Truck underride collisions are one of the deadliest types of automobile accidents on the road today. According to a report from Crash Forensics, truck underride collisions represent approximately one-quarter of the fatalities in accidents involving trucks. Due to the nature of underride accidents, even slow-speed collisions can be fatal for passenger-vehicle occupants. Truck underride collisions occur when a passenger vehicle crashes into a semi-truck trailer or a straight truck, resulting in the passenger vehicle running under the truck or trailer. Crashes, where the passenger vehicle passes under the truck or trailer, can often result in the car roof being sheared off, sometimes with fatal results. A recently published news article described such a crash in St. Johns County, Florida.
According to the news article, an 84-year-old man from St. Johns was killed Tuesday morning in an underride collision with a semi-truck and trailer. The accident occurred early in the morning of Tuesday, February 21, around 6:30 am. The crash happened on U.S. 1 at Pine Island Road, according to the Florida Highway Patrol, leaving all southbound lanes blocked on U.S. 1 for hours. According to the Florida Highway Patrol report, the man’s car drove under the side of a semi that was heading across the southbound lanes of US 1, attempting to cross the center median break to turn left onto northbound US 1. The car driver died at the scene, and the 26-year-old truck operator was unhurt. According to the report, both drivers were wearing their seatbelts.
Comparative negligence is the legal concept that parties in an accident are assigned the percentage of fault that they were responsible for in the accident. Under the pure comparative negligence theory, an accident victim can recover money from an equally or less negligent party. Under Florida law, accident victims can recover compensation from the other party, even if the victim is partially at fault, including fault that exceeds 51%. In practice, this means that even if the victim is found to be mostly at fault for an accident during a trial, they can still seek compensation for personal damages from the other party. If the claim is successful, the total damages awarded will be reduced by the victim’s percentage of fault. Although establishing fault in a car accident may seem straightforward, many factors could impact a victim’s recovery. An attorney can help accident victims at all stages of the claims process, including helping to gather evidence, leading settlement negotiations, litigating, and appealing.
Have You Suffered Injuries in a Florida Truck Accident?
If you or someone you love has been injured or died in a Florida truck accident, let the attorneys at Friedman Rodman Frank & Estrada fight to help you recover the damages you deserve. Expenses and injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident can quickly become overwhelming, and having an experienced roster of accident attorneys by your side can make a world of difference in the compensation you receive. Our experienced attorneys have successfully represented car injury victims at every stage of their claims, ensuring that they obtain the damages that they deserve. With our team, you can have faith that your claim is being pursued properly. If you have questions about your case, call us today at 877-448-8585 and schedule a free and no-obligation initial consultation with a Florida injury lawyer.