In the last blog post, we wrote about the dangerous nature of motorcycle accidents. But those are not the only crashes that frequently end in permanent injury or death. There is another type of vehicle that is commonly involved in devastating tractor-trailer accidents, along with semi-trucks and other trucks. Though these may be some of the best trained drivers on the roads, they cannot account for all variables all the time, and that means that crashes do happen. In St. Petersburg, we’ve read the reports of collisions caused by distracted driving, by failure to yield, by faulty equipment, poor weight distribution of the load, and drowsiness at the wheel. And, these are just a few of the variables that drivers face on the roadways.
It was a box truck accident in Deerfield, Florida that caused the closing of all southbound lanes on the Florida Turnpike recently. The cause of this accident? One large truck had been pulled to the side of the road. The driver had exited the vehicle, just before another large truck, misgauging the distance between his vehicle and the stationary one, clipped the side and caused massive damage to both. The man who had stepped out of his cab suffered very serious injuries.
Another truck accident in Port St. Lucie, Florida forced a partial turnpike closure. Again, in this case, it was two trucks colliding – one carrying lumber, another carrying office equipment – that caused major devastation. The latter of the two trucks ultimately went up in flames. Fortunately, the injuries in this accident were not fatal. Nevertheless, one of the drivers was taken to the local trauma center for treatment.
The two accidents mentioned thus far had much better outcomes than many we see on the roads in this country. Not all people involved in tractor-trailer accidents are so lucky. In fact, in many cases, someone will not walk away from the scene at all.
For instance, a case in Miami, very recently, left many in a somber, depressed mood, after the media told the story of a deadly tractor-trailer truck accident. This was not a highway, or high speed crash, but for some reason, the 18-wheeler veered off the road and into a tree. Power lines came down, the truck started to smoke, and the worst news was confirmed – the driver could not be resuscitated.
All these cases involved only the drivers of large trucks. Unfortunately, many of the truck accidents that we see in Florida and right here in Saint Petersburg also involve cars. Given the damage that was caused by a tractor-trailer slamming into a tree, one can only imagine what would remain of a small passenger vehicle put up against similar force. Very often, there is little left of the cars involved in such crashes. In such instances, it is commonly more than one life claimed. We’ve heard stories and seen news reports of people of all ages losing their lives because of a crash with the 100,000 pound vehicles. Even the best designed passenger cars, trucks, and vans can’t always hold up against such tremendous impact.
It’s because we recognize the danger on the roadways, and because we know how financially devastating such damages and losses can be, that we continue to fight for the victims. A personal injury attorney is often all that stands between the victims (or, sadly, the families of deceased victims) and financial destitution. Call for advice, help, and support today if you have a story similar to those above.