Spring Hill residents rely on big trucks to bring them everything from groceries and clothing to the souvenirs that tourists want to buy when they come to the area. With State Road 50 and Interstate 75 crossing through the area, big trucks also pass through Spring Hill on their way to other destinations. While big trucks offer advantages when transporting goods, they can also spell danger for other drivers.
Did you suffer serious injuries in a Spring Hill truck accident? At Lucas, Macyszyn & Dyer Law Firm, we help truck accident victims in the Spring Hill area pursue the compensation they deserve. Contact us today for your free consultation.
Lucas, Macyszyn & Dyer Law Firm Can Help Spring Hill Truck Accident Victims Seek Compensation
At Lucas, Macyszyn & Dyer Law Firm, we aim to put the “personal” back in personal injury law. Your truck accident changed your life in very personal ways, from the way your injuries limit you to the financial suffering you face. We want to hear your story and personalize your truck accident claim to maximize the compensation you ultimately recover.
Truck accident claims usually involve a highly detailed investigation.
After a truck accident, you need a lawyer who will look deeply into your claim to learn more about the circumstances that led to your truck accident. Unlike a car accident, truck accident claims involve looking into the truck driver’s company and the driver’s history.
If the company’s rules create an unsafe work environment, including pushing drivers to ignore the number of hours they can legally spend on the road or expecting a driver to keep driving despite unsafe circumstances, the company may share liability for the truck accident. At Lucas, Macyszyn & Dyer Law Firm, we conduct a detailed investigation of each client’s case to figure out what caused their Spring Hill truck accident and identify all parties who may potentially share liability for the accident and their injuries.
We help our clients understand what to expect after a Spring Hill truck accident.
On average, drivers get into one auto accident every eighteen years. You may never have suffered serious injuries in an accident before and, as a result, you may have no idea what to expect next. Will the insurance company deal fairly with you? How much compensation should you really expect for your injuries?
At Lucas, Macyszyn & Dyer Law Firm, we help our clients understand the truck accident claim process, from how much compensation they should ask for to how to deal as effectively as possible with the insurance company.
We fight aggressively against big insurance companies that do not want to pay out the compensation our clients deserve.
Too often, big insurance companies will try to deny the compensation that accident victims really deserve following a serious truck accident. They may use a variety of tactics to attempt to decrease the compensation they have to offer, including pressuring a victim to settle for much less than they deserve.
Our attorneys know these tactics and how they have the potential to impact our clients’ claims. If you choose to work with us, we will not only provide you with comprehensive advice about how to navigate those challenges, we will help deal with the insurance company so that our clients have a better chance of securing what they really deserve following a serious truck accident.
Spring Hill Truck Accidents: Common Causes
Truck drivers spend many hours on the road each day, which means that they may face more potential hazards on the road than the average driver. Many truck drivers do not receive adequate training to deal with potential hazards before they take to the road, often alone, to deliver large loads and navigate tough roads.
#1. Driver Distraction
Each year, distracted driving contributes to a relatively large percentage of accidents. Many drivers struggle to keep their attention on the road, especially when they are on the road for long stretches. Distracted driving, however, can prove deadly, especially when a big truck driver becomes distracted behind the wheel. A distracted driver may check their phone while driving, try to program a GPS, or eat and drink behind the wheel. The longer a driver’s eyes remain off the road or their hands stay off the wheel, the greater the danger the driver may pose to others around them.
Distracted drivers may not pay attention when they need to take action to avoid an accident or even allow their trucks to drift off-course. Since big trucks need extra room to maneuver on the road than smaller passenger vehicles, even a minor slip of attention can prove deadly.
#2. Ignoring the Rules of the Road
Florida laws govern how drivers, including truck drivers, should handle themselves on the road. Unfortunately, some drivers choose to ignore these laws, including failing to yield, ignoring traffic signals, or speeding. Any driver ignoring the rules of the road is dangerous because it makes it difficult for other drivers to predict their behavior. A truck driver who ignores the rules of the road is particularly dangerous, given the truck’s relatively large size.
#3. Large Blind Spots
Big trucks not only take up a lot of space, they often have substantial blind spots. In those blind spots, truck drivers cannot see what is around them. Blind spots can prove particularly hazardous in areas with high pedestrian traffic, like Spring Hill Drive. Pedestrians may not realize the danger they face as they walk near a big truck. Since the driver cannot see them, the driver cannot avoid them
If a truck starts to move unexpectedly, pedestrians and motorists alike may have little time to get out of the way. Unsafe merging due to lack of awareness of what happens in a blind spot, unsafe lane changes, or even wide turns can all increase accident risks for drivers on the road near big trucks.
#4. Dangerous Weather
Spring Hill sees an estimated 53 inches of rain each year, spread out over around 112 days. While Spring Hill, like much of Florida, sees more sunny days than the United States average, on the days when it does see rain, the rain is often heavy and causes blinding, dangerous conditions. As a result, truck drivers may have to contend with poor visibility or slick roads. In those dangerous conditions, truck drivers and all motorists have a harder time navigating safely. Unfortunately, many trucking companies push their drivers to hit the road anyway so that they do not fall behind on important delivery deadlines.
#5. Inadequate Driver Training
With the truck driver shortage making it increasingly difficult for trucking companies to find the drivers they need to make their deliveries across the country, many companies put new drivers onto the road without adequate training. Many truck drivers receive only minimal instruction before they get their own trucks and routes along with the expectation that they will meet delivery deadlines. Inadequate training, however, can leave new truck drivers struggling behind the wheel. They may lack the skills necessary to reduce accident potential and create safer roads for everyone.
#6. Drinking and Driving
Around 13 percent of trucking accidents that caused an injury involve an inebriated truck driver. Truck drivers spend long hours on the road, away from friends and family. They may have long routes that leave them feeling isolated and lonely. Some turn to alcohol or drugs to help fill those hours and alleviate some of the loneliness. Unfortunately, this may mean that a truck driver is still under the influence when they get behind the wheel again for their next shift. Drunk driving significantly raises the risk of many types of accidents.
Truck drivers under the influence of drugs or alcohol may suffer from tunnel vision, reduced decision-making ability, slowed reflexes, and problems with overall coordination, all of which can make it difficult for them to operate their trucks safely.
Spring Hill Truck Accident Injuries: What to Expect
Spring Hill truck accident victims may face a wide range of injuries that can cause substantial limitations in every area of their lives.
Some common injuries truck accident victims suffer include:
- Traumatic brain injury;
- Back and neck injuries, including spinal cord injuries, herniated discs, and whiplash;
- Amputations;
- Broken bones;
- Severe lacerations;
- Soft tissue damage;
- Organ trauma; and
- Burns.
Dealing with the aftermath of truck accident injuries can pose substantial problems for many victims. Often, Spring Hill truck accident victims have a hard time going back to work after the accident, since their injuries may prevent them from taking on their usual work tasks. Truck accident victims may also face enormous medical bills, which may limit their financial options in the future.
Who Bears Liability for Spring Hill Truck Accidents?
Immediately after a Spring Hill truck accident, you should report your accident to the police. When the police arrive at the scene, they will conduct an investigation and assign initial liability. Often, a truck driver bears liability for a serious Spring Hill truck accident due to inebriation, distraction, or simply ignoring the rules of the road.
However, truck accident claims can also involve other parties—most often, the truck driver’s employer. Trucking companies must exercise a duty of care to others who share the roads with their drivers. Not only must companies ensure that their drivers follow the law, including federal mandates regarding the time they can spend on the road each day, they must aim to create safe working environments for their drivers and the people who share the road with them.
This includes:
- Properly maintaining vehicles, including conducting regular maintenance and safety checks.
- Paying attention to drivers’ records, including not employing drivers with a history of causing severe accidents, inebriation on the road, or frequent tickets.
- Monitoring driver behavior on the road, including keeping up with the driver’s delivery times.
A company that fails in its duty of care may share liability for any injuries caused by its driver.
Sometimes, a mechanical failure occurs due to manufacturer error: a part that does not meet current safety standards, for example, and causes a serious accident. In those cases, the company that manufactured the vehicle or the part may share liability for the accident.
Recovering Compensation After a Spring Hill Truck Accident: What to Expect
After a Spring Hill truck accident caused by someone else’s negligence, you may be eligible to collect compensation for your injuries.
At Lucas, Macyszyn & Dyer Law Firm, we cannot guarantee the compensation you will recover, but truck accident victims can often pursue compensation for:
- Any medical bills from the accident, such as the cost of emergency care, follow-up care, medications and medical devices, a stay in a long-term care facility, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and psychological therapy.
- Wages lost when their injuries prevented them from working.
- Pain and suffering related to the accident, including both physical pain from the injuries and emotional anguish associated with the accident and related limitations.
Consulting with our team of experienced attorneys can give you a better idea of how much compensation you may deserve for your Spring Hill truck accident injuries.
Did You Suffer Serious Injuries in a Spring Hill Truck Accident?
Any time you suffer serious injuries in a truck accident, an attorney can manage your claim, from providing you with a clear estimate of the compensation you deserve to pursuing your truck accident claim. Contact Lucas, Macyszyn & Dyer Law Firm today at (352) 686-0080 for more information about your rights after a truck accident in Spring Hill.