Florida Injury Lawyer Blog

FORT MYERS, FLORIDA : According to the Florida Highway Patrol, 46 year old Georges Pameni was killed in a tractor trailer accident when the truck he was driving collided with another tractor trailer on I-75 yesterday.

Georges Pameni, of Marietta, Georgia was driving his tractor trailer north on I-75. Truck driver, Steven Miller, 49, of Estero was also northbound on I-75.

Apparently, a load of stone was dropped on the Bayshore Road overpass by a dump truck. While that lane was being cleaned up, it was closed and traffic was being diverted into another lane.

The Florida personal injury lawyers at Hannon & Boyers recently represented the family of a truck driver in a wrongful death case when their loved one was killed in a tractor trailer accident. Our injury attorneys have handled numerous cases involving truck accidents where a thorough knowledge of the Federal laws regulating truckers helped secure a significant award for the survivors. In this case, experienced injury lawyers would investigate the trucking company and driver of the dump truck that caused the road closure. It is likely that they created a dangerous condition that contributed to cause the crash.

Continue reading "Fort Meyers, Florida Tractor Trailer Accident Leaves One Dead " »

Posted by James Hannon, Esq. | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Catastrophic Injuries , Dangerous/Defective Construction Equipment , Death , Florida Truck Accidents , Florida Wrongful Death , Transportation Accidents

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Miami, Florida - When large commercial trucks crash, the accidents are rarely “minor fender benders” and the results are often catastrophic. With over 8 million trucks on the road, accidents involving these vehicles are a fact of life.

But the chances of a truck accident occurring, especially a fatal truck accident, are higher in Florida than almost any other state and higher in the Miami area than in all but two other locations in Florida. Florida ranks third in the nation in fatal truck accidents. Only Texas and California have more.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, a disproportionate number of truck accidents occur in just three areas of Florida:

1). Hillsborough County, which includes the city of Tampa on Florida’s west coast;

2). Polk County, which includes the cities of Lakeland and Bartow in Central Florida, and

3). Miami-Dade County, which includes the cities of Miami, Homestead and Hialeah in
     South Florida.

One reason for this is because a higher volume of large trucks, including semi tractor-trailers, travel through these communities than in most others.

There are some roads that are particularly dangerous within these communities. For example, Interstate 60 connects Florida’s East and West coasts and runs right through Polk County near Lakeland and Bartow in Central Florida. I-60 is basically a country road – much smaller than most interstates. Similarly, Krome Avenue, in the Miami area, hosts many tractor trailers and is also just a two lane, country road. Another smaller road that sees an unusually high number of truck accidents is Overseas Highway, which runs through Key Largo, Islamorada, Marathon and Key West in the Florida Keys.

Truck accidents are also a familiar sight on Florida’s larger highways (The Florida Turnpike, I-95, I-75, I-595) just because of the volume of large trucks traveling on them. But the interstates are not alone.

The Florida Injury Lawyers at our firm have extensive experience in representing the victims of truck accidents in each of these areas and throughout the State. Through our experience, we have learned not only who the best expert witnesses are in the trucking industry and how to use the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations to prove negligence on the part of truck drivers and the trucking companies that employ them, but also that there are usually multiple factors involved in determining the cause of an accident involving a large commercial truck.

In the year 2002, large trucks were involved in over 70,000 accidents across our state according to Florida’s Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV). That represents almost 1/3 of all Florida motor vehicle accidents for that time period.

Continue reading "Florida Truck Accidents Among Most Frequent in US" »

Posted by James Hannon, Esq. | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Brain Damage , Catastrophic Injuries , Death , Florida Truck Accidents , Florida Wrongful Death , Miami Truck Accidents , Paralysis , Paraplegia , Polk County Truck Accidents , Quadriplegia , Spinal Cord Injuries , Transportation Accidents , Traumatic Brain Injury

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WILDWOOD FLORIDA - A semi tractor-trailer accident killed a father and son who were working on the Florida Turnpike this morning in Sumter County as they were making repairs to the guardrails just North of Highway 301.

The victims, Luis F. Jimenez, 49, and his son Edward Jimenez, 24 were killed just after 10:30am when a car and a tractor-trailer collided sending the car over the guardrail according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Florida injury lawyers would look to hold the negligent driver responsible for the tragic death of this father and son. In addition, they would investigate to determine whether or not adequate safety proceedures were in place for the road work being performed.

According to turnpike officials, the father and son were working on the guardrail with one other worker who was not identified.

The accident closed the northbound lanes of the turnpike for several hours between Highway 301 and I-75 which spans about 3 miles.

Posted by James Hannon, Esq. | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Catastrophic Injuries , Death , Florida Auto Accidents , Florida Truck Accidents , Florida Wrongful Death , Transportation Accidents

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Miami, Florida - An 18-wheeler and a car met in a head-on collision Wednesday, shutting down Krome Avenue near SW 88th Street (Kendall Drive). The March 5, 2008 tractor-trailer wreck sent one person to the hospital on air rescue. The rescue helicopter dispatched by the Miami- Dade Fire Department had to land on the street.

Hazmat teams were also sent to the accident scene to clean up the resulting fuel spill.

Truck accidents, especially those involving huge semi tractor-trailors, generally inflict more serious injuries on motorists than do traffic accidents involving only passenger cars. One reason for this is because these big rigs typically weigh as much as 80,000 lbs fully when loaded. That is several tons heavier than the average passenger car.

