Driver Charged With Careless Driving After Trucking Accident

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on April 14, 2011

A 45-year-old DeFuniak Springs man is facing careless driving charges after causing a Florida truck accident on U.S. Highway 90 recently. Florida Highway Patrol officers investigating the accident say that the driver was driving his tractor-trailer westbound on U.S. 90 when he rear-ended a Chevrolet Silverado around 12:38 p.m. The impact caused the semi to roll over and slide on its passenger side across the busy highway, completely blocking the eastbound lanes and partially blocking the westbound lanes.

Investigators say the truck was hauling scrap steel and iron, which spilled all over the roadway, requiring hours of work by clean-up crews. The truck driver is facing careless driving charges, and other charges may be pending, depending on the results of toxicology tests.

Fortunately, this truck accident caused no injuries, but Orlando personal injury lawyer James O. Cunningham knows better than most that this is not always the case. Trucking accidents usually result in serious and even fatal injuries due to the nature of the vehicles involved. Fully loaded, a tractor-trailer can weigh up to 80,000 pounds. The average weight of a passenger vehicle is between 3,000 and 4,000 pounds. When a heavy truck collides with a smaller vehicle, the occupants of the smaller vehicle suffer very serious and often fatal injuries.

Rear-end accidents involving semis are especially dangerous as that much weight, even when traveling at lower speeds, can cause devastating injuries such as the following:

•    Facial lacerations
•    Crushed vertebra
•    Severe concussions
•    Whiplash injuries
•    Incredibly painful teeth injuries
•    Back injuries
•    Traumatic brain injuries
•    Other serious injuries requiring lengthy hospitals stays and months or years of rehabilitative care

Victims of truck accidents must deal with especially difficult hardships. They must contend with the pain and suffering of the injuries and recovery as well as profound financial hardship from sky-high medical bills, lost time at work and the emotional hardship of being unable to provide for themselves or their families. Victims of Central Florida truck accidents often turn to an experienced Orlando personal injury attorney such as Mr. Cunningham to help them receive the compensation they need and deserve to help pay for hospital bills and other expenses. If you or a close family member has been injured in a trucking accident and you have questions about your legal options, call the Law Offices of James O. Cunningham today at 888-425-2004 or 407-425-2000 to schedule a free consultation to discuss your case.

James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.