Swinging Turns

When a truck accident happens, it can be devastating to a car, motorcyclist, or pedestrian whom the big rig strikes. The size and weight of commercial vehicles can result in collisions that cause catastrophic injuries to the smaller vehicle or pedestrian. Swinging turn accidents are those that happen when a large truck moves to the left to make a right turn. Other vehicles may get sideswiped or crushed against a solid object as they are caught in its path. The experienced truck accident attorneys at the Dean Law Firm can help protect your right to compensation if you have been hurt near Ocala by a careless commercial driver.

If you or a loved one is hurt in a truck accident, your injuries are likely to be severe. Both federal and state laws are designed to protect people on the road from the hazards caused by these large vehicles. Truck drivers, like other people behind the wheel, are expected to use reasonable care. Federal law also requires truckers to keep logbooks and take certain rest breaks. It directs trucking companies to use special precautions in hiring drivers, training them to properly handle their vehicles, and follow proper maintenance procedures. When a truck driver or trucking company fails in any of these duties or others, it may be exposed to liability in a negligence lawsuit.

After an accident, an attorney will look into whether the truck driver and its employer did everything possible to handle their vehicle carefully. For example, these crashes can happen when a trucking company fails to train the driver on safe procedures, the trucker does not look around carefully before making the turn, or the truck lacks adequate mirrors, taillights, turn lights, or brake lights. Driver fatigue is also a contributing factor in many accidents. No matter the specific type of carelessness, any type of unreasonably dangerous behavior can breach the duty of care. When this happens, the victim needs to draw a causal link from the negligent actions to his or her injuries and identify actual damages resulting from them. These can compensate for both objective and subjective types of harm, ranging from medical bills and lost earning capacity to pain and suffering.

A trucking company is likely to have higher policy limits than the truck driver, and it often can be held responsible through a theory of indirect liability, like vicarious liability. To succeed in this type of claim, the victim would need to show that the trucker was acting in the scope and course of employment at the time of the accident. In some cases, the trucking company also can be held directly responsible under a theory of negligent hiring or negligent supervision if it failed to properly train or monitor a driver who had a record of handling vehicles unsafely.

If you have been involved in an Ocala accident, you should consult the motor vehicle collision attorneys at the Dean Law Firm. The injuries may be catastrophic. You may need help paying medical bills, or you may need time off work. You can be assured that we will take your needs seriously. The Dean Law Firm works hard to pursue compensation for truck accident victims. Contact us at 352-387-8700 or via our online form to set up a free consultation. Many of our clients come from Crystal River and the Villages, as well as other towns in Marion, Lake, Sumter, Citrus, and Levy Counties.