Truck accidents can lead to catastrophic injuries. If you or someone close to you has been injured in an accident caused by a negligent truck driver, you may be entitled to compensation for your harm. At the Law Offices of Robert Dixon, our skilled Miami truck accident attorneys understand the stress and confusion you may be experiencing, which is why we will handle your case with the utmost compassion.A traffic accident left a truck partially dangling over a Gulf Coast bridge when the driver crashed through a concrete guardrail and caused major traffic delays on one of Florida’s busiest highways. The crash, which occurred last month, left the cab of the truck dangling over the Trooper J.D. Young Bridge on northbound Interstate 75 north of Sarasota for about two hours, essentially blocking all northbound lanes of the highway.
According to one news source, the 49-year-old driver was driving his truck down the highway normally until a car suddenly switched lanes in front of him. In an effort to not hit the car, the driver lost control of the semi-truck and crashed through the bridge’s railing. Fortunately, he was able to get out of the car safely, according to the Florida Department of Transportation.
Liability in truck accident cases can be difficult to establish, so it is imperative to hire an experienced attorney. The vast majority of truck accident cases are rooted in the legal theory of negligence. Negligence occurs when one person owes a duty to use reasonable care and fails in that duty, thus causing harm (such as bodily harm or property damage). Put another way, negligence takes place when a truck driver causes an accident and resulting injuries or losses by failing to use reasonable care while driving. Reasonable care refers to the level of care that a prudent truck driver would have used in the same or similar circumstances.
It is important to note that Florida uses a system called pure comparative negligence. This means that the amount of compensation you will be entitled to receive will be reduced by your own degree of fault. For example, if a truck driver ran a stop sign, but you were speeding excessively, the truck driver may allege that your speeding made your injuries worse than they would have been had you not been speeding. The jury will then assign a percentage to your degree of fault. If the jury determines your speeding made you 30 percent responsible for the accident, your total damages award will be reduced by that amount.
If you have been injured due to a truck driver’s negligence, you need to reach out to a seasoned Miami truck accident attorney who can evaluate your case. At the Law Offices of Robert Dixon, we can identify each and every potentially liable party and determine exactly how much compensation you may be able to recover. You can rest assured that we will vigorously advocate for your rights at every step of the way. To speak to a member of our team directly, call us at 1-877-499-HURT (4878) or contact us online.
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