Many people who are involved in a semi or commercial truck accident believe that these collisions will proceed like a normal car accident. This assumption is incorrect. Semi-truck accidents are very different from car accidents from a legal standpoint, especially if there is injury involved.
When you are involved in an accident with a commercial truck, you need a Miami truck accident attorney, like the ones at Dante Law, to help you with your case.
First, the insurance coverage limits from a semi-truck to a passenger vehicle car are much higher. In fact, it can be worth up to 50 times is the coverage that would apply in a car accident. This is because of the semi’s size and increased time on the road.
When a semi-truck is involved in an accident, many times an insurance company will offer an initial settlement up front to make sure that a lawsuit isn’t will not continue. This settlement offer is really just a distraction so that a truck accident victim cannot get additional money for their legal claim.
Semi or commercial truck drivers have different and more extensive regulations compared to a regular car on the road. These include laws regarding:
Because regular passenger vehicles do not have all these regulations, it makes truck accidents much more complicated from a legal perspective.
Trucks are also more dangerous because when they do get into an accident they are more destructive. Believe it or not, a semi-truck with a trailer can weigh up to 80,000 pounds. This is enough weight to destroy virtually anything in its path.
A truck’s huge size often results in significantly more property damage, injuries, and even fatalities than the average passenger car collision. The large size difference also makes trucks harder to slow down, accelerate, and maneuver.
Another way semi accidents are more dangerous compared to passenger car collisions is due to the injuries that they cause. Injuries in a semi accident are often much more extensive than an accident in a passenger car due to the weight and the size of the vehicle.
Think of it this way, if an 80,000-pound truck goes against a 3,000-pound car, the results of this crash are going to be devastating. Because of the size of a semi compared to another vehicle, there is usually more damage than if there was no truck involved. There is also an increased risk of injuries, including severe whiplash, back injuries, neck injuries, broken bones, severe brain injuries, and even death.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) reports that accidents that involve large trucks are responsible for between 3,000 and 5,000 deaths annually. A semi or commercial truck is more likely to cause death than a passenger car accident.
If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a commercial truck accident, speak with a Miami truck accident attorney to discuss your legal options. Dante Law Firm is ready to schedule an initial consultation with you. Call 305-949-2526 for more information.
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