How is a tractor-trailer truck accident different from a non commercial vehicle accident?

 

A: Commercial trucks can weigh more than 10,000 pounds, dump trucks can weigh 70,000 pounds when fully loaded, and semi-trucks can weigh as much as 80,000 pounds (this is 20 times the weight of an average passenger car!).  The sheer size of commercial trucks is intimidating to vehicle drivers and passengers. These big rigs can cause serious injury and can have catastrophic consequences. If you are involved in a crash with a semi-truck, at full speed, it is the equivalent to colliding with 20 cars, all at the same time!

There are other reasons for this as well:

  • Overweight trucks take longer to break and come to a stop than cars, and are more likely to roll over or jackknife, especially if their load is not fully balanced, or in bad weather conditions.
  • Truck drivers have many pressures on them which may cause them to speed, drive longer hours than legally allowed, and maybe even ignore required maintenance or repairs, in order to meet delivery deadlines.

Jeffrey Meldon Tip:   Experts and engineers of many types are often needed to properly evaluate vehicle speed and other factors that determine responsibility in an 18-wheeler collision.  Make sure your Florida accident attorney has the resources, experience and determination to fully investigate and represent you if you are hurt in a big truck accident.