Over 1.2 million container units or their equivalents pass through the Port of Miami every year. While many of these containers travel through the state by rail, the vast majority end up on Miami’s roads.
Commercial trucks, including semi-trucks, delivery trucks, and construction equipment, can weigh up to 40 tons under normal circumstances. They can weigh even more for oversize or overweight loads. When these massive machines hit your vehicle, you can suffer catastrophic brain and spinal cord injuries.
If you find yourself in this unfortunate position, the Miami truck accident attorneys at Shaked Law Personal Injury Lawyers can help. Contact our personal injury law firm at (305) 937-0191 for a free case evaluation to learn about our legal services.
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How Can Shaked Law Personal Injury Lawyers Help After a Truck Crash in Miami, FL?
The attorneys at Shaked Law Personal Injury Lawyers have over 100 years of combined experience representing accident victims in Miami, Florida. Since the firm was founded in 2007, our Miami truck accident lawyers have recovered hundreds of millions of dollars in financial compensation for injured clients.
After a truck accident in Miami, FL, we can help you by:
- Meeting with you for a free consultation to discuss your accident and explain your options
- Providing a legal team with a board-certified civil trial lawyer
- Representing you on a contingency fee basis, so you do not need to pay any legal fees until we win or settle your case
After a truck accident, you need a Miami personal injury lawyer who can stand up to the trucking company’s team of defense lawyers. Contact Shaked Law Personal Injury Lawyers for a free initial consultation to learn how we can help you with your truck accident claim.
How Many Truck Accidents Happen in Florida?
According to the Florida Crash Facts report for 2021, Florida had 44,271 truck accidents involving commercial motor vehicles. For perspective, Florida had a total of 401,540 traffic accidents that same year. Using these numbers, you can calculate that just over 11% of Florida traffic accidents in 2021 involved a commercial motor vehicle.
According to the Florida Traffic Safety Dashboard, these truck accidents caused 361 fatalities that year. This represented 9.6% of all traffic fatalities in Florida. Nationwide, commercial trucks cause about 9% of all traffic deaths.
How and Where Do Miami Truck Accidents Occur?
Miami truck accident statistics are slightly worse than the statistics in Florida as a whole. Miami-Dade County has over 2.6 million residents. It had 7,903 commercial motor vehicle accidents in 2021, according to the Crash Facts report. This number represented 12.6% of all traffic accidents in the city, much higher than the 9.6% in the rest of Florida.
Based on its population, Miami-Dade County had 295 truck accidents per 100,000 residents. The truck accident rate in Florida is only 199 truck crashes per 100,000 residents. Thus, you are almost 50% more likely to get into a truck crash in Miami-Dade County than in Florida as a whole.
Truck Crash Outcomes
Commercial truck crashes in Miami-Dade County caused:
- 27 fatal injuries
- 75 serious injuries that required ambulance transportation for hospital treatment
- 1,014 minor and possible injuries that did not require hospital transportation
Keep in mind that minor and possible injuries can still require costly medical treatment and cause physical disabilities. For example, a torn knee ligament might fall under the “possible injuries” category because you have no visible wound. But you may require knee surgery and miss weeks or even months of work while you recover.
Common Causes of Truck Crashes
According to a truck accident causation study conducted by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, commercial motor vehicles cause about 55% of all collisions between trucks and passenger vehicles.
When the truck causes the accident, the most common explanations include the following:
- Driver error (87%)
- Unsafe vehicle (10%)
- Road or weather problem (3%)
When the driver bears the blame for the crash, the most common errors include:
- Speeding
- Unsafe maneuvering due to unfamiliarity with the area
- Intoxicated driving
- Fatigued driving
- Failing to spot another vehicle before maneuvering
Even though driver errors cause the overwhelming majority of truck crashes, the most common single cause of truck crashes is defective brakes. Bad brakes cause over 41,000 truck crashes in the U.S. every year, according to the truck accident causation study.
Miami Truck Crash Locations
Miami has several hotspots for truck accidents. These hotspots often develop due to heavy traffic and high speeds. For example, I-95, FL-826/Palmetto Expressway, and FL-997 have an elevated truck crash risk.
Hotspots can also develop on busy downtown streets. Thus, US-1, US-41/SW 7th St., and NW 8th Ave. are hotspots for truck crashes.
Schedule a Free Consultation with Our Miami Truck Accident Lawyers
A truck accident can cause permanent disabilities that prevent you from working or caring for yourself. Contact Shaked Law Personal Injury Lawyers at (305) 937-0191 for a free consultation to discuss your truck crash and how you can pursue compensation for your injuries.