Sarasota Truck Accident Attorney
According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), more than 4,440 commercial vehicles are involved in accidents every year. These statistics are particularly alarming because injuries sustained in truck accidents tend to be especially devastating, often leaving victims to suffer with permanent disability, chronic pain, and ruinously expensive medical bills. In these cases, it is critical for injured parties to speak with an experienced Sarasota truck accident attorney who can help them seek compensation for their losses.
Driver Error
Like any other type of vehicle-related accident, collisions that involve commercial trucks can and do occur for a variety of reasons. However, data published by the FMCSA reveals that truck accidents are the result of truck driver negligence at least 50 percent of the time, which includes:
- Speeding, swerving, tailgating, or otherwise driving aggressively, which can be linked to nearly 25 percent of truck accidents;
- Driving while intoxicated;
- Truck driver fatigue, which accounts for around 13 percent of all truck accidents; and
- Violating a traffic law, which was responsible for almost ten percent of all collisions that involved commercial vehicles.
In many cases, more than one of these factors played a role in a crash. For instance, many driver errors can be attributed to improper training or inadequate supervision, while others stem from driver distraction or fatigue caused by pressure to meet unrealistic deadlines.
Liable Parties
When more than one cause can be attributed affirmatively to an accident, an injured party could stand to recover damages from not only the driver, but also that individual’s employer. This is especially common in cases where an accident can be at least partially linked to improper tire or brake maintenance, other mechanical failure, and cargo spills from improper loading procedures, or if there is evidence that the employer failed to take reasonable care when hiring or training. Other potentially liable parties include:
- The truck’s owner if it failed to properly maintain its trucks;
- The manufacturer of a specific vehicle part, if a defect or malfunction caused an accident;
- A negligent mechanic or repair shop that failed to use reasonable care or to properly inspect the vehicle; or
- The manufacturer of hazardous cargo if adequate warnings were not given to the trucking company or truck driver responsible for transporting it.
While any one of these entities or individuals can be held liable for truck accidents caused by their negligent or reckless conduct, it is not uncommon in these kinds of cases for more than one party to be held at least partially responsible. This is possible because Florida is a comparative negligence state, which means that each party that contributed to an accident can be held liable for his or her percentage of fault. This also applies to plaintiffs themselves, so even if an injured party contributed in some way to his or her accident, he or she will not be completely barred from recovery.
Schedule a Free Consultation Today With Experienced Sarasota Truck Accident Attorneys
At HD Law Partners, our experienced Sarasota truck accident legal team is dedicated to helping victims recover for injuries they sustained through no fault of their own. Please call 800-876-3392 today to learn more about your legal rights and options.
