You may suspect that a garbage truck is a heavy vehicle simply by looking at it, and the Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE) confirms this as a fact. Garbage trucks generally weigh between 26,000 and 33,000 pounds. This is significantly more than the typical pickup truck, SUV, or car, and may be more than enough weight to have caused you or a loved one to suffer serious injuries.
You can reach out to our office to discuss the benefits of a Punta Gorda garbage truck accident lawyer even if you do not believe that your injuries are serious. Your injuries may worsen over time, and you may want to take precautions to defend your rights.
Call the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine today at 1-800-747-3733 for a free consultation.
Garbage Trucks Have a Record of Danger
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) documents several instances of garbage truck drivers running over fellow employees. There may be many undocumented accidents involving garbage trucks, and you or a loved one may have been injured because of one such accident.
Due to its size, a garbage truck poses several dangers that other vehicles might not. Some limitations that a garbage truck driver must account for include:
- The time it takes for a garbage truck to come to a full stop, which may be longer than the time it takes for lighter vehicles traveling at the same speed to stop
- Garbage trucks’ inability to take turns at high speeds without veering out of their own lane
- The various blind spots that are caused by a garbage truck’s unique shape and features
A truck driver should be completely familiar and comfortable with driving a garbage truck before they get behind the wheel. Inexperience or ignorance is no excuse for negligently operating a vehicle of this size.
Garbage Truck Drivers Put Others at Risk When They Are Negligent
Your lawyer may be concerned with how a garbage truck driver caused your accident and whether their behavior meets the legal standard of negligence. Your lawyer will also assess other parties’ behavior to determine if they were negligent, as well.
A garbage truck driver may be negligent if they acted in any way that caused your accident. Negligent drivers include those who speed, drive intoxicated, engage in distracting behavior, tailgate, or engage in any other sort of dangerous driving act. Your lawyer will certainly review the actions of the garbage truck driver involved in your accident to determine if they were negligent.
They will also look at others who have a connection to your accident. The garbage truck driver’s employer, which could be a private company or municipality, will be on your lawyer’s list of potential defendants. An employer could be legally responsible for your accident under the following circumstances:
- They are deemed liable by the very fact that their employee caused an accident.
- They failed to properly monitor employees’ on-