Orlando Truck Accident Attorney

A truck accident can be a traumatic and life-altering event. The injuries, damages, and costs can be overwhelming, but you don't need to face it alone. Seeking the help of an Orlando truck accident attorney is a crucial decision to make. Their vast knowledge and experience in handling truck accidents can help you navigate through the complicated legal procedures, and ensure that you get the best possible outcome.

From investigating the accident to negotiating with insurance companies, an attorney can provide you with the representation you need to get the compensation you deserve. Don't hesitate to contact an Orlando truck accident attorney if you've been involved in a truck accident. They're ready to help you and stand up for your rights.

In 2018, a total of 4,136 people died in large truck accidents. The majority (67%) of these people were passenger vehicle occupants and another 15% were pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcyclists. Sadly, when negligent truck drivers and shipping companies cause truck accidents, innocent people suffer the consequences.

If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a collision with a semi-truck, Maaswinkel Law, P.A. is here to help. Truck drivers and shipping companies should be held responsible for their misdeeds, and you should have access to the best care available.

Common Causes of Truck Accidents

Commercial trucks weigh 20 to 30 times as much as passenger vehicles, have greater ground clearance, and take more time to stop. Further, semi-trucks and tractor-trailers have large blind spots and are much more difficult to control, especially in inclement weather.

On top of all of this, commercial trucks carry heavy, sometimes hazardous loads and spend more time on the road than other vehicles. If any part of the shipping process goes wrong, the people driving near these vehicles pay the price.

Common causes of truck accidents include:

• Inadequate truck maintenance
• Improperly loaded vehicles
• Inexperienced or untrained drivers
• Driver fatigue
• FMCSA violations
• Distracted driving
• Drowsy driving
• Drug and alcohol use
• Speeding
• Failing to yield
• Aggressive driving
• And more

If you have been injured by any of the situations or behaviors above, contact our team online or by calling us today.

Who Is Liable for Truck Accidents?

Because truck drivers are employed by shipping companies, both the truck driver and their employer may be liable for your accident. This is because employers in Florida can be held responsible for the negligence of their employees. In some situations, the negligence of shipping companies themselves causes accidents, even if the driver does nothing wrong. For example, some companies put profits over safety and overload trucks or force drivers to work unreasonable hours.

Shipping companies are notorious for causing or contributing to FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) violations. These usually have to do with training, hours worked, cargo and vehicle maintenance.

Determining liability can be tricky in truck accident cases, but our team at Maaswinkel Law, P.A. is here to help.

Types of Truck Accidents

When cars and large trucks collide, the smaller vehicle usually absorbs the brunt of the impact. Semi-trucks are much taller than passenger vehicles, which can lead to devastating underride accidents, in which the smaller vehicle slips underneath the truck.

Other common types of truck accidents include:

• Rollovers – large trucks have higher centers of gravity and are thus more likely to rollover. If other vehicles are in the way, they can be crushed by the weight of the truck. Rollovers are more common on downgrades and curves.
• Jackknifes – jackknife accidents are unique to tractor-trailers and occur when the trailer part of the vehicle skids and the driver loses control of the vehicle. The trailer then swings across many lanes of traffic to form a perpendicular angle with the tractor (or cab) of the vehicle, making a pocket-knife-like appearance. Passenger vehicles can be destroyed by a swinging trailer or collide with a trailer that abruptly blocks multiple lanes of traffic at once.
• Blind spots – truck drivers have large blind spots on all 4 sides of their vehicle, which all too often leads them to make unsafe lane changes or lose sight of vehicles in front or behind them.

If you or a loved one has been involved in any of the accidents above, we do not have to tell you how serious the consequences are. We can, however, help you cope with those consequences by pursuing maximum compensation on your behalf.

Contact our team online or by calling us today.