Truck Accidents and Defective Roadways
Daytona, Florida
When The Daily Beast compiled their list of America’s deadliest roads, the #1 and #3 on their list were both here in Florida. I-95 in Florida is the deadliest stretch of roadway in the US, with 1.73 deaths per mile from 2004-2008, and I-4 is only a little behind with 1.58 fatalities per mile. A significant number of these deadly crashes involved large commercial trucks, and many of them may have been avoidable if the roadways had been better designed to handle the traffic volume and slowdowns.
Although most people look to blame a driver in an accident, at Colling, Gilbert, Wright, and Carter, our truck accident lawyers know that sometimes responsibility for an accident may lie with people hundreds of miles away and absent at the time of the accident, those who designed the roadway or the vehicles involved. We will take an aggressive approach to determining who is responsible for your accident so you will have the best chance of getting the compensation you deserve for your injuries or loss. To learn how we will fight for you, please schedule a free case evaluation with Colling, Gilbert, Wright, and Carter, representing people from across Florida, including Daytona.
What Is a Defective Roadway?
A defective roadway is when a road is poorly designed, built, or maintained, leading to an increased risk of accidents, including deadly or serious injury truck accidents. Roadways can be defective due to:
- Poor visibility
- Poorly timed or balanced traffic signals
- Poor road surface
- Flooding
- Inadequate merge lanes
- Inability to meet traffic volume
As a result of the defective character of a stretch of road or an intersection, accidents occur with an increased frequency or severity. A defective roadway can log hundreds of serious or even fatal accidents before any action is taken.
Truck Accidents and Defective Roadways
Large commercial trucks depend on roadway quality even more than passenger cars. With their heavy payloads, they need visibility to be able to see and respond to traffic and traffic signals, and they depend on a clean, dry, smooth pavement for predictable stopping. And diesel engines and heavy cargoes mean they often need a full merge lane to be able to accelerate and integrate with traffic.
Failure to provide a reasonable roadway often puts large commercial trucks and small passenger cars in uncomfortable proximity, and it is only a matter of time before an accident occurs. When it does, the truck accident is more likely to be serious or fatal than a car accident.
Truck Accident Lawyers Can Help
If you have been injured or lost a loved one in a truck accident, you may be frustrated with the number of people taking the events at face value and not looking at the whole picture. Our experienced truck accident lawyers know that the simplest-seeming accidents often have very complex explanations. We know that you deserve the truth and that the people responsible for your injury or loss deserve to pay for their negligence. Whether another driver is at fault or the accident is due to a defective roadway or defective vehicle, we will work to find those responsible and get you the compensation you deserve.
To learn more about how Colling, Gilbert, Wright, and Carter can help fight for your rights, please contact us today for a free case evaluation. Representing clients from across Florida, including our neighbors in Daytona.