Semi-tractor trailer crashes occur too frequently on I-75, I-95, I-10, State Road 301, State Road 19, State Road 17, and other highways and interstates throughout Gainesville, Palatka, Starke, Ocala, and other areas in Northern Florida and Central Florida.

Log trucks, container trucks, and other semi-tractor trailer trucks typically cause more catastrophic personal injuries and wrongful deaths than other types of auto accidents. A typical fully-loaded large commercial truck can weigh 80,000 pounds or more, while an average passenger automobile weighs approximately 3000 pounds. Because of this size disparity, and due to the basic laws of physics, any collision between a commercial truck and another vehicle is likely to result in serious personal injury or wrongful death. Statistics show that large truck crashes (log truck accidents, container truck accidents, dump truck accidents, and other truck accidents) accounted for 5350 fatalities and 133,000 injuries in 2001.

The unique danger posed by commercial truck accidents can be aggravated by the nature of the freight the truck is carrying. For example, if hazardous or flammable materials are on board, secondary injuries attributable to such dangerous cargo can result, including burns and respiratory injuries.

Truck accidents can occur for a variety of reasons. Because log trucks, container trucks, freightliners, fuel trucks, or other commercial trucks are so much larger than the other vehicles with whom they share the road, and because truck drivers are often on a tight schedule, truck drivers often find it easier to

• Exceed the speed limit
• Drive too fast for conditions
• Follow too closely
• Run red lights
• Operate their truck in lanes restricted for automobiles
• Violate the right of way

Sometimes these traffic violations can and do cause serious personal injury and wrongful death.

Violation of trucking safety and maintenance regulations also cause truck crashes. Truck drivers and trucking companies must follow many driving safety and maintenance regulations. For example, drivers may not exceed certain maximum driving hours to assure that they do not drive while fatigued, truck drivers and owners must assure that their trucks are properly loaded and weighted so that the truck can be driven safely and so that the truck can be controlled and/or stopped in emergent situations, truck drivers and owners must assure that all of the brakes are checked and calibrated according to state and federal schedules and regulations, and truck drivers and owners must ensure their truck is otherwise maintained in accordance with industry standards.

When truckers violate trucking safety and maintenance regulations, they endanger you and other drivers. Violation of trucking safety and maintenance regulations is evidence of negligence and often does result in crashes, personal injury, and wrongful death.

To competently handle a lawsuit involving a trucking accident, a lawyer must know and master not only the civil traffic laws, but also the DOT and other state and federal regulations that govern the trucking industry. Your attorney can take control of a case in your favor if he or she can prove that the truck driver or trucking company willfully or negligently disobeyed important safety measures.

The Florida truck accident lawyers at the Uman Law Firm have extensive experience in the numerous legal issues surrounding log truck, container truck, and other tractor-trailer crashes. Jon D. Uman understands that the successful prosecution of a truck accident claim also requires not only experience, but also sufficient resources for expenditure of funds to retain the very best truck accident reconstruction experts. Our firm hires the leading truck accident reconstruction experts in the field to assist in building a case that will help to assure victory for you. The Uman Law Firm has both the experience and resources to fight for you.

If you or a loved one is the victim of a truck crash, contact the Uman Law Firm for a free consultation with Jon D. Uman. Home and hospital visits, 24 hours a day 7 days a week, are available if you are unable to travel to the main office in Gainesville.

The Uman Law Firm represents clients located throughout north and central Florida, including the Gainesville, Florida area (Alachua County, Baker County, Bradford County, Union County, Levy County, Gilchrist County, Dixie County), Palatka, Florida area (Putnam County, St. Johns County), Ocala, Florida area (Marion County, Lake County), Tallahassee, Florida area (Leon County), Jacksonville, Florida area (Duval County) and the Orlando, Florida area (Orange County and Osceola County). Please see practice jurisdictions for a more complete list of representative jurisdictions.