Gainesville Florida Truck Accident Lawyer
Serving Gainesville, Lake City, Live Oak & all of North Florida
If you have been involved in a commercial truck accident, the Law Office of Christopher J. Annis, LLC, with offices in Gainesville, Florida, can provide experienced and skilled legal representation in your claim against the trucking company and their insurance carrier.
Our personal injury firm has experience working with people who have been severely injured in in accidents caused by negligent truck drivers.
Why Do You Need a Truck Accident Attorney?
If you have been hurt in an accident involving a commercial truck in Florida, you have the right to make a claim for lost wages, lost earning capacity, medical bills, pain and suffering, mental anguish and other damages. If your injuries are life changing and permanent or the accident caused the death of a loved one, the value of your case will be even greater.
If you have been injured in a truck accident, you need help from a lawyer who has experience and success in truck accident claims.
The Law Office of Christopher J. Annis, LLC offers professional legal representation to help the victims of negligent truck drivers. We have the skills to ensure that you receive the compensation you deserve.
The Danger Posed by Florida Truck Accidents
There are many different types of negligence involved in Florida truck accidents, including:
- Driver fatigue
- Driving while intoxicated
- Mechanical defects
- Unbalanced loads
- Distracted driving (texting or careless phone use)
- Driving recklessly with respect to road and/or weather conditions
- Inexperienced drivers
A fully loaded semi tractor-trailer weighs anywhere from 20 to 30 times more than an average car. The force of a massive truck hitting a small car can be lethal to a car driver and passengers.
18 Wheeler Accident Statistics and Facts
The following statistics and facts on truck accidents in the U.S. are astounding. They reveal just how common these accidents are and how devastating they can be to accident victims.
- A total of 3,602 people died in large truck crashes in 2013.
- Sixteen percent of these deaths were truck occupants, 67 percent were occupants of cars and other passenger vehicles, and 15 percent were pedestrians, bicyclists or motorcyclists.
- Ninety-seven percent of vehicle occupants killed in two-vehicle crashes involving a passenger vehicle and a large truck in 2013 were occupants of the passenger vehicles.
- Eleven percent of all motor vehicle crash deaths in 2013 occurred in large truck crashes.
- Studies indicate that truck drivers younger than 21 and in their 20s have a higher rate of involvement in both fatal and nonfatal crashes than older drivers.
- Truck drivers reporting hours-of-service violations are more likely to report having fallen asleep behind the wheel during the past month. Another study based on a national sample of large truck crashes found that a truck driver’s hours-of-service violations and logbook violations resulting in the driver being placed out of service increased the likelihood that the truck driver would be determined to have precipitated the crash.
- In 2013, 4 percent of fatally injured large truck drivers had blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) at or above 0.08 percent.
- In 2010, post-crash inspections of trucks indicated that almost 55 percent had at least one mechanical violation, and almost 30 percent had at least one condition serious enough to have taken the vehicle immediately out of service. Of all equipment violations, violations in the brake (36 percent) and lighting (19 percent) systems were the most frequent. A truck with an out-of-adjustment brake condition was 1.8 times as likely to be the vehicle that precipitated the crash. In rear-end and crossing-path crashes, brake violations significantly increased the likelihood that the truck was the striking vehicle.
- Large trucks’ high centers of gravity increase the risk of rolling over, particularly on curved roadway segments, such as ramps. In 2013, 51 percent of deaths among occupants of large trucks occurred in crashes in which their vehicles rolled over.
- In an underride crash, a passenger vehicle goes partially or wholly under a truck or trailer, increasing the likelihood of death or serious injury to the passenger vehicle occupants. In 2010, the Institute studied how guards built to comply with federal standards are performing in real-world crashes and found many fail, allowing severe passenger vehicle underride and resulting in serious or fatal injury.
How a Truck Accident Case Works
Filing a lawsuit against a truck driver and/or trucking company can be very complex. It is often difficult to assess which persons or companies are the correct ones to sue. Many times, the driver, their supervisor, and the company owner may be parties to the lawsuit.
Commercial truck companies have teams of highly paid attorneys working for them. These attorneys are paid by the hour and will do everything they possibly can to limit your recovery. If they can, they will attempt to ensure that you receive nothing at all.
If you are going file a lawsuit against a trucking company, you need a passionate, devoted lawyer who is experienced in handling commercial truck accident claims.
In Gainesville, Lake City and Live Oak, the Law Office of Christopher J. Annis, LLC, will fully investigate your accident. We will use the best technology and methods for evidence gathering and analysis.
We will interview witnesses and review documents such as police reports, ambulance team reports, emergency room records, trucking log books and maintenance records, and consider the driving record of the operator of the truck.
Most commercial tractor-trailers now have black boxes similar to those found on airplanes. We can use the data collected on the black box to determine what may have caused your accident and prove negligence on the part of the truck driver.
We will keep you involved throughout the entire process. We will keep you up-to-date on the progress of your case. We will do what it takes to ensure that you receive all benefits available to you and that you receive the compensation you deserve.
The Law Office of Christopher J. Annis, LLC will also communicate with the attorneys for the trucking company to try to obtain a fair settlement out of court, if possible. Many times settlement is the best option, because it can save you from the time, money, and pressure involved in litigating a matter. You will also avoid the unpredictability of a jury trial.
Gainesville Florida Truck Accident Lawyer Fighting for You
From Live Oak to Gainesville, Florida, truck accident attorney Christopher J. Annis is prepared to discuss your case with you.
If you have been the victim of a truck driver’s negligence, contact our office at 352-264-1910.
Mr. Annis will review your case with you in person and work diligently to get you the benefits to which you are entitled.
Be certain that you are adequately compensated for the damages you have suffered as the result of a Florida truck accident. Contact us today.
