Orlando Car Accident Lawyer Blog

In representing car accident victims that were injured by commercial trucks we find it helpful to educate folks about car-truck accidents. Perhaps, you or your clients will benefit from these common questions and answers that arise in truck litigation:

“What is a commercial truck?”
A commercial truck is a vehicle used in the course of business and/or for the transport of commercial goods, including eighteen-wheeler tractor trailers, tanker trucks, delivery trucks, and other large freight trucks.

What are the common causes of truck accidents?
There are many contributing factors to reasons why a truck accident occurs in the first place. These accidents are usually caused by a combination of a truck’s unique characteristics and performance capabilities (limits associated with acceleration, braking, and visibility) and car drivers' ignorance of these characteristics. However, some other causes of trucking accidents include: lack of training on the part of the truck driver; overloaded trucks; oversized trucks; ill-maintained brakes on the trucks; driving in conditions of poor visibility; Fatigued, sleepy or tired driver driving too long and too many hours without rest; speeding or driving at speeds beyond the road or weather conditions; running off the road; failure to yield the right of way; truck drivers under the influence of drugs and alcohol while driving; reckless truck driver with a long record of truck accidents; unsafe safety systems, reflectors, lights and other warning devices; and, failure to have installed an underride protection underguard.

Are trucking companies regulated by the Federal Government?
Yes. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration establishes rules and regulations which govern commercial motor vehicles and the companies who operate these vehicles. Their stated purpose is to attempt to make the interstate highways safer.

Who can be sued in a truck accident case?
Any person or entity that was at fault for causing the accident can be sued. This can include the truck driver and the trucking company, the owner of the trailer, the shipper, as well as any other driver, person or entity who in anyway contributed to the accident, such as the manufacturer of one of the vehicles involved in the accident, the manufacturer of a tire that contributed to the accident or the owner of any public or private property whose negligence contributed to the accident.