According to the Florida Highway Patrol investigating the trucking accident, the accident occurred around 1:23 p.m. on November 5 when the Dodge van, towing a utility trailer loaded with sod, had slowed to 15 mph in the outside lane of Interstate 75. A semi truck struck the back of the trailer and the van, sending both the van and semi truck into the guardrail. The van reportedly came to a stop after the impact, but the semi jackknifed and eventually rolled several times before striking a concrete embankment on Interstate 10.

An 80,000-pound vehicle traveling at 55 mph strikes other vehicles with a fearsome amount of force and survivors face a long, painful and catastrophically expensive road to recovery. A trucking accident changes the course of their lives forever.

For more than 32 years, Orlando trucking accident attorney James O. Cunningham has dedicated his Orlando personal injury law practice to helping the victims of trucking accidents, auto accidents, motorcycle accidents and other accidents caused by the negligence of others. If you or a loved one sustained injury or if a loved one died in a Central Florida trucking accident, call the Law Offices of James O. Cunningham today. He offers free consultations and works on a contingency-fee basis, which means if he accepts your case, there is no attorney fee unless he makes a financial recovery on your behalf. Call Orlando trucking accident lawyer James O. Cunningham today and receive answers to your questions.

Washington State Troopers said the accident began when a semi truck traveling westbound began losing its cargo and caused the chain reaction accident when cars, trucks and at least one motorcycle tried to avoid hitting the debris flying out of the back of the truck.

One motorcyclist involved in the accident said, "Cars were going every which way. The truck that dropped the load was at a dead stop. A truck came into my lane sideways. I had no place to go."

He had to lay his bike down to save his life and although his motorcycle sustained significant damage, he suffered only scrapes and bruises. The rider felt lucky that he and no one else had been seriously injured, but his relief was tempered by the sight of the knife sticking out of a car’s bumper.

He said, "The first thought that went through my mind was the person whose car it was stuck into, thinking that if it came up another foot and a half or two feet it would have impaled him, gone through him. The second thought is it would have impaled me."

Washington State Patrol officers said that the driver had a cargo net in the back of the truck to secure the cargo but didn’t bother to use it.

Even though this truck accident didn’t happen in Florida, it is indicative of the shortcuts that truck drivers here and elsewhere will take that put other drivers at unnecessary risk. Each state has strict laws about these huge trucks that share our roads, restricting who can drive trucks, how much they can drive before resting, how much freight they can haul, how much their trucks can weigh and many others. All these laws are intended to protect people from trucking companies and drivers from taking shortcuts and endangering others on the road.

If you or a family member have been injured in a Florida trucking accident and have questions about your legal options, call Orlando truck accident lawyer James Cunningham today and schedule a free consultation. With his assistance, countless victims injured through the negligence of others have recovered the financial compensation they deserve. Mr. Cunningham works on a contingency fee basis, so you pay no attorney fees unless he makes a recovery on your behalf.