A fully loaded tractor usually weighs around 80,000 pounds. When one of these heavy trucks crashes into a small passenger car the damage can be incomprehensible. At highway speeds, the truck may completely smash the car to pieces and severely injure or kill every passenger in the vehicle. The Law Office of Todd Passman offers free consultation with our Fort Pierce / Port St. Lucie truck accident attorneys. Call (772) 465-9806 now to schedule your consultation.

Though devastating crashes result when trucks crash into passenger cars, drivers on I-95 in Fort Pierce / Port St. Lucie must take this risk every day. While every driver has had a minimum of training in defensive driving tactics through the normal Florida Drivers License system, truck drivers are supposed to be much better trained and experienced and follow federal and state regulations, their CDL manuals, Truck Driver school training, and their company manuals and regulations. Unfortunately, despite this training, truck drivers do not always make good decisions. Even under the best training and supervision, weather and other factors can contribute to truck accidents. But no matter what the cause, when a truck crashes into a small car or even SUV, people’s lives are permanently affected.

If you have been to the emergency room recently and seen the high price of the hospital bills that can result even from a small accident, you will realize that the $10,000 PIP limit may never be enough to compensate your loss. A personal injury attorney may be able to assist you by making an analysis of all possible insurance coverages including other driver’s liability, your own PIP, PIP of a resident relative for those who do not own a vehicle, Medical Payments insurance, or Uninsured or Underinsured Motorists coverage, if any.

According to the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), which is kept by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) Interstate 95 (I-95), which passes through Fort Pierce and Port St. Lucie is the second most dangerous interstate for truck accidents. It’s also one of the oldest roads of the Interstate Highway System. Between 2011 and 2015, I-95 had an average frequency of 5.7 accident deaths for every 100 miles driven during rain or snow. I-95 had the highest number of total of accident deaths during this period as well. In 2018, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) found that big trucks (>10,000 lbs.) were involved in more than 1,000 fatal accidents (not just on I-95) and almost half of these accidents occurred in rain or snow. Certainly the possibility for each of us to end up in a truck accident is small and we would prefer not to think about being injured in such a dangerous accident. But if it happens to you, the Law Office of Todd C. Passman is ready to help you and only one free phone call away.

Every case is different. But even a minor accident can leave an injury victim in pain and potentially disabled. Injures that we see frequently include:

• Bulging discs, herniated discs and other spinal injuries
• Broken bones and fractures
• Cuts, lacerations, and open wounds, often requiring stitches
• Scars
• Burns
• Amputations
• Head injuries (Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI))

You might need surgery, long term rehabilitation, physical therapy, and other expensive treatments. An experienced and caring personal injury can help make sure you get the treatment you need and the compensation you deserve. If you would like to see what the Law Office of Todd C. Passman has to offer, take a look at our 5-star Google Reviews and call us today.

The NHTSA and FMCSA conducted a “Large Truck Crash Causation Study” analyzing 120,000 large truck crashes (>10,000 lbs) that occurred between April 2001 and December 2003. From the 120,000 crashes they collected an nationally representative sample of 963 crashes and performed a rigorous study on causation.

The study found that:

“Three major types of critical events were assigned to large trucks:

• Running out of the travel lane, either into another lane or off the road (32 percent of the large trucks in the LTCCS sample were assigned this critical event)
• Vehicle loss of control due to traveling too fast for conditions, cargo shift, vehicle systems failure, poor road conditions, or other reasons (29 percent)
• Colliding with the rear end of another vehicle in the truck's travel lane (22 percent).”

In conducting the study the researchers classified hundreds of “associated factors” for every vehicle in the accidents. The researchers found that:

“In descending order, the top 10 factors coded for large trucks and their drivers were:

• Brake problems
• Traffic flow interruption (congestion, previous crash)
• Prescription drug use
• Traveling too fast for conditions
• Unfamiliarity with roadway
• Required to stop before crash (traffic control device, crosswalk)
• Over-the-counter drug use
• Inadequate surveillance
• Fatigue.”

It will turn your life upside down when you, or a family member, were injured in a trucking accident. You are in pain. You may be angry that that a trucking company could have been so careless and endangered you and your family. You life is disrupted due to frequent doctor’s appointments, missed work and lost income level. On top of this, on the other side, will be an insurance company claims adjuster or high priced attorney. They will try to minimize your problems and hope that you will just give up.

When we take on accident cases, we work hard to discover all the facts which will support your claim and to recover all the damages that the law will allow including compensation for pain and suffering, reimbursement of lost wages and payment of medical bills. We understand that insurance adjusters may not be sympathetic to your problems. We believe that compassion for our clients and attention to detail can relieve the burden of dealing with stressful personal injury matters.

Todd C. Passman, P.A. handles truck Accident cases serving Fort Pierce, Port St. Lucie, Vero Beach, Stuart, and Okeechobee, Florida, and surrounding areas. Our highway (I-95) is one of the most dangerous in the country. Our experienced personal injury attorney is ready to fight for you.

If you, a family member or a friend have suffered a personal injury in a truck accident, or have questions please contact Todd C. Passman today, at (772) 465-9806 or or fill out the contact form. Someone from our office will contact you right away.

Sources:

https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/safety/research-and-analysis/large-truck-crash-causation-study-analysis-brief
https://www.browardpalmbeach.com/news/i-95-is-the-second-deadliest-highway-in-us-7869673

Call us at (772) 465-9806 to schedule your Free Consultation or fill out the contact form.