In Florida, 18-wheeler crashes happen for many reasons, including driving errors, mechanical failures, and load issues. Moreover, some environmental factors unique to the Sunshine State, such as high wind or driving rain, can have a greater effect on semi trucks than smaller vehicles. But is there a link between truck color & crash risk?
Collisions between trucks and automobiles for any reason often result in serious or fatal injuries due to the weight difference alone. If you were hurt in a crash, a Florida truck accident lawyer from Shaked Law Personal Injury Lawyers can help you understand your rights and fight for the compensation you deserve. Here’s what you need to know. Contact us at 305-937-0191 for a free consultation.
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How Shaked Law Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help After a Truck Accident in Florida
The team at Shaked Law Personal Injury Lawyers has a century of combined legal experience fighting for the rights of truck accident victims throughout Florida. Our Florida personal injury attorneys have recovered millions of dollars for our clients, and our team takes pride in offering personalized support and customized case strategies to every client.
If you hire our Florida personal injury lawyers after a crash caused by a trucking company’s negligence, we can assist you in these key ways:
- Assess your accident and determine how much compensation you’re entitled to
- Prepare your insurance claim using evidence gathered during our investigation
- Negotiate with the trucking company’s sureties and insurers to resolve your case
- Take your case to court if we cannot obtain a fair settlement
Truck accident injuries can require expensive medical care and interfere with your ability to earn a living. Contact us to schedule a free consultation with our Florida truck accident attorneys to find out how we can fight for your future today.
Studies Linking Vehicle Color and Crash Risk
A study by the University of Dayton provided one of the most complete explanations for a link between vehicle color and crash risk. Specifically, this study set out to answer two questions.
First, the paper attempted to reconcile prior studies that produced conflicting results. For example, a study conducted by the University of Auckland found that silver cars were the least likely to be involved in crashes that caused serious injury. However, a subsequent study at Monash University in Australia reached the opposite conclusion, determining that silver was the riskiest color.
Second, the paper sought to determine whether there was, in fact, any vehicle color that was always more dangerous than others. In other words, the study attempted to determine which colors are more likely to be involved in crashes once you control for other factors such as road conditions, lighting, and visibility.
The University of Dayton study used data from 948,121 crashes in Ohio, where the colors of the vehicles were known. However, unlike prior studies, this study focused on the color of the vehicle found not at fault for the crash. In other words, the study eliminated the at-fault driver’s car color from consideration because it did not affect the crash cause.
The data were analyzed statistically, and the researchers found that no color is riskier than all other colors in all circumstances. In other words, no car color was more likely to be hit in daylight, nighttime, or rainstorms. The researchers noted that some colors may be more dangerous in certain circumstances.
For example, dark vehicles may be more likely to be hit at night on unlit roads. Similarly, glare from silver or white cars might increase the risk of a collision during sunrise or sunset.
Liability for Crashes That Occur in Poor Visibility Conditions
Rather than focusing on the color of the vehicles involved in a crash, it is more helpful to look at the drivers’ actions. For example, suppose a truck driver rear-ended your car in the fog. The color of the truck or your vehicle is irrelevant, as the truck driver should have left more space or pulled off the road until the fog cleared.
Similarly, a truck driver might argue that your black vehicle contributed to a blind spot accident at night. However, assuming that your headlights were functioning, it is more likely that the truck driver misjudged your vehicle’s location or speed when changing lanes than that they lost your vehicle in the darkness.
Focusing on the truck driver’s actions allows the insurer or jurors to analyze negligence accurately. Specifically, a trucking company is liable when its employees fail to exercise reasonable care.
A trucking company will likely be liable when its driver crashes into another vehicle because they failed to see it, regardless of either vehicle’s color.
Schedule a Free Consultation with Our Florida Truck Accident Lawyers
Color may play little to no role in truck accidents, but other causes may fall under Florida’s negligence laws. If you were hurt in a truck crash, you deserve a team that will advocate for your rights at every step of the claims process.
Contact Shaked Law Personal Injury Lawyers for a free consultation with a Florida truck accident attorney to discover your options today.
