Speeding Truck Accidents

Driving at an excessive speed is always dangerous to others on the road. However, when a massive commercial truck engages in such activity, the potential for injury to other motorists increases vastly. Unfortunately, truck accidents caused by speeding are not uncommon, as drivers rush to make deliveries, are distracted by their phones and unaware of how fast they’re travelling, or otherwise are acting carelessly. When a speeding truck driver injures others on the road in an accident, he or she should be held accountable. Miami truck accident lawyer Robert Dixon and his staff at the Law Offices of Robert Dixon assist injured victims as well as families who have lost loved ones in devastating accidents pursue legal action against the responsible parties. Our firm offers dedicated and knowledgeable legal services for clients throughout South Florida, including in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties. If you’ve been injured in a speeding truck accident, or a loved one has been killed by a negligent driver, please contact our office today to find out more about your legal options and schedule a free consultation to speak with an attorney.

Speeding affects the ability of a truck driver to react when confronted with dangerous conditions. In fact, for commercial trucks, braking distances for vehicles carrying extra weight requires drivers to travel at, or even below, most posted speed limits. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMSCA) has reported that excessive speeding and driver error cause a high majority of all truck collisions. Other contributing factors include fatigue, texting or talking on the phone, drivers under the influence of alcohol or drugs, as well as improper loading of vehicles. Drivers often speed in order to make up time and deliver a shipment on schedule. Sometimes, this lack of time management is due to truck maintenance issues or inadequate training of drivers that put them in these compromising positions. Truck crashes caused by a speeding driver can cause some of the most catastrophic injuries, such as paralysis or traumatic brain injury, and they can also be fatal for victims involved. It is important to hold responsible parties accountable for their actions, not only for the victims’ sake, but also to prevent such behavior in the future.

When a truck driver travels at a dangerously high speed and causes an accident, he or she can be found negligent in a personal injury claim. Negligence exists when one party, a defendant, breaches his or her duty of reasonable care owed to another, the plaintiff, causing injury, and causes damages. Driving a massive truck at an excessive speed would generally not be seen as a reasonable and prudent action to maintain safety on the road. Trucking companies can also be held vicariously liable for the negligent acts of their employees when those acts are committed within the scope of employment. For instance, a driver may be speeding in order to deliver goods on time at behest of his or her employer.

Collecting and presenting evidence in truck accident cases may be difficult, as trucking companies often have their own team ready to defend drivers and keep costs low. Consulting an experienced injury attorney as soon as possible following a collision is important to ensuring the proper evidence is preserved. To prevail on a personal injury or wrongful death claim arising out of a speeding truck accident, multiple witnesses need to be interviewed and information regarding a vehicle’s maintenance schedule, logbooks, GPS data as well as the truck’s black box recordings must be examined. Once liability is established, victims or families may receive compensation for medical expenses, burial and funeral costs, loss of support, as well as diminished earning capacity and pain and suffering damages.

Regardless of the pressure truck drivers are under, speeding is too dangerous an activity on our roads, and drivers should be held accountable when they put other motorists in jeopardy with their negligent actions. If you’ve been harmed in a speeding truck accident, we can help you determine your next legal step. Our attorneys at the Law Offices of Robert Dixon are dedicated to making sure clients pursue the compensation they may be entitled to following a devastating accident. Please call 877.499.4878 or contact us online to set up a free, no obligation consultation regarding your case. We serve clients in areas including Miami, and West Palm Beach.