/rueziffra.com/Allan Ziffra Trucking Accident Attorney/ 09/08/2009
In the early morning hours of July 30th, 2009, a truck driver’s careless decision put the lives of eight people in danger on State Road 33 in Lake County. Unfortunately, the driver of the van, a resident of Haines City, lost his life in the wreck. Six of the seven passengers in the van sustained serious to critical injuries, according to Florida Highway Patrol authorities. http://www.flhsmv.gov/fhp/.
The semi-truck was driven by a Texas man who was heading southbound on State Road 33 before he realized his truck was traveling in the opposite direction. So, the driver decided to back his trailer into a private drive along the east side of S.R. 33 in an attempt to turn the big rig around. In so doing, he backed the trailer across the entirety of the road’s northbound lane of travel. The van was northbound on S.R. 33 and was unable to stop before colliding with the truck’s trailer.
Though the trucking industry is a critical component of our economy, large trucks are responsible for a roadway injury or fatality every sixteen minutes. The Central Florida personal injury law firm of Rue & Ziffra, P.A., specializes in litigating automobile, motorcycle, and trucking accidents. Our firm has proudly served this area for over twenty-five years. We make it our business to assist injured Floridians and their families in their time of emotional and financial hardship. “Just as safety-conscious drivers should be rewarded for their defensive driving, careless and reckless drivers need to be held accountable for the harm they cause when aggressive driving results in property damage and bodily injury,” says founding and managing partner, Mr. Allan L. Ziffra.
While the drivers of automobiles cause some truck accidents, the majority of these roadway disasters are the direct result of negligence on the part of the truck driver or poor truck maintenance. Commercial truck drivers are required to have unique education and training in an effort to keep them and fellow drivers safe while on the road. As is all too often the case, a single careless decision on the behalf of a big rig driver can jeopardize the lives of many drivers in vehicles fall more vulnerable than eighteen-wheelers. Since truck drivers frequently are pressed for time and depend on meeting or exceeding company mileage expectations for their livelihood, it is inevitable that risky and even outright ignorant choices will be made when a safer, more responsible alternative would serve the driver’s adverse interests.
The trucking companies, not the drivers themselves, are responsible for ensuring that their drivers have undergone the appropriate training and maintain required licenses. Frequently, though, drivers are not adequately trained or licensed. If such an instance of trucking company negligence occurs, the company itself can be held legally responsible for any injuries and property damage sustained as a result of the negligence. The attorneys at Rue & Ziffra are familiar with state and federal regulations that govern truck driver conduct in the course of their duties. For example, truck drivers have daily and weekly driving restrictions, must keep and maintain up-to-date driver activity logs, and must have their truck serviced and repaired as needed to ensure the truck is in sufficiently safe driving condition.
Of course, the same factors that often contribute to automobile wrecks also cause trucking accidents. Road rage and aggressive driving, construction hazards, poor driving conditions, improperly maintained roadways, and driver intoxication may all potentially play a role in causing a trucking collision. For more information on safe driving tips and practices, visit the Florida Department of Motor Vehicle’s website at http://www.flhsmv.gov/. Additionally, per federal law, all commercial vehicles using the interstate system must carry a minimum of $750,000 worth of insurance.
In the wake of an automobile or trucking accident, the emotional and financial impact can be enormous and debilitating. In order to ensure that your rights and interests are fairly protected and represented, contact the experienced law firm that has successfully represented tens of thousands of accident victims in the past-Rue & Ziffra, P.A. Our law firm can be reached 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-526-4711 or via the web at www.RueZiffra.com.
Press Release Contact Information:
632 Dunlawton Ave,
Port Orange,
Florida 32127
Toll Free: 1-888-246-8613
