Being in any trucking accident is frightening enough. The attorneys at Flaxman Law Group have seen devastating injuries resulting from collisions with tractor trailers, big rigs, and commercial trucks.
The situation can be even worse if your truck collision involves a truck that’s transporting dangerous goods. In this situation, don’t delay. Contact Flaxman Law Group immediately for a free accident consultation.
Trucks carry cargo all over the state and all across the country. Unfortunately, sometimes debris falls from trucks and ends up on our roads. In some cases, this debris is dangerous and can cause a secondary car accident when your car drives over it.
Even though you may not be able to prevent cargo falling from trucks, there are steps you can take to reduce your risk of debris-related crashes. If you want to take steps to avoid road debris accidents in Hialeah or your South Florida community, you will want to:
Over the past few years, there has been much debate about the advantages and dangers of big trucks. Some experts in the trucking industry have sought to increase the maximum size of commercial trucks permitted on the nation’s roads, claiming more trucks is better economically, for the environment, and for safety.
But can larger trucks really reduce the number of truck accidents in Miami and other cities across the nation? According to The Coalition Against Bigger Trucks (CABT), the answer is “no.” The advocacy group points out there are a number of safety dangers with larger tractor trailers, including:
Forklift accidents are a common and devastating cause of injury in factories, manufacturing, retail, and other workplace environments in Homestead and across the country. Forklifts are used in construction and in a variety of industries to lift heavy objects and cargo.
Unfortunately because forklifts are top-heavy and are heavy machinery, they are involved in a number of workplace accidents in Homestead, Hollywood, and across the southern Florida area. Crushing injuries and rollovers are especially common with these types of vehicles. Amputations, head injuries, spinal cord trauma, fractures, and other serious injuries result from forklift collisions and incidents each year.
Being in any truck accident in Homestead or any South Florida community is already terrifying. When a trucking or big rig accident also leads to a conflagration, however, the situation can become even more tragic and frightening. Fire can cause serious burn injuries, environmental injuries, and other trauma.
Big rigs and tractor-trailers used diesel fuel, which is less flammable than gasoline used in cars. For most trucking accidents, fire will not happen if the fuel tank is simply pierced. However, if a flame is introduced or if a truck is carrying highly flammable materials, fires can and do occur.
Rollover accidents in Homestead, Hollywood, and other Florida communities can occur with large trucks because commercial vehicles such as big rigs and tractor-trailers have a high center of gravity. The height compared and the width of these trucks make them susceptible to rollovers in a number of situations:
The danger of trucks carrying excessively heavy loads is well-known. In fact, federal and state regulations limit how much cargo a truck can carry and which roads overweighed trucks can use. Overloaded trucks have a higher risk of rollovers, brake failure, and other dangers.
The pressure of excessive heavy cargo can put extra strain on brakes and tires, potentially leading to tire blowouts and brake failure. Heavy cargo can also cause more damage to roads, possibly contributing to secondary accidents caused by poor roads. Heavy trailers can also make a truck harder to control, which can potentially lead to crashes. In addition, drivers with heavy trailers need to ensure their cargo is correctly secured so it does not shift during transport and cause a collision.
Each day, trucks carry dangerous materials and chemicals across Florida and across the country. Companies and industries rely on trucks to carry fuel, fertilizers, insecticides, industrial cleaning solutions, and other toxic materials. When loaded correctly on a truck, these materials can be perfectly safe in transport. When a truck accident in Hollywood or South Florida causes a hazardous material spill, however, the effects can be devastating.
Unfortunately, truck accidents can happen in seconds, not giving you enough time to react quickly enough to prevent exposure. Toxic chemicals can ignite or blow up suddenly, causing significant burn risk. In some cases, dangerous cargo might not have any odor and may not cause a dramatic fire but can still expose you to fumes hazardous for your health. And even if you don’t drive, a hazardous material spill outside of your home or workplace can leave you with long-term health effects or even property damage.
Many of us call a tow truck if we’ve been an accident or if our car breaks down, but tow trucks can also be the cause of accidents. Tow truck accidents in Hollywood and South Florida can cause devastating injuries as well as significant property damage (especially if it’s your car on the back of the tow truck involved in the crash).
Tow trucks are large trucks designed to transport cars and other vehicles. They may be used to transport cars that are illegally parked, are no longer functional, or cars that are new and need to be moved from one place to another. There are many types of tow trucks, including a hook and chain truck (frequently used for towing illegally parked cars), boom tow trucks, flatbed tow trucks (often used for transporting farming equipment, trucks, new cars, and other vehicles), integrated tow trucks, and wheel lift tow trucks.
Truck rollover accidents in Hollywood are more common than rollovers involving passenger cars. Since tankers and commercial trucks have a higher center of gravity, they are more at risk of rollovers than even SUVs.
Several factors can contribute to these types of collisions:
Florida Injury Lawyer Blog