Item: Flaxman Law Group
Rating: 5
Author: Clara Barman

How do Dangerous Trucks Cause Accidents on Hollywood and Florida Roads?

Published on: January 20, 2015 | By Flaxman Law Group

There are many rules designed to keep unsafe trucks off the roads. Despite that, about 25% of the 14,000 truck-related fatalities that have occurred between 2009 and 2014 in this country have involved a truck that had safety violations on their record.

Trucks are Becoming Safer

Trucks are in fact becoming safer, in part due to improved technology. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, large trucks have a fatal accident rate of 1.42 crashes per 100 million miles driven. For these vehicles, the rate of fatal crashes declined by half in the 1994-2010 period. Safety experts say that improved training and improved truck safety has resulted in the lower rates.

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Sharing the Road with Mobile Businesses

Published on: January 7, 2015 | By Flaxman Law Group

South Florida is not only a popular place for food trucks, but also for other mobile businesses. On the streets of Aventura, Miami, and other cities you may see mobile hair salons, gyms, furniture stores, and more. While these businesses can be fun, however, you also need to treat them carefully as they have some of the same issues – such as large blind spots – that any large truck has.

These small businesses must register their business under the store-on-wheels category when applying for an occupational license. In South Florida, they may also seek individual permits if they want to take part in local events and festivals.

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Getting Workers Compensation after a Trucking Accident

Published on: January 2, 2015 | By Flaxman Law Group

Truckers are protected by insurance in the event of a truck accident in Hollywood or another community. However, since they are also on the job they should be covered by workers’ compensation benefits. Unfortunately, many truck drivers who are injured in traffic crashes report that they have a hard time getting the full and fair compensation they need for their injuries. There are a few reasons for this:

1) The truck driver may be blamed for the accident.

Although truck drivers get extensive training and must pass strict driving tests to get their commercial licenses, they can still be blamed for causing a collision. The finger-pointing that can happen following a traffic accident in Hollywood or another community can delay compensation and can mean that the true liable parties are not uncovered. In turn, this can mean that those who are injured do not get the compensation they may be entitled to.

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Winds Can Cause Trucking Collisions in Hollywood and other Cities

Published on: November 21, 2014 | By Flaxman Law Group

Many trucking accidents are caused by driver error, mechanical failure, and road design issues in Hollywood and other Florida cities. Surprisingly, though, winds can also cause trucks to veer out of control. Earlier in November, two semi-trucks in Jacksonville were toppled off a bridge by winds. In that case, the accident caused only minor injuries and no damage to the bridge itself. In other situations, the outcome is not so good.

Professional truck drivers are taught how to drive in high winds. In some cases, winds can reach speeds higher than a truck is traveling. In cases where strong winds exist, drivers can sometimes avoid collisions by slowing down and proceeding with caution. Drivers need to pay extra attention to high winds when traveling along roads without many trees and when traveling on bridges. On bridges, the force of winds can knock a truck into the water. On roads without trees, there is no wind barrier and the wind may be enough to push the truck into another lane. At the very least, high winds in these situations can make it harder for a driver to remain in control of the vehicle.

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NTSB Report Recommends Changes to Prevent Truck Collisions at Railway Crossings

Published on: November 19, 2014 | By Flaxman Law Group

Train accidents in Miami and Florida involving trucks are a serious cause for concern. Both trains and trucks are larger vehicles. When they collide at train crossings, the results can be devastating. These types of collisions can lead to explosions, fatalities, and environmental disaster.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released a new report about an accident that occurred in May in Maryland. In the report, the NTSB notes concerns about Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) oversight and truck safety. In the May accident, a truck driver using a mobile device did not stop to check train tracks, causing an accident that lead to a derailment and explosion.

