Truck Accident Lawyer Serving Coral Springs

Coral Springs, Florida is not only known for its pleasant weather and sunny skies but it’s also considered a major tourist attraction due to its arts-related exhibits. For example, there is the Coral Springs Center for the Arts which features Broadway-type shows and other forms of entertainment. The “Our Town” Festival is a family-oriented event with beauty pageants, auto shows and other attractions. However, Coral Springs is also a major commercial trucking route with a large number of truck-related accidents and injuries.

In the United States, Florida is unfortunately home to the third-most number of fatalities involving large truck accidents. This is according to reports that have been compiled by the Florida Highway Safety and Motor vehicles . In 2017, large commercial trucks accounted for almost 32,000 accidents. As a result of these accidents, there were a total of 27 fatalities. Other injuries included 57 permanent disabilities and approximately 1,050 other types of injuries.

One of the main reasons why large truck accidents can be so disastrous hinges on the size of the vehicles involved. In essence, a fully loaded commercial truck can easily weigh over 80,000 pounds. Compare that to the average passenger vehicle, which can be 30 times smaller. This size disparity accounts for the serious injuries and even fatalities that occur in these types of accidents.

Should you be injured or have lost a loved one due to a truck accident in Coral Springs, the truck accident lawyers at Frankl Kominsky can try to assist you with your claim for damages including compensation for your injuries, medical expenses, lost time from work, vehicle repairs and pain and suffering.

If you happen to go out on the road and enjoy the beautiful weather in Coral Springs, you might also happen to notice the sizable number of 18-wheeler commercial trucks sharing the highway with you.

It may even cross someone’s mind that the huge piece of machinery lumbering past them is being controlled by a single person who is controlling that truck through the use of a single steering wheel, some pedals and levers. Is it possible for that individual to make an error? Of course it is! And the result of that error could be catastrophic. When this occurs, you may need the help and guidance of a truck accident lawyer who is available to serve Coral Springs .

Needless to say, a large truck accident may happen for a number of different reasons. For example, the brakes may be faulty or a tire may blowout. This is one of the reasons why trucks are mandated, under the law, to undergo routine inspections. It’s also possible that inclement weather may have a part in causing an accident. However, many truck accidents are due to the negligence of the driver. This type of accident is exceptionally tragic since it could have been avoided in the first place.

Needless to say, there are many different types of truck accidents, depending on the particular circumstances. Some of these include:

• Commercial Trucks – These types of trucks can run under a tight schedule that may result in driver fatigue when mandatory breaks are ignored.
• Semi Trucks – Accidents can easily occur when these very large trucks are loaded beyond their legal capacity.
• Tractor Trailer Trucks – A tractor trailer truck can run the risk of a “jack-knife” accident in an emergency stop situation, if the load hasn’t been properly distributed.
• Work Trucks – These trucks can be driven by employees who may not have received the proper training.
• Company or Rented Trucks – These trucks can sometimes be driven by drivers who aren’t qualified or drivers that don’t have proper supervision.
• Moving Trucks – These trucks tend to carry different types of loads such as house furniture that can be difficult to load properly. If not loaded properly, an accident may occur when the truck swerves on a sharp turn.

Some truck accidents are out of the driver’s or the truck company’s control. However, the vast majority of accidents involving moving trucks are avoidable. Although a lot of companies make sure that their drivers practice defensive driving, many companies still remain unconcerned. There are several leading causes of truck accidents in Riviera Beach:

In Coral Springs, driver fatigue makes up for a large percentage of truck accidents. Truck drivers tend to be under a good deal of pressure when it comes to delivering their cargo within a certain space of time. In addition, there are often bonuses attached for delivering their cargo in a lesser amount of time.

While it’s true that there are actual federal guidelines associated with the number of hours that a truck driver may spend driving at any one given amount of time, these limitations are often ignored. The U.S. Department of Transportation mandates the number and length of breaks and sleep time that drivers need to take. However, you will find that the majority of drivers will work far past the point in which they have started to become exhausted. There have even been cases in which commercial truck drivers have fallen asleep at the wheel, which has led to a catastrophic accident.

Another serious problem can result from the driver driving while they are distracted. Distracted driving may result when the driver is focused on something other than the road. Some of the most common situations involving distracted driving can be the use of cell phones. However, there are other common situations that involve; speaking with a passenger, using the GPS system or adjusting the stereo.

One of the most common scenarios can be seen when a severely fatigued driver is attempting to stay awake through the use of some form of entertainment.

In 2017, over 5% of large truck drivers that were involved in fatal truck accidents were determined to be under the influence of drugs. Unfortunately, it has also been determined that approximately 60% of drivers involved in fatal accidents were not tested for drugs, even though it’s been legally mandated that every commercial driver, who has been involved in a fatal accident, needs to be checked for drug use.

Some of the more common drugs that are abused are; amphetamines, alcohol and narcotics. Even over-the-counter drugs were a part of the list of drugs that were involved in these accidents.

Due to their large size, 18-wheelers actually have several “blind spots” in which the driver is unable to see another vehicle. These are located on the sides and in the rear of their trucks. In order to avoid becoming an accident victim due to this phenomenon, it’s always a good idea to just assume that the driver of a large truck is unable to see you if you can’t see their reflection in their side mirrors.

Several accidents occur each year when a driver, due to their truck’s blind spots, crashed into another motorist while making a turn or backing up their trucks.

Due to the length of a commercial truck, they can require making a wide swing when they need to make a turn. In Coral Springs, you will find some areas that don’t allow large trucks to easily maneuver, which can lead to accidents involving wide swings.

