In order to allow them to make sharper turns as well as more easily connect and disconnect trailers from cabs, modern tractor-trailers are designed so that cab and trailer are connected by a hitch that can freely rotate along with the truck’s momentum. The downside to this design is that the cab and trailer each technically have their own separate momentum from each other, which means that a skid can lead to each part of the truck moving at different speeds and even in different directions simultaneously.
What results from this is sometimes called a “jackknife” crash since it involves the truck as a whole folding into a jackknife-like shape. These wrecks tend to have devastating repercussions for everyone unfortunate enough to be caught up in them. If a truck driver’s negligence led to you getting injured in a jackknife truck accident in Mount Dora, you should make speaking with a seasoned truck accident attorney about your legal options one of your top priorities.
Proving “Negligence” Caused a Truck to Jackknife
Like virtually any other civil claim built around any other type of auto accident, lawsuits for jackknife truck crashes in Mount Dora are typically based on the legal theory of negligence. In brief, someone is “negligent”—and can be made to pay for injuries and losses stemming directly from their negligence—if they act in a reckless, careless, or illegal way that violates a “duty of care” they owe to the injured person suing them.
All drivers on public Florida roads, including and especially long-haul truckers carrying tens of thousands of pounds of cargo, have roughly the same “duty” to obey all applicable traffic laws, pay attention to their surroundings, and keep their focus entirely on driving for every second they spend behind the wheel. Some examples of negligent behavior which commonly leads to jackknife wrecks include:
- Going over the speed limit, particularly around sharp turns
- Improper braking techniques
- Not slowing down for bad weather or road conditions
- Driving on worn-down tires or neglecting truck maintenance in some other way
- Carrying too much cargo relative to what a truck is rated to safely transport and/or in violation of state and federal trucking laws
- Driving while drunk, fatigued, or distracted
Guidance from qualified legal counsel is vital to determining exactly how a particular incident occurred and building a comprehensive, evidence-supported civil claim against every person who played a role in causing that accident.
Getting Paid Fairly for All Available Damages
On that note, trucking companies that employ negligent drivers can often be held vicariously liable for misconduct by one of their employees when it leads to a jackknife truck accident in Mount Dora. This detail is important to recovering fairly for both the short-term and long-term effects of a crash since collisions between semi-trucks and commuter cars very often cause life-altering or even life-threatening injuries. Because these injuries are so expensive to treat, the trucker’s insurance alone may not be sufficient to cover all the damages. Holding the trucking company, maintenance crew, or any other potentially responsible parties liable for their contribution to the wreck helps maximize available compensation.
On the economic side of things, compensable losses in a case of this nature may include both past and future medical bills, lost work income, a diminished earning ability, personal property damage, and expenses associated with long-term disability—for example, the cost of buying a wheelchair and adding wheelchair ramps to a private home. Non-economic damages typically center around physical “pain and suffering” but can also include things like emotional anguish, psychological trauma, and lost overall quality of life.
Get Help From a Mount Dora Attorney With a Jackknife Truck Accident Claim
While any truck wreck has the potential to cause devastating injuries to everyone involved, jackknife crashes are unique in the sheer number of different cars that may end up damaged by the out-of-control tractor-trailer. On top of being exceptionally dangerous, these incidents can also be difficult to effectively file suit over, especially if you are not intimately familiar with how state law and civil courts tend to approach situations like yours.
Assistance is available after jackknife truck accidents in Mount Dora from our experienced legal professionals, who are willing to stand by your side and fight tenaciously for your best interests through every stage of your legal proceedings. Call Largey Law Firm today for an initial consultation.
