Tips to Help You Avoid Becoming a Florida Truck Accident Statistic

Earlier this month on Dec. 3, two people were killed and two more injured in south Florida when a truck collided with a passenger car, causing it to burst into flames. This trucking accident exemplifies the potential dangers of passenger cars sharing the road with huge trucks weighing up to 80,000 pounds. The truck driver was cited for making an improper lane change and operating a vehicle in an unsafe condition after the accident.

Orlando personal injury lawyer James O. Cunningham has helped many truck accident victims since he began his law practice in 1977 and would like to share some tips with readers that could prevent them or their loved ones from becoming trucking accident statistics. These tips include the following:

• Observe the blind spots on big rigs, which are large and include most of both sides of the trailer. As a rule of thumb, if you can’t see the side mirrors on the cab, the truck driver can’t see you.
• When passing a tractor-trailer, maintain and even speed, and make sure that you are well ahead of the truck before you attempt to merge into the right-hand lane.
• Always let a truck have the right of way whether they have it or not.
• Be mindful not to drive too close to a trailer when passing a truck, as a gust of wind could cause it to drift into your lane.
• Make sure to maintain at least a four-second distance when following a big rig so you leave yourself enough space to take evasive action if the truck makes and emergency stop.
• Never try to pass a truck when it is making a turn. You will be driving right into the blind spot, and the trailer could roll right over you as it completes the turn.
• If you are behind a truck on an incline at a red light or stop sign, make sure to leave plenty of room between your vehicle and the truck. Trucks on an incline often roll back a few feet before the transmission engages and moves them forward.
• When following trucks on rainy or snowy roads, please leave plenty of space between your vehicle and the truck so that you are out of the spray that the big rigs create in their wake.

Here’s one more tip: if you are injured in a trucking accident and need to speak with an Orlando trucking accident lawyer, call James O. Cunningham at 386-243-4994. Mr. Cunningham will answer all your questions and advise you of your legal options in plain language so you and your family can make informed decisions about which course of action will be best for you.

James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.