Each year, too many people in Florida are seriously injured or even killed in accidents involving 18-wheelers and other big trucks. While it is assumed these accidents mostly happen out on the open road, many of the worst 18-wheeler accidents in Florida occur when the truck is attempting to make a turn on a narrow city street.
How Florida Wide Turn Trucking Accidents Happen
Due to their size and high center of gravity, these larges trucks, and trucks like it are unable to make the kind of sharp turns a passenger vehicle is capable of. They can only make wide turns and need a lot of room — at least 55 feet — to safely make a turn. This can be difficult when trying to maneuver through the tight, narrow lanes found in most urban areas.
If a truck driver isn’t careful when making their wide turn, they can cause what is called a “squeeze play” accident in which a vehicle gets squeezed or crushed between the truck and the curb. These types of squeeze play truck accidents can occur for many reasons — the driver failed to check their blind spots, they were distracted or lacked the proper training or experience.
Injuries That Can Result from a Florida Wide Turn Trucking Accident
As you can imagine, any passengers inside the car when the accident takes place are in danger of serious injury or even death. Making matters worse, special rescue equipment may be needed to extract the injured passengers from the vehicle. There’s also the danger of fire if the car’s fuel tank has been ruptured.
Some of the injuries that can result from a wide turn trucking accidents include:
- Bone fractures
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal injuries
- Damage to the internal organs
- Burns
- Abrasions
- Disfigurement
- Amputation
The damages caused by these injuries can be extensive, including:
- Immediate and long-term medical expenses
- Lost wages, earning capacity, or employment
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of enjoyment of life
Filing a Personal Injury Claim After an Accident Caused by a Truck Making A Wide Turn
Filing a claim to recover the losses suffered in a wide turn trucking accident can be a challenge. Gathering the evidence to support your claim may be difficult, as can identifying who was responsible for the accident. The driver may have been liable in the accident, but their employer may share responsibility as well if they know the truck driver is too inexperienced to safely complete a wide right turn or has a history of a similar accident. It may even be possible that a third-party shares liability as well, if it can be proven that a defective part, such as the truck’s wheels or brakes played a part in the accident.
To get the total compensation to which you are entitled, it is important to seek the aid of a personal injury attorney who is experienced in handling big truck accident claims.
Speak to a Florida 18-Wheeler Truck Accident Attorney About Your Claim
Have you been injured in an accident involving an 18-wheeler or other big truck in Central Florida in which the driver of the truck was at fault? Your PPL policy may not cover the full costs or your injuries. Florida state law gives you the right to file a personal injury claim with the truck driver and/or truck driver’s employers to recover the full damages caused by your injuries.
Lutz truck accident attorney Tania Rivas has helped clients in Lakeland, Winter Haven, Plant City, Auburndale, Winter Haven Cypress Gardens, Lake Alfred, and other Central Florida communities recover the compensation they deserve after being injured in a big truck accident. This includes a $425,000 settlement for the family of a passenger killed when a tractor-trailer driver ran a stop sign.
Contact Rivas Law Group today to speak with Tania Rivas about your accident and the injuries you suffered as a result. In most instances, Tania handles wide turn accident injury cases on a contingency basis, which means there are no up-front costs for her client’s and she only collects a fee after she has won your case.
