How is a Truck Accident Claim in Tampa Distinct From a Car Accident Claim?
Car accident claims and truck accident claims in Tampa share many similarities. Both of these legal courses of action can potentially lead to compensation and justice for injured victims. However, there are also many differences to be aware of. Once you gain a greater understanding of how truck accident claims work, it may be easier to pursue compensation. Continue this conversation alongside a truck accident attorney in Tampa.
Truck Accidents Can Lead to More Serious Injuries
While all auto accidents can lead to fatal, catastrophic, and life-altering injuries, the potential for more serious consequences is higher with truck accidents. The physics of these accidents help explain why. A semi-truck is bigger, heavier, and more destructive than a small sedan. Therefore, an accident involving this type of vehicle has greater potential for harm.
Many truck accidents lead to paraplegia, quadriplegia, traumatic brain injuries, multiple fractures, organ damage, disfiguring burns, amputations, and many other types of serious injuries.
Truck Accidents Can Lead to Greater Compensation
Truck accidents also have the potential to lead to greater compensation. Part of this has to do with the severity of the injuries in question. However, part of the equation also has to do with insurance. All commercial trucking companies are required to carry higher levels of insurance compared to average drivers in Tampa. This means that the insurance payouts for truck accidents have the potential to be significantly higher than crashes involving average drivers.
Truck Accidents Often Involve Unique Types of Negligence
Many of the same factors can lead to truck accidents and car accidents in Tampa. Like average drivers, truckers can become distracted, intoxicated, aggressive, or sleep-deprived. They may also break the same traffic laws as average drivers. This might involve running red lights, failing to yield, turning without signaling, and so on.
However, trucking also brings many other possibilities for negligence. These include failing to maintain the trucks, a common violation of federal transport law in the United States. Trucking companies might also engage in negligent hiring processes, onboarding people who have no business getting behind the wheels of semi-trucks. Truckers might also drive for too long without taking breaks, making them dangerously susceptible to dozing off behind the wheel.
In addition, trucks are subject to higher standards in terms of intoxication levels. While DUIs are generally associated with BAC levels of over 0.08% truckers can face this type of conviction with a BAC level of only 0.04%. These are just a few examples of how truck accident lawsuits are distinct from other auto accident claims.
Can a Tampa Truck Accident Attorney Help Me?
A Tampa truck accident lawyer may be able to help you pursue meaningful compensation after suffering injuries. These incidents often lead to catastrophic injuries and permanent disabilities. But with more consequences comes the possibility for greater compensation. Discuss your next potential steps with Anderson & Anderson today.
Source:
fmcsa.dot.gov/regulations/hours-service/summary-hours-service-regulations
