201710.16

Motor Vehicle Accident Involving Tractor-Trailer in Orlando Leaves One Dead

A recent crash on Interstate 4 in central Florida involving a tractor trailer left one person dead. According to a report from the Orlando Sentinel regarding the occurrence, the accident occurred in the middle of the day just outside Orlando. A motorist in a car struck a concrete barrier, bounced off the barrier and ricocheted back into traffic. The car then pulled in front of a tractor trailer, which could not stop in time and struck the motor vehicle. The driver of the car was killed and traffic was backed up for miles leading into Orlando as police investigated and the roadway was cleared of debris.

The Hazards Presented by Tractor Trailers on Florida’s Roadways

Tractor trailer accidents occur with alarming regularity on Florida’s highways. Although the Orlando accident in the article referenced above was caused by a motorist who hit a construction barrier and then rocketed back into traffic, the motorist may not have been dead if he or she had been hit by another passenger vehicle instead of a tractor trailer. Tractor trailers can weigh 35,000 pounds when empty and up to 80,000 pounds when carrying a full load. Given that amount of weight, it is difficult for such a heavy vehicle to brake rapidly if it needs to, which can result in serious injury or death like in the recent Orlando accident.

To compound the problem, and despite the existence of federal and state laws which regulate the number of hours that tractor trailer drivers can drive in a day or the speeds at which they are permitted to travel, these laws are routinely ignored. Therefore, a motorist on Interstate 95, Interstate 75, or any other highway in Florida may be behind an 80,000 pound vehicle driven by someone who is tired from driving all day and may not be awake or aware enough to brake suddenly when called upon to do so. In addition, the truck’s driver may be exceeding the speed limit, as most large trucking companies pay their drivers by the mile driven, which causes a perverse incentive for the driver to drive his or her load faster in order to get to the final destination more quickly. Finally, many truck drivers prefer to drive at night when the roads are less congested, which can make them tired and less able to react quickly when called upon to brake suddenly, whether during the evening or during the day.

Contact Schwed Adams if You Have Been Involved in an Accident with a Tractor-Trailer in Florida

At Schwed, Adams, Sobel & McGinley, our experienced personal injury attorneys have represented clients who have been seriously injured in a variety of different scenarios, including trucking accidents, for decades. The experienced personal injury attorneys of our firm have over 150 years of combined legal experience representing accident victims throughout Florida. Over 90 percent of our firm’s practice is in the areas of automobile and trucking accidents and we have represented dozens of clients who had the unfortunate luck to be involved in an accident with a tractor trailer or semi-truck. We understand the devastating consequences that an accident with a tractor trailer can take on a family and we will do everything in our power under Florida law to help make you and your family whole for the devastating losses that often accompany such accidents. If you or one of your loved ones have been involved in a collision with a tractor trailer in Florida, contact our firm today at contact@schwedlawfirm.com or by telephone at (877) 694-6079 for a free consultation regarding your legal rights.