Most of us have seen the results of commercial tractor-trailer accidents at one point or another. Perhaps you have even been late for work or some other important event due to a jack-knifed big rig snarling traffic for miles. Or maybe you have been unfortunate enough to have experienced the sheer crushing power of those moving mountains of metal.
The reality is that commercial truck accidents are actually not as frequent as they could be despite the fact that there are over 8 million single-unit trucks and almost 2.5 million tractor-trailer trucks currently registered for operation throughout the nation. Arguably even more stunning is that there are just under 4 million Americans with commercial driver’s licenses.
The good news, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, is that a small army of state and federal inspectors numbering just about 14,000 members strong patrol America’s roadways to ensure that commercial vehicles are operating within acceptable parameters.
In 2013, these inspectors looked at almost 3.5 million commercial vehicles with the ultimate goal of reducing truck accidents. The inspectors look for anything which might endanger public safety. Often this includes searching for fatigued drivers operating beyond a 14 hour workday to vehicles taking to the road with tires having less than 2/32 of an inch of tread.
However, despite these inspectors’ best efforts there are still fatigued truck drivers on our roads in Florida. There are also dangerously equipped commercial vehicles throughout our state which threaten to cause substantial injury at all hours of the day.
If you are a Florida resident who has been injured as a result of a commercial truck accident you may be entitled to compensation for your losses. Depending on the circumstances of your case, it may be possible to recover your medical costs and lost wages.
Source: DOT-Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, “2014 Pocket Guide to Large Truck and Bus Statistics” Oct. 14, 2014