This unfortunate accident is indicative of the devastating effect of truck driving accidents and injuries. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), 4,860 traffic accidents involved large trucks, including various configurations of tractors and trailers, in Florida in 2007. These tractor-trailer accidents resulted in 321 fatalities and thousands of injuries. Adding an additional layer of danger to these truck accidents, 137 accidents involved a truck carrying hazardous materials.
These trucking accidents can cause so much damage to property and inflict such serious injury because the speed and size of the trucks. Many of these trucks weigh over 26,000 pounds and travel at incredible speeds. The difference in the size and mass of the semi-truck compared to that of a human body or passenger vehicle makes it obvious why these vehicles cause such damage when they strike pedestrians and cars.
As in the case above, the truck driver is not always the sole party responsible for injuries and deaths caused by truck accidents. Often times, the truck driving company also has a responsibility to ensure that their drivers are qualified, properly trained and supervised, and have a driving record that indicates they are safe drivers. Failure to properly screen truck drivers prior to hiring or failure to review their current drivers' records may make trucking companies responsible for the injuries caused by their drivers even when those drivers are independent contractors.
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