Trucking accidents are not uncommon on Florida highways. Often these accidents can cause serious injuries and property damage due to the size of the vehicles involved, as well as the nature of the loads the trucks are carrying.
For example, earlier this week a dump truck overturned on the ramp connecting southbound Interstate 95 to westbound Interstate 595 in Fort Lauderdale. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured in the accident. However, the dump truck driver was cited for careless driving and the ramp was closed for hours while cleanup crews removed a large load of rocks and dirt from the scene.
Large Truck Rollovers And Dump Truck Load Tip-Over Accidents
Tip-over and rollover accidents are particularly dangerous types of accidents, especially when they involve a large truck. These accidents often happen when a truck is trying to negotiate a turn or curve in the road because centrifugal force causes the truck to lean away from the direction of the curve. If the truck leans too far, it passes a critical balance point and gravity takes over, causing the truck to tip or roll.
Large trucks, tractor-trailers, and dump trucks are particularly vulnerable to tip-overs because of their relatively high center of gravity. They also frequently carry unstable loads. Also as trucking companies have tried to improve their bottom by hauling more per load, truck bodies have become longer. This increase in rig length has led to a corresponding increased incidence of truck tip-overs.
A few years ago, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) conducted an in-depth analysis of 239 crashes involving truck roll-overs to learn more about the causes of these potentially deadly accidents. The study revealed the following about truck tip-over accident causes:
- Most truck tip-overs and rollovers resulted from truck drivers failing to adjust their speed to curves in the road, particularly at on- and off-ramps;
- A second major cause of truck tip-over accidents was driver inattentiveness, distraction, dozy driving, or drivers falling asleep at the wheel;
- The third most common cause of truck tip-overs involved situations where the driver initiated a sudden change of direction or made a driving error, such as over-steering to the point of rolling over, not steering enough to stay in lane, or over-correcting to the point of having to counter-steer to remain on the road; and
- Other common tip-over causes involved the load being carried (including the weight or height of the load or how securely the load is attached to the truck), the condition of the truck’s brakes, the road surface, and intersection conditions.
South Florida Legal Help For Truck Accident Victims
Every year, almost 250,000 motor vehicle crashes happen on Florida roadways. These crashes happen for a variety of reasons. However, the most common cause Florida car accidents is careless driving, which means that the driver was not using proper care based on conditions such as traffic, construction, curves, corners, the width of the road, the steepness or grade of the road, or other conditions that affect driving.
While all motor vehicle accidents can lead to serious injuries or even death, accidents involving large trucks, such as tractor-trailers, semi-trucks, flat-bed trucks, and dump trucks, can be particularly dangerous due to the relative size of the vehicle involved.
If you have been injured in a truck related accident in South Florida, it is important to contact an experienced truck accident lawyer. At the Law Offices of Hoffman, Larin & Agnetti, we have over 20 years of experience fighting to protect the rights of car and truck accident victims. To find out how we can help you, call us today at 305-653-5555 or use our online contact form to receive a free consultation to discuss your situation.