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Volvo Introduces New Technology to Curb Trucking Collisions Caused by Visibility Issues

Published on: November 7, 2014 | By Flaxman Law Group

Many trucking collisions in Hollywood and other communities across Florida and across the country are caused by limited field of vision. Truckers driving commercial trucks have to contend with multiple blind spots behind and along the sides of their vehicles, for instance. Newer truck designs include higher cabs and larger windshields that can improve the field of vision in front of the truck but the problem with large no-zones has remained.

Volvo trucks, however, has announced a new technology that can help address this issue. The new technology involves a 360 degree scan of the area around a truck. Once the scan is complete, a computer system can analyze the information gathered and instantly create suggest options to help drivers avoid collisions. If the driver does not respond in time, the braking and steering systems can respond automatically to prevent a crash.

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Trucking Collisions and State Enforcement of Traffic Rules

Published on: October 29, 2014 | By Flaxman Law Group

Drivers or big rigs and tractor trailers are subject to more rules than motorists operating passenger cars. Truck drivers also tend to drive across state lines as part of their job, and as a result they may encounter enforcement in different states. Traditionally, truckers have claimed that enforcement can vary widely by state, and now the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) has published a study that investigates that.

Enforcement of traffic rules and federal trucking laws is obviously essential in preventing truck crashes in Miami and other cities. The ATRI looked at states by examining 11 different metrics related to enforcement. These metrics involved fatal and serious crashes per million vehicle miles traveled, roadside inspections with and without violations million vehicle miles traveled, and state money spent per Motor Carrier Assistance funding.

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Tips for Documenting Your Injuries After a Tractor Trailer Accident

Published on: October 22, 2014 | By Flaxman Law Group

Protecting your interests after a collision with a big rig or tractor trailer involves documenting your injuries and the details of your accident. Documentation can help you if there is an insurance dispute or if you are sued. Good documentation can also help you if negligence played a role in your accident and you need to prove that. To properly document your injuries and collision after a tractor trailer crash in Hollywood or your community, you will want to:

1) Have a friend or family member help.

In many traffic accidents involving a commercial truck, the injuries are very serious and anyone who is injured may be rushed to the hospital. If you have been in this type of serious accident, you may lose consciousness or be in severe pain. Having a friend or family member at the hospital can help. A trust friend or family member can ask questions on your behalf, take notes about your condition, and can start the documentation process.

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How Liability is Decided in Trucking Accidents in Homestead and Other Florida Cities

Published on: October 3, 2014 | By Flaxman Law Group

If you are injured in a trucking crash in Homestead or anywhere in Florida, you may be rushed to the hospital or you may need to contact your insurance carrier if you have sustained some vehicle damage. Behind the scenes of a trucking accident, however, there is a lot of work being done, and understanding how the process works can help you secure fair compensation and justice in your case.

Truck carriers and drivers are protected by teams of attorneys and by larger insurance companies. When an accident involving a commercial truck takes place, these companies take action right away. An investigator or insurance adjuster is usually sent to the scene very quickly. The aim of these experts is to investigate the cause of the accident and to determine liability. Since they are working for the trucking company, they often want to reduce the liability of the trucking company and reduce the amount of money the insurance company will need to pay out. The investigation will usually involve securing evidence that includes:

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The Link Between Truck Safety and Celebrity

Published on: September 10, 2014 | By Flaxman Law Group

Trucking accidents in Hollywood and other Florida communities are often devastating and will sometimes make the news when the collision is severe enough. When celebrities are involved, however, news agencies become even more involved and this can sometimes mean important safety changes as well as emphasis on safety issues.

For example, in 1967, actress Jayne Mansfield rear-ended a commercial truck. Mansfield and the other adults in the car were killed instantly when the vehicle slid under the truck. The serious accident called attention to the dangers of the underride accidents and in part due to the tragedy underride bars were eventually developed and are now widely used on commercial trucks to prevent similar deaths in rear-end collisions in Hollywood and other communities. The steel bars that are placed across the rear end of commercial trucks are known as underride guards or sometimes as Mansfield bars. At one point, the bars were required on all commercial trucks, although rules have now been changes so that many trucks are exempt from needing the underride bars.

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