Tractor-trailers can cause hazards on Florida roads when their drivers make unsafe wide turns. Collisions with other vehicles often result, and people in those vehicles may suffer serious injuries because of the truck’s massive size and weight. If you have been hurt in a crash caused by a wide turn, you should seek legal advice from the experienced Miami truck accidents at the Law Offices of Robert Dixon. We work hard to protect the rights of ordinary individuals injured in many types of vehicle collisions across South Florida. Even if you are not sure that you have a claim, it is worth the time to contact us and discuss the details of your case.
Dangers of Wide TurnsTrucks are naturally more challenging to steer than cars, since they often can stretch 50 feet long and weigh 40 tons or more. This huge size also means that trucks have larger blind spots than most ordinary vehicles, which can make it difficult to see others on the road. While completing a wide turn requires alertness and care from even the most experienced driver, people who operate large trucks are expected to make these turns safely. Commercial drivers are trained in the details of how to make these turns without endangering people or property around them. Otherwise, their trucks can inflict life-changing injuries or even death on other drivers, passengers, pedestrians, and bystanders.
Holding Negligent Truck Drivers Liable for Wide-Turn CollisionsPeople who are injured because a commercial driver was careless in making a wide turn can file a negligence claim to seek compensation. These personal injury actions usually proceed through three steps. An accident victim must prove that the negligent driver owed the victim a duty of reasonable care, breached that duty, and inflicted injuries on the victim because he or she breached the duty.
The duty of reasonable care is defined as what an ordinary person would do under similar circumstances. It is expected that the ordinary driver will operate a vehicle in a way that respects the safety of others on Florida roads. For truck drivers, that duty includes executing a wide turn properly to avoid injuring those around them. If a driver is careless in making a wide turn, therefore, that action is a breach of his or her duty to drive with reasonable care. A victim may be able to recover damages if the negligently executed wide turn caused an accident in which the victim suffered injuries. If the victim’s own carelessness was partly responsible for the injuries, however, recovery will be reduced in proportion to his or her percentage of fault.
Compensation for injuries in a truck crash can account for both objective and subjective injuries. Objective injuries typically consist of economic losses, such as lost wages and bills for hospital care and ongoing medical treatment or physical therapy. By contrast, subjective injuries may include pain and suffering or emotional distress. To preserve your right to seek these damages, you must file a personal injury action within four years of the vehicle collision in which you were harmed.
You should consider filing a claim against the truck company that employed the driver as well. The company may be held indirectly liable for the driver’s negligence if the driver acted within the scope and course of his or her employment. The company also may be held directly liable for failing to adequately train a driver who improperly completed a wide turn.
If a close family member died in a truck accident, moreover, you may be able to pursue a wrongful death claim to relieve the financial burden associated with the death. While these damages clearly cannot compensate you for your personal grief, you may be able to get damages for the medical and funeral expenses of your loved one. Wrongful death actions also can award damages for loss of companionship, loss of consortium, and sometimes mental anguish.
Contact an Experienced Accident Lawyer in MiamiAt the Law Offices of Robert Dixon, our attorneys offer thorough and thoughtful advice to people injured in truck collisions near Miami and other major Florida cities. We provide compassionate and capable service in negotiating settlements or, when necessary, pursuing an action in court. Our aggressive personal injury lawyers know the twists and turns that a truck crash case can take. We can prepare you for what to expect and outline a strategy to help you pursue the compensation that you deserve. We have offices across South Florida, including in West Palm Beach. Call 877.499.4878 or contact us online to schedule a first meeting with our lawyers at no cost to you.