Disturbing Truck Accident Statistics Are Sobering for Miami

A to Z Injury Law continues a review of motorist injuries and fatalities

While our previous blog touched on the rising danger of truck accidents and fatalities in Miami, we wanted to revisit the subject with some alarming statistics we discovered in the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicle report “Traffic Crash Facts 2018.”

Did you know there is an average of more than 16,000 large truck collisions in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade Counties each year? Of those, approximately 3,000 involve injuries or fatalities. Let’s break that down even further by county:

• An average of 720 people are injured and 15 people killed in truck collisions in Palm Beach County every year. The number of deaths went down from 2017 to 2018, however injuries rose by a third.
• Broward County experiences 892 injuries with 13 truck accident fatalities over the course of a year. Even more alarming is that the number of deaths doubled from 2017 to 2018. We are still waiting to find out if that trend continued over the next 2 years.
• Miami-Dade reported 1,227 injuries during that period, with the most casualties at 21 deaths a year on average.

How does it happen?

To be completely honest, truck accidents most often happen because of careless truck drivers. When looking at the data accumulated from the citations truckers most frequently receive as moving violations, there are some specific forms of negligence that emerges.

Whether it is speeding, improper lane changes and turns, following too closely, reckless driving, drunk or drugged driving, or failure to obey a traffic device (such as running a red light), it really illustrates the fact that truck drivers can have as high a rate of inconsiderate drivers as the general population…they can just do a lot more damage.

Can you avoid these life-threatening accidents?

Driving defensively is always a good start. A truck tractor and trailer can take up to five time the length of a passenger vehicle. If a driver moves into an adjacent lane abruptly, that length becomes a tremendous liability. Plan ahead and monitor the space around large vehicles traveling in your vicinity. Double check your blind spots and the blind spots of the trucks around you. Try not to make abrupt lane movements and always use your turn signals before moving into a different lane.

Are you a victim of a truck accident?

If you have been injured or, heaven forbid, have lost a loved one in a crash that involved a semi-tractor trailer, 18-wheeler, or other industrial vehicle, Florida law does offer you opportunities for recompense. You can rely on the legal team at A to Z Injury Law to guide you through the legal process and help you recover fair compensation for your losses.

The first step in trying to recover compensation will be filing a claim with the truck driver’s insurer, which covers up to $750,000 in damages by law. If the insurance company refuses to settle, you may then have to take your case to court. If successful, you will be able to recover amounts for Medical Costs, Pain and Suffering, and Emotional Distress.

You may also be entitled to recover monetary damages from all the individuals responsible for the truck accident, which can include parties beyond the truck operator and insurance company. The driver’s employer, the owner of the truck, the trucking company…there may be several codefendants sharing in the liability.

While truck accidents are nowhere near as common as other motor vehicle collisions, they also tend to be the most catastrophic incidents on the road. Per the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), large commercial vehicles account for approximately 13% of all traffic deaths in the US, while Florida is among the top 10 of all states in highest percentages of fatal truck crashes.

When you need to choose an Accident Lawyer for your Truck Injury case, call A to Z Injury Law

A to Z Injury Law will provide you with a no-cost consultation with one of our experienced truck accident attorneys in Miami. If you are a surviving family member of someone who was injured or killed in an accident involving a pickup, semi tractor, 18-wheeler or other commercial van or vehicle, contact us for help. That’s why we’re here.