In the State of Florida, it is common to see semi-tractor trailers and commercial trucks within the state (intrastate commerce and travel) and trucks to travel outside from or to the State of Florida from other states (interstate commerce and travel). With the presence of these large trucks, there are risks and dangers to other drivers and passengers on the road due to the size disparity between the typical automobile and the commercial truck / semi-tractor trailer.
David Wolf is a Florida trucking accident lawyer who handles personal injury cases throughout the State of Florida. He is the author of 12 books including the book titled - Big Trucks - Big Problems - When a Truck Driver Wrecks Your Day and Life - Legal Rights of the Injury Victim and Family. You can get this book for free by visiting the Contact Us page of this website and completing the form. Please specify that you would like a copy of the truck accident book. You are also welcome to send David Wolf any questions or issues you are facing in the aftermath of a truck accident or automobile accident.
Truck drivers, as well as other motorists, in the State of Florida have a duty to maintain a safe distance from other vehicles and to obey speed limits as well as traffic conditions. Pursuant to Section 316.0895, Florida Statutes, the driver of a truck (motor vehicle) shall not follow another vehicle more closely than what is reasonable and prudent. It should be noted that driving at or below the posted speed limit does not necessarily comply with this statute. For instance, let's say that traffic is heavy and the roads are wet. Under these circumstances, it may be a violation of this statute if a commercial truck driver was traveling at 70 miles per hour on Interstate 95 just prior to crashing into the rear end of stopped traffic. It is important for every driver on Florida highways and roads - especially professional drivers operating large and heavy commercial vehicles including semi-tractor trailers - to pay close attention to their speed, weather, road conditions, and, yes, traffic.
Prior studies conducted by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration reported that 18 - 23 percent of truck accidents resulted from the commercial truck driver crashing into the rear end of another vehicle. While statistics and studies can be interesting and informative, the injury victims of a crash caused by the negligence of a truck driver suffer in the aftermath of the crash and the victims are not statistics per se but people who deserve to be compensated for the damages, injuries and losses. Many such rear end truck accidents are avoidable if the truck driver slows down, pays attention to traffic conditions, and adjusts the speed for weather and dangerous road conditions.
In the aftermath of a rear end truck accident there are a number of issues and challenges faced by the injury victim and family. Certainly, it is helpful to the pursuit of the claim or the case if the investigating police officer or Florida Highway Patrol trooper issues a citation to the truck driver for following too closely, careless driving, or a similar offense. However, the issuance or non-issuance of a traffic citation does not control the pursuit or outcome of a civil case or claim on behalf of the personal injury victim. It may also be helpful to preserve the black box or electronic data recorder of each vehicle for further inspection and analysis. The black boxes may contain additional evidence to further prove issues related to speed, negligence, impact, and force.
Florida trucking accident lawyer David Wolf provides a free consultation to injury victims and family members. For over 30 years, David Wolf has proudly represented residents of and visitors to the State of Florida in a variety of cases including those relating to truck accidents, automobile crashes, and other personal injury matters. Get D Wolf - On Your Side - At Your Side.