5 Common Causes For a Truck Accident in Miami

According to Roth Davies, there are 5 common causes for a truck accident. Truck accidents can be deadly and can result in serious losses immediately or over time. According to the NHTSA, there are about 5,000 deaths that are caused directly or indirectly by a commercial truck. Although it is impossible to rule out human error and a multitude of factors that cause truck accidents, authorities have tried to place rules, regulations, and safety measures to make sure that there are less accidents, but it has proven to be insignificant. Here are 5 of the most common causes for a truck accident in Miami:

Fatigue While Driving

Fatigue is the most common reason as to why truck accidents happen. Truck drivers are exposed to long hours of driving on the highway. These long hours are normally 12-16 hours of driving across state borders with little to no rest in between these driving shifts. Truck drivers drive these ridiculous numbers of hours because of the demands of the company they work for. To deliver the goods within the allotted delivery time, truck drivers must drive these hours to make sure that they are within the deadline. Due to the pressure of the short deadlines and the requirement to drive the legal limit allowed to drive in one driving shift, truck drivers accumulate a lot of stress. In the end, truck drivers will accumulate fatigue from the long hours which results in loss of sleep, coordination, concentration. These accumulated factors eventually result in the driver sleeping on the wheel and possibly causing a truck accident. 

Poor Driving and Poor Truck Maintenance

A truck driver must go through proper training to drive a truck. The reason why they must go through proper and formal training is because driving a huge commercial vehicle on highways at top speeds. So to properly be a truck driver, a person must complete a certain number of hours and certain minimum tasks and requirements to get approved as a truck driver. However, lots of truck drivers try to bypass this through a multiple of methods to go around certain requirements and tasks. This eventually ends up in a truck driver that is not qualified to drive a commercial vehicle on the highways. 

Another reason as to why truck accidents happen is because of poorly maintained trucks. Maintaining a truck is similar to a car. You have to give it regular check ups, maintain parts, and make sure that everything is running properly. This is even more important for commercial trucks because of the amount of hours these trucks spend on the highway. A poorly maintained truck can result in a minor accident or a major accident.

Alcohol and Drug Abuse

Being a truck driver is no joke. Although some people may belittle the job, driving 16 hours at a time with minimal time of rest in between shifts is no joke. I am not excusing the actions of truck drivers found guilty abusing drugs and alcohol during their time driving, but it is a reality. Sometimes, a truck driver will take alcohol or drugs DURING their drive, and sometimes they will take these drugs or alcohol during their break in between drives. Regardless, this is not enough to sober up to be fully functional to drive a commercial truck for hours at a time. 

On the topic of drugs, truck drivers don’t necessarily have to be abusing illegal drugs to be impaired. OTC prescription drugs can also be abused. Pain killers are a prime example. Some of these pain killers can result in a truck driver losing coordination, concentration, and judgement. 

Distracted Driving

Of course, driving for long hours on the road can result in boredom. EVERYONE is a victim of boredom that hits when you’re driving for long hours of the day. Even as I drive for just 30 minutes to get home from work, I find myself trying to distract myself. I can only imagine how it must feel for a truck driver that has to drive 16 hour shifts. There is the temptation to pull out your phone and respond to text messages, call loved ones to keep you distracted, or maybe even change the radio. However, the problem is that areas truck drivers go through tend to be areas with no signal, which leads to the radio not working properly or maybe the phone doesn’t have strong enough service to call someone or respond immediately. This delay makes drivers reach for the radio or phone and spend more time trying to figure out how to make the device work. These few seconds that they spend can result in a car accident. It only takes a second for  a car to try and pass, or for a truck driver to lose control. 

Speeding and Overtaking

Driving over the speed limit is always a problem, especially highways in Florida. Even with speed traps and police on the lookout, there is a tendency for truck drivers to speed. This is because of the unrealistic standards that are set by trucking companies. Sometimes, truck drivers must haul over the speed limit because of these unrealistic standards. The driving conditions may not even be suitable for driving. Heavy rain, construction, and low visibility pose a problem for truck drivers when they have to meet a deadline to deliver cargo. Overtaking by a big commercial truck can lead to a truck accident. Small cars may not expect or gauge the distance between the truck and them properly. This can result in dangerous truck accidents because cars may need to veer off or react quicker than usual. Overtaking and speeding can result in shorter reaction times. Shorter reaction times means that drivers have to brake quickly or make erroneous driving decisions that they may have not made if they had just a second or two to react properly. 

Call A Truck Accident Lawyer From Accident Lawyers MIA

If you or a loved one got in a truck accident and sustained severe injuries as a result of negligence from another driver, you may be entitled to financial compensation for your injuries. This is where things can get complicated though. A severe injury requires heavy financial compensation, but to receive that, you have to prove that you were a victim. To prove that, you must prove that a grand majority of the fault is on the other party. 

Possible Losses From A Truck Accident in Miami

Someone has to be held responsible for your injuries, and if you are the one found responsible, then obviously there is no reason as to why anybody would have to financially compensate you. However, if another party was found at fault, then they can be held responsible and now there is a party to sue. It is important to take proper action, since the losses can be heavy for a truck accident in Miami:

• Bleeding
• Cuts and bruises
• Internal bleeding
• Damaged organs
• Brain injury
• Spine injury
• Neck injury
• Extensive and excessive medical bills
• Property damage
• Wrongful death 

What Our Truck Accident Lawyer Can Do For You

Jimmy De La Espriella can be at your service for severe injuries that you sustain from a truck accident in Miami that was at the fault of another driver. Whether you are the truck driver or you are the car driver, if your injuries were caused by the negligence of another party, then you may be entitled to financial compensation.

However, if you are recovering from injuries, your first priority isn’t to deal with lawyers, adjusters, and insurance agents. This is where a truck accident lawyer comes in. We can deal with the legal process so that you can heal properly and stress-free. We give you a free consultation to hear out your side of the story and to see how we can help YOU recover from your injuries and get your money back. 

We don’t win until YOU win.