of time. Because downtime costs truckers money, they and their employers are often tempted to break these laws. The results can be tragic as we saw a few years ago in Lake Butler, Florida, when a truck driver fell asleep and rear-ended a vehicle causing the death of seven children.

Sometimes trucking accidents occur when a tractor-trailer attempts to make a right turn. If the driver does not make the turn wide enough, the trailer will “cut the corner” and can leave the roadway or lane of travel and strike a pedestrian or another vehicle. Other trucking accidents can occur if the trailer is not easily visible, especially at night. An unlit trailer without sufficient reflective tape can be very hard to see and can result in a person pulling out between the tractor and the trailer or striking a stopped trailer in the rear.

Our Jacksonville truck accident lawyers previously represented insurance companies defending trucking companies. Because of this experience, we know the strategy and mindset of insurers and trucking companies when handlings these claims. We believe knowing their “playbook” gives us an upper hand when representing people injured in trucking accidents.

We will be happy to discuss your personal injury case resulting from a truck crash either in person, over the phone or by e-mail at no cost or obligation to you. If we accept your case, you will never pay us anything unless and until we make a recovery for you. We can meet either at our downtown Jacksonville office, our office in Orange Park, or, if convenient, at or near your home.