Working as a truck driver can be quite dangerous. When hauling heavy cargo, your rig can become more difficult to control, especially in an emergency. Transportation injuries are one of the most common workplace injuries, especially for drivers working in the trucking industry. To help avoid trucking injuries, truck drivers should be aware of where the greatest dangers lie. Prosper Shaked discusses some of the riskiest roads for truck drivers in the State of Florida.
Most Dangerous Miami, Florida Roads for Truck Drivers
The following list contains the most dangerous roads in Miami for truck drivers. These roads are the ones that see the most fatal car accidents each year:
- I-95: I-95 is one of the largest and most heavily driven highways in the state and, unsurprisingly, sees the highest number of deadly crashes each year.
- State road 826/Palmetto Expressway: This road links Miami and some of the larger suburbs, necessitating heavy commuter and freight traffic each day.
- US Route 1: An alternative to I-95, Route 1 is a common shipping corridor, commuter highway, and travel route.
- SR 821/Homestead Extension of Florida’s Turnpike: The “HEFT” or the “Ronald Reagan Turnpike” is another heavily-traveled alternate route in and out of the Miami area, making it heavily trafficked.
- US Route 441: Throughout most if this highway’s length, it is a smaller, local highway. With more turns on and off the road, there are bound to be more intersection accidents.
These highways are some of the worst roads for deadly accidents because they are some of the roads that see the most traffic every day. Throughout the Miami-Dade area, many of these roads may be incredibly popular shipping routes, especially major interstates like I-95.
Although these are the most common roads for deadly car accidents, a deadly accident can occur on any road. Negligent drivers and dangerous maintenance problems on your truck could lead to a serious accident, as could drunk drivers and distracted driving.
Recovering Compensation for Truck Drivers After an Accident
If you are a truck driver who was injured in an accident, you may have a few routes to seek compensation for your accident’s injuries, lost wages, and pain and suffering. In Florida, one common method for receiving compensation is to file for workers’ compensation. However, this may give you only limited coverage for a workplace injury and may block you from receiving damages you could be entitled to in court. For help learning how to file your injury lawsuit to get full compensation, take your case to an experienced personal injury lawyer.
After a car accident or truck accident, you could be facing thousands of dollars in medical expenses and lost wages. Car insurance may cover some of these damages. While trucking companies and truck drivers usually have high-value insurance policies, these policies may still only cover a portion of these damages. Taking your case to court after serious injuries could entitle you to additional damages, like pain and suffering and the full value of any lost wages or medical bills.
These lawsuits are filed against the at-fault driver. That means that if your accident was caused by another truck or another driver on the road, you could sue them for damages. However, many trucking accidents occur in part because the trucking company failed to keep its driver’s safe. This means you could sue your trucking company.
Federal trucking regulations limit trucking companies from keeping their drivers on the road for too long. They also require trucking companies to perform maintenance and ensure certain equipment safety protocols are followed. If your trucking company forced you to drive beyond your limits or failed to maintain your truck properly, they could be responsible for the accident. Especially if the truck had defective auto parts, defective tires, or other equipment problems, you could potentially sue them for putting you behind the wheel of a dangerous vehicle.
Cargo could also pose a risk to your health and safety. Driving an overloaded truck makes it more difficult to control, but your trucking company may not always be forthright with how much you’re hauling. Hauling dangerous cargo or hazardous materials (HAZMATs) requires certain protocols and safety gear. If your trucking company loaded your truck with chemicals or materials that pose a risk to your health without informing you, you may be entitled to sue them for any harms these materials caused.
Our Miami Personal Injury Lawyer Offers Free Consultations on Injury Cases
If you or a loved one was injured in a serious truck accident while working as a truck driver, you could be entitled to file a lawsuit to cover the medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. If your loved one was killed in a trucking accident, you may also be able to sue for their wrongful death. For help with your case, contact Prosper Shaked today at (305) 694-2676 for a free consultation.