Central Florida is famous for its mild winter climate, but temperatures dip below freezing from time to time. Orlando truck accidents involving icy roads happen more often than you might suppose.
Contact Colling Gilbert Wright if winter weather conditions were a factor in a truck accident that left you injured. Trucking companies often try to escape liability in these cases, but our experienced truck crash attorneys know how to hold them accountable for poor decision-making. We are the law firm other lawyers turn to when they or their loved ones need top-notch representation in an injury case.
Do Roads Freeze in Florida?
Icy roads are not common in Orlando, but temperatures dip below freezing once or twice a winter on average. If it is raining or there is a cold wind, the roads get slick and may ice over.
Bridges and overpasses are often surfaced with concrete, which can freeze more easily than asphalt. The surface temperature is also colder on these structures because air circulates above and below them. When winter weather conditions impact the roads, bridges, and overpasses are especially dangerous.
Because icing is so infrequent, local governments do not sand or salt the roads to increase traction as they do in colder climates. The danger is heightened because driving on slippery roads is a learned skill, and most Floridians do not get much practice. All drivers must exercise critical judgment about whether the conditions allow safe driving—if not, drivers should stay off the roads.
Negligence Versus an Act of God
When you seek compensation for injuries sustained in a truck crash, you must prove the trucker or transportation company was negligent. Commercial drivers and the companies they work for must use the utmost care to avoid accidents and causing harm to others. If they do not meet best safety practices, they are negligent.
Truck drivers must be conservative when deciding whether road conditions are safe. If there is a chance of ice forming on the roads in Central Florida, the chances are high that conditions will be dangerous and there will be a heightened risk of accidents. The most responsible course is to avoid driving until the weather improves.
Trucking companies might assert that icy roads in Florida are an act of God and nobody can be held responsible. Our attorneys could argue that when a truck driver chooses to operate their rig in icy conditions in Orlando, or a transportation company requires a driver to stay on the road when it is dangerous to do so, any accident that occurs is a result of their negligence. They should be liable for any losses you suffered due to their poor judgment.
Bringing a Claim After a Weather-Related Truck Wreck
When you work with our law firm, we will first check to ensure you still have a viable claim. The law requires you to file a lawsuit within two years of your injury. There are circumstances that could extend the deadline, so it is always worth discussing your situation with a legal professional.
Next, we investigate the accident to collect evidence of negligence and review your medical records and other information to assess your losses or damages. Once we have that information, we send a letter to the trucking company, any other potentially responsible parties, and their insurance companies informing them of your claim. Negotiations begin, and a reasonable settlement is eventually reached in most cases.
One issue that may be a sticking point is whether you bear any blame for the wreck. Florida Statutes § 768.81 reduces the damages you can collect by a percentage that mirrors your degree of fault, so responsible parties can reduce their liability by shifting blame to you. Our skilled lawyers in Orlando anticipate this tactic and come to negotiations prepared with evidence to demonstrate that your fault in the truck wreck was non-existent or minimal compared with that of other parties.
Contact an Orlando AttorneyAfter a Truck CrashDue to Ice on the Road
Obtaining fair compensation after an Orlando truck accident involving icy roads is difficult if you are not working with a skilled attorney. The trucking company is more likely to blame the wreck on you, an act of God, or both.
We can work to hold the trucking company responsible, and you pay us nothing unless we win. Reach out to our truck accident team at The Florida Firm Injury and Accident Lawyers today to learn more.