Florida Trucking Accident Lawyer Helping Clients in Apopka

Whether you are traveling on a highway like US 441 from Apopka into the Orlando area or find yourself driving at lower speeds on neighborhood streets, it is important to know about the risks of a serious truck accident. Many trucking crashes occur on highways and interstates given the higher speeds of travel and the rate at which big rigs carry freight into major urban areas. However, truck accidents can happen almost anywhere. As the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) points out, given that large trucks weigh anywhere from 20 to 30 times as much as a smaller passenger vehicle, collisions often are deadly.

Were you or someone you love injured in a trucking crash? An experienced Apopka truck accident attorney can help.

What Causes Apopka Truck Crashes?

Truck crashes can happen for many different reasons. The IIHS emphasizes that driver fatigue is a “known crash risk,” and that regulations require drivers to avoid getting behind the wheel for more than an 11-hour stretch at any given time. However, truck drivers can disobey the regulations, and driver fatigue can occur even when truckers are abiding by federal hours-of-service laws.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) cites the following as some of the most frequent causes of large truck crashes:

  • Driver error (including driver fatigue, reckless driving, intoxicated driving, and distracted driving);
  • Poor maintenance of the truck;
  • Improper loading of the truck;
  • Defect in a truck part, such as brakes or tires;
  • Poor road conditions; and
  • Inclement weather.