Careless truckers will continue to cause serious injuries and death among Florida motorists until federal lawmakers stop de-regulating the trucking industry and move toward tighter regulations to keep our roads safe. Our Florida truck accident lawyers have represented too many families throught the state, who have lost loved ones in traffic accidents involving large commercial trucks.In these times of de-regulation, trial lawyers are often the only ones who are willing to hold negligent truck drivers and the trucking companies they work for accountable.

Posted by James Hannon, Esq. | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Florida Auto Accidents , Florida Truck Accidents , Miami Auto Accidents , Miami Truck Accidents , Transportation Accidents

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Columbia County, Florida - An accident involving the collision of two semi trucks ignited a fire that engulfed one semi on I-10 in Columbia County early Tuesday. Our Florida personal injury lawyers handle truck accident cases throught the state of Florida so I am very familiar with I-10 and the accidents that frequently occur there.

Florida Highway Patrol reported that 43 year old Terence L. Daniel of Ellenwood, Ga., was charged with careless driving following the truck accident which occurred just east of U.S. 441 on I-10 shortly before 1 a.m.

According to FHP, Daniel was traveling westbound approaching another westbound truck but did not slow down in time and hit the other vehicle in the rear. The other semi truck left the roadway and ended up in a ditch. Apparently, one of the sidesaddle fuel tanks on Daniel's truck became dislodged in the crash and ignited, engulfing the semi in flames.

Both Daniel and the other driver, 26 year old Jacksonville resident, William R. Taylor suffered minor injuries in the crash.

Continue reading "Columbia County, Florida Truck Accident: Tractor-Trailer Wreck and Dislodged Side Saddle Fuel Tank Cause Vehicle Fire on I-10 " »

Posted by James Hannon, Esq. | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Dangerous or Defective Products , Defective Fuel Tanks , Florida Auto Accidents , Florida Truck Accidents , Transportation Accidents

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OCALA - The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a fatal tractor-trailer accident that took place on the northbound ramp of I-75 at State Road 40 on Sunday.

The accident occurred when a van struck a semi truck which was parked on the side of the road but was partially blocking the on-ramp. After the initial impact, the van collided with another tractor-trailer. The van driver was killed.

FHP may decide to file criminal charges against the truck driver but won't know until additional witnesses are interviewed and the vehicles have been inspected.

Neither Richard E. Johnson of Ocala, the driver of the parked truck, nor the driver of the other truck driver, William T. Luke, of Hawkinsville, Ga. were hurt.

Tony Rodriguez, a spokes person for F & R Trucking, the company that employs Johnson, said the truck was headed to Atlanta to pick up freight.

According to the accident report, the accident occurred at 4:40 p.m. when James J. Harding drove a 1996 Dodge van onto the northbound ramp, preparing to merge with traffic that was northbound on I-75. That's when he hit a 2001 Freightliner, whose driver's side wheels and a portion of the truck were blocking the lanes of travel on the ramp.

The van rear-ended the trailer and ended up in the path of a 2001 Peterbilt that was hauling cars.

The 42 year old Harding was thrown from the van onto the median of I-75 and was pronounced dead at the scene. The traffic report indicates that Harding was not wearing a seat belt.

Troopers said Johnson parked his semi truck along the roadway in order to fill out his logbook at the start of his shift.

Continue reading "FHP Investigating Fatal I-75 Semi Truck Accident in Ocala, Florida" »

Posted by James Hannon, Esq. | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Florida Auto Accidents , Florida Truck Accidents , Florida Wrongful Death , Transportation Accidents

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POLK COUNTY | Another tractor-trailer accident occurred on State Road 60 at Armour Road in Bartow, Florida early this week sending the truck driver to the hospital with injuries.

Unfortunately, truck accidents like this one (Please refer to my earlier post "Polk County, Florida Truck Accident Causes Injury to Local Motorist") are becoming more and more common in Bartow and other parts of Polk County - many of them causing serious injury or death.

State Road 60 is a major route for many large, commercial trucks hauling cargo between Florida's East and West coasts and it takes these trucks right through Bartow and the surrounding areas. Unlike most interstates, much of SR 60 has only two lanes, leaving little room for error on the part of truck drivers who are often pushed to drive long distances on little rest by trucking company supervisors concerned only with on-time deliveries and company profits.

Continue reading "Bartow, Florida Semi Truck Accident Closes SR 60" »

Posted by James Hannon, Esq. | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Florida Truck Accidents , Polk County Truck Accidents , Transportation Accidents

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LAKELAND - Jody Franks was injured in a major truck accident today in Polk County, Florida. He was sitting at a red light in his pickup truck in the southbound lane of DeCastro Road at the intersection of SR 540, when a fully loaded garbage truck weighing about 49 tons attempted to make a right turn and overturned onto his vehicle. The pickup immediately caught fire with Franks trapped inside.

Fortunately, several other truckers were in the vicinity of the crash and were able to put out the fire with their fire extinguishers. A large, heavy-duty wrecker was needed to get the garbage truck off the pickup and the Jaws of Life were needed to get Franks out of the crumpled pickup.

Polk County sheriff's deputies said Franks appeared to have no life-threatening injuries. He was taken to Lakeland Regional Medical Center.

Continue reading "Polk County, Florida Truck Accident Causes Injury to Local Motorist" »

Posted by James Hannon, Esq. | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Florida Truck Accidents , Polk County Truck Accidents , Transportation Accidents

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