Commercial trucks can carry heavy loads, and in Florida, like elsewhere in the country, these can range from farm products to building materials to livestock. Trucking companies and their drivers not only must ensure that their loads are delivered on schedule but also that they travel over roads and highways safely.
Whether or not safety was on anyone’s mind just before one recent accident is not known, but a tractor-trailer accident on Interstate 75 about 30 miles northeast of Tampa injured four people. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the incident involved a sports utility vehicle and a tractor hauling a trailer carrying four horses. A tire blowout on the tractor-trailer unit caused the vehicle to jackknife into the path of the SUV, which rolled over several times. All four people who were injured — the driver of the tractor-trailer, age 36, his 6-year-old son, the 56-year-old SUV driver and her 10-year-old passenger — were taken to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tampa with serious injuries. The horses were not injured. The FHP is continuing to investigate the accident.
Passenger vehicles are at a great disadvantage in any accident involving a large commercial truck. Every move a truck driver makes on the highway should be made with awareness. They also must ensure that their vehicles are in proper working order and are adequately maintained. A truck accident can occur if a driver or company neglects to take these precautions, with the possibility of serious injuries and death.
When it comes to semi-truck accidents, the costs of medical treatment and rehabilitation as well as lost wages can be become financially difficult for accident victims. Fortunately, legal options are available that can provide compensation for those financial damages, including a personal injury lawsuit.
Source: Bay News 9, “Update: 4 injured in I-75 semi, SUV crash in Pasco Co.,” May 27, 2014