Occasionally, a driver may forget to turn on their flashers when making a turn and end up squeezing a passenger car between the truck and the curb. When these accidents occur, the truck driver is usually unable to see your car until this actually happens.

It’s no secret that a trucking company can increase their profits by placing more cargo on their trucks. However, if an 18-wheeler is loaded past its legal capacity, the load may shift and cause the driver to lose control of the vehicle. This is a huge problem and it has been addressed with a number of U.S. safety programs along with weigh stations that are located on major roads. However, despite all these precautions, overloaded trucks still remain a serious concern on our roads.

Federal commercial truck weight and size limitations may be seen at: The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration .

For example:

Semitrailers – The maximum weight that a semi is allowed to carry is:

• 20,000 lb (9,100 kg) on a single axle
• 34,000 lb (15,000 kg) on a tandem
• 80,000 lb (36,000 kg) total for any vehicle or combination
• The maximum weight, per axel, is 20,000 pounds with the axels spaced no less than 40 inches apart and no more than 96 inches apart. Its maximum width is 8.5 ft (2.6 m) and no maximum height.

U.S. Semitruck – The maximum weight (with full trailer) is 80,000 pounds that is distributed over 18 wheels. ( 23 U.S.C. 127 ).

Trucks must also be equipped with a rear-end underride protection device according to 49 C.F.R. s. 393.86

It is equipped with a substantial rear-end underride protection device meeting the requirements of 49 C.F.R. s. 393.86, “Rear End Protection.”

In Coral Springs (and throughout Florida), the law (s. 316.550) states:

• In a truck tractor-semitrailer combination, the semitrailer cannot exceed 48 feet in its overall outside dimension. This is measured from the unit’s front to its rear. This will usually exclude energy conservation and safety devices that have been approved to be utilized on open roads, by the Coral Springs Department of Transportation.
• In order to operate a semitrailer that is over 48 feet in its lengths, may only operate in Coral Springs if a special permit is used s. 316.550.

Determining just who was responsible for a large truck accident may become complicated. The parties involved may include; the driver, the trucking company and/or the loading company. While in situations in which an overloaded truck was responsible for an accident, the parties involved may not be that clear cut.

For example, in the case of overloading, the driver may have agreed to drive an overloaded vehicle in return for a substantial bonus. Or it’s possible that the trucking company authorized the loading company to place additional cargo on a truck without the driver’s notice.

Other situations may entail determining whether or not a truck part was defective straight from the factory - or whether negligence caused the defective part to be overlooked due to lack of inspections.

The experienced truck accident lawyers at Frankl Kominsky can try to help determine who is at fault for the accident and can pursue truck accident liability claims to cover your damages.

• Traumatic Brain Injuries
• Broken or Fractured Bones
• Injuries to the knee, shoulder, or hip
• Nerve Damage
• Injuries to the Spine
• Back and Neck Injuries
• Cuts and Bruises

• Medical expenses
• Therapy and rehabilitation
• Vehicle or home modifications to accommodate a disability
• Current and future lost wages
• Loss of earning capacity
• Mental anguish
• Loss of Consortium - losing a spouse, parent or child -
• Repair or replacement of your vehicle
• Other accident-related expenses

Accident reports from police: If you are injured in an accident in Coral Springs, you can report the crash to the local police or sheriff’s office. Be sure to get a copy of the accident report.

Collect Witness Statements and Contact Information: such as their name, phone number, home address, email and statement

Take Videos and Photos of the scene of the accident, property damage, and injuries (cuts, lacerations, burns, etc)

Seek Immediate Medical Care: You may go to your own doctor or to a local emergency room. Coral Springs hospitals, such as Broward Health , treat truck accident victims who have sustained a wide variety of serious injuries.

It’s important to keep a detailed record of your injuries, your treatment, and how the injury has affected your life.

If you have been involved in a truck accident and wish to file a claim in order to pursue compensation you may be entitled to two types of damages:

• Economic damages – These include: medical costs, loss of income from being out of work. And in the cases of a fatality: funeral and burial costs.
• Non-economic damages – These are damages that have no specific financial cost such as: pain and suffering, loss of companionship and issues associated with psychological trauma.

In Florida there is a Statute of Limitations when filing a truck accident lawsuit. For a negligence claim involving truck accident injuries, you will have 2 years (from the time of the accident) in order to file your lawsuit. In cases of a fatality, your estate will only have 2 years (from the time of death) in order to file. If you fail to file your lawsuit within the statute of limitations, your case will likely be dismissed You should speak to a truck accident lawyer serving Coral Springs for further guidance.

Frankl Kominsky truck accident lawyers offer over 40 years of combined court-related experience and have helped over 6,000 clients to recover their damages as a result of motor vehicle accidents.

Our legal team has secured millions of dollars of monetary benefits combined through jury verdicts as well as out-of-court settlements for their clients. We are ready to work with private investigators who can help collect evidence from the site of the accident and reports from witnesses.

At Frankl Kominsky, we offer our clients the benefits of investigation and negotiation processes that are backed by years of experience.

We understand the depth of tragedy that a truck accident can cause and will stand by you to help you have a voice, whether you decide to settle out of court or proceed with a lawsuit. While you are recovering from the accident, we are dedicated to fighting on your behalf so that you can focus on your healing.

If you are not sure whether you have a case after a truck accident, Frankl Kominsky can offer you a free consultation. If your loved one has been injured, you may have many questions for us. Discuss your case with a Truck Accident Attorney Serving Coral Springs Today! Turn to Frankl Kominsky for comprehensive legal guidance. Call 954-627-1661 or use our Contact Form to set up a free consultation.