Lakeland Truck Accident Attorneys
Drivers in the state of Florida experience around 40,000 truck crashes every year. At about 80,000 pounds, a fully-loaded tractor-trailer is nearly 20 times heavier than the average motor vehicle. The enormous size and weight of semi-trucks makes them harder and slower to stop, and also make impacts with an 18-wheeler occur with tremendous force. At Mank & Mank our Lakeland truck accident attorneys understand the terrible toll a truck accident can take on the occupants of a smaller, lighter passenger vehicle. We stand up to the trucking companies and their insurance carriers and work hard to get individuals and families the compensation they need to move forward after a serious or deadly Florida truck accident.
Truck Accident Facts
Federal truck safety regulations limit the length of a trucker’s work day, including how long they are allowed to drive without a rest. However, due to the lobbying of the trucking industry, these regulations are not as strict as they could be. Currently, truckers are allowed behind the wheel for 11 hours in a 14-hour work day, with a workweek that may be seven or eight days long.
Even with these generous hours of service, truckers are constantly pressured to deliver their goods as quickly as possible. Roadside inspections reveal a disturbingly high number of truckers who drive beyond the maximum allowable hours and falsify their records to try to appear in compliance. An equally-alarming result of these inspections is the immediate removal from service of a large number of trucks found operating with bad brakes and tires and other mechanical issues. Inspections only cover a fraction of the big rigs on the road; it is likely that untold numbers of trucks on the road right now are mechanically unsafe and being driven by truckers in violation of federal safety laws.
Frequent causes of Florida truck accidents include the following:
- Overly-tired driver
- Speeding or aggressive driving
- Untrained or inexperienced driver
- Distracted driving
- Driving under the influence of stimulants
- Worn-out or out-of-adjustment brakes
- Worn tires
- Unsecured or unbalanced load
At Mank & Mank, our truck accident attorneys understand how to investigate a truck accident and determine the fault of the truck driver and/or trucking company. This may involve reconstructing the accident and interviewing witnesses as well as requesting trucking company records and determining whether they have been tampered with. Our goal is to see that truck accident victims receive the full amount of compensation for their injuries, so they can deal with the expenses and added challenges a serious injury brings.
Experienced Legal Representation for Lakeland Truck Accidents
If you have been injured in a truck accident in Lakeland or Polk County, call on the Lakeland truck accident attorneys at Mank & Mank for a free consultation regarding your potential claims. Your call is confidential, and we don’t charge a fee unless we recover for you.
