Table Of Contents
If you are a motorist who drives in an adjacent lane with a commercial trucker on U.S. Route 19 or Interstate 275, you may wonder if the truck driver can see you. Despite what may appear to be blind spots, modern semis have essentially no blind spots with some skill and the use of current mirrors.
You should always be conscientious behind the wheel, but you also depend on a trucker’s diligence, training, skill set, and common sense when you are beside them on the highway. If a truck driver fails to see your vehicle and moves into your lane, causing a blind-spot truck accident in Clearwater, call the compassionate and skilled truck crash attorneys at Herman & Wells for a free consultation about recovering your losses.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration reports that what have historically been called “blind spots,” which were areas that truckers could not see as they drive, contributed to up to one-third of all truck crashes.
The phenomenon is caused by a combination of the truck’s length and the height of the cab. Commercial trucks with one attached trailer are 70 to 80 feet long, and those with a second trailer are up to 100 feet long. These trailers account for the truck driver’s major blind spots and require special care on the part of the semi driver.
After a blind-spot crash, an attorney from our Clearwater team could assess the facts of your case to determine if you are entitled to compensation based on the negligence of the truck driver or the trucking company that employs them. Negligence means that someone failed to act with the level of care that a reasonable person would use in a similar situation, such as checking mirrors or blind spots before changing lanes.
To recover your losses for medical bills, wages you will not earn while recuperating, the pain you are experiencing, and the emotional trauma you are enduring after a truck crash, your attorney must prove the trucker was negligent.
Truck drivers hold a commercial driver’s license, which means they have received additional training to safely operate a big truck. They know where blind spots could be, and how to adjust mirrors to minimize or eliminate them. If a driver ignores them because they are distracted, speeding, weaving, or drinking, they fall below the standard of reasonableness the law requires and others expect. It is foreseeable that these actions would cause a wreck. If you are injured because of the trucker’s substandard behavior, negligence is established.
An experienced Clearwater attorney could investigate your blind-spot truck collision to build a solid case for seeking compensation.
One aspect of a blind-spot truck accident involves determining which parties are responsible for your injuries. The truck driver could be held responsible, but the trucking company could also be liable. The federal government requires a truck driver and their employer to carry a minimum amount of liability insurance according to the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations § 387.9. This option could help you avoid a trial if your attorney negotiates a suitable settlement, and the negotiations are productive. Intrastate trucking companies must carry between $750,000 and up to $5 million in insurance coverage if they haul hazardous cargo.
Our Clearwater lawyers could explore the liability insurance options for your blind-spot truck crash case.
To ensure that civil lawsuits do not drag on for years, Florida Statutes § 95.11(5)(a) limits the amount of time you have to file a negligence lawsuit for personal injuries to two years. In 2023, the Florida Legislature reduced the time limit from four to two years.
Therefore, it is important to pursue your Clearwater injury case as soon as possible after a no-zone truck crash because evidence and witnesses’ memories fade over time.
Commercial truckers are generally responsible drivers who are aware of their no-zones, which coincide with the length of their trailers and the height of their cabs. However, a miscalculation or an uncaring attitude might cause a horrific wreck when you are sharing the road with a big truck. When truckers and their employers cause blind-spot truck accidents in Clearwater and injure other road users, those victims are entitled to seek compensation.
The experienced attorneys at Herman & Wells could provide legal guidance for your injury case. We offer ongoing communication about your case status and exceptional advocacy to get you the best outcome possible. Call our dedicated team today to schedule a free consultation.
