Being in a trucking accident in Homestead or any South Florida community will usually result in a claim. Whether you decide to file a legal claim or contact your car insurance company to seek compensation for car repairs, medical bills, and other costs, you are entering into a legal process. Unfortunately, many factors can hurt your claims, including things that seem quite innocuous:
The trucking industry in Hollywood and South Florida is responsible for significant economic contributions and creates many jobs in the area. Large trucks bring consumer products to stores, haul raw materials and products from the port of Miami, and otherwise transport the goods we all rely on across the state and around the country.
While the trucking industry is important, there’s also no doubt it causes severe injuries each year. Truckers have one of the most dangerous jobs in the country, and their rate of workplace injury is higher than that of most industries. In addition, more than 80,000 Americans are injured each year in trucking accidents and more than 4000 each year are killed in commercial truck collisions.
Many people who have been seriously injured in a truck accident mistakenly assume that a car accident and a commercial truck accident are very much the same. This is a mistake. The two are very different and require a different approach. One key difference, for example, is that if you are injured in a trucking accident, you may find you need the services of an attorney right away.
There are several significant issues that make these two types of collisions significantly different:
Truck makers are creating future commercial vehicles that will be safer, more aerodynamic, and more fuel-efficient. Walmart, for example, unveiled plans for its WAVE (Walmart Advanced Vehicle Experience) in early 2014. The trucks are more aerodynamic to be more fuel efficient. One of the more unusual features is that truckers in this vehicle are placed in the center of the cab for maximum efficiency. Walmart has not commented whether this might increase safety by changing how much of the road drivers can see.
Freightliner is another manufacturer investing in future truck designs. Among the features that future trucks will have are smart technology, lighter construction materials, and better mapping of expected fuel usage. Mercedes-Benz, on the other hand, is investing more heavily in autonomous commercial vehicles.
Workers in Florida who are injured on the job are protected by workers’ compensation in Hollywood or their communities. Employers are required by law to pay premiums on this type of insurance. After a job-related injury, this coverage is meant to ensure that workers are able to get benefits and compensation quickly while employers are protected against lawsuits.
One problem is that not all workers are protected by the insurance. Self-employed, freelance, temp, and contract workers are not covered by workers’ compensation coverage. Unfortunately, some workers with the most dangerous jobs fall into this category. Truck drivers, for example, who are at risk of traffic accidents, back injuries, and other job-related injuries, are often independent contractors and therefore not qualified to get workers’ compensation benefits if they are injured. Truckers who work as independent contractors also do not get other employee benefits and protections that full-time, traditional workers enjoy.
When truck drivers sustain on-the-job injuries in Hollywood or their communities, the results are often serious. In a trucking collision, drivers can sustain head injuries, fractures, soft tissue injuries, spinal cord injuries, and other serious trauma.
Recovering from this type of serious injury takes time and effort. For some drivers, return to work becomes impossible. Others go through months of pain, rehabilitation, and treatment to reclaim their lives. During recovery, it is important for drivers who have been injured to get medical, legal, financial, and emotional support to increase their chances of recovery.
Tow trucks are there to help you if your car breaks down or if you have been in an accident. However, in some cases these trucks can also cause a collision or can become involved in a crash. The reality is that tow truck drivers have a dangerous job and many sustain on-the-job injuries in Homestead and other communities each year.
There are many ways that a simple tow can go wrong:
One of the reasons why tow truck drivers face such dangers on the job is that they are often called into high-risk situations. They may need to drive out in bad weather or poor visibility to deal with weather-related issues or may be asked to clean up after an accident. While they are pulled over on the side of the road and walking to and from their truck to help others, tow truck drivers are vulnerable to other drivers on the road. If motorists do not slow down when they see a tow truck with its flashing lights, they can easily crash into the tow truck or driver. Each year, serious injuries and fatalities result from this type of negligence.
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 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.
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.
Truck driver training is an important part of the solution when it comes to preventing trucking collisions in Aventura and other Florida communities. Properly trained drivers understand what steps they need to take to drive safely on the roads and since they understand why safety measures are in place they may be more inclined to follow the rules.
Truck driver training begins with the steps needed to get a commercial driving license. Drivers who want to drive commercial trucks must take courses and must pass a rigorous written and driving test first. However, safety experts agree that more can be done to ensure that drivers get adequate training and instructions.
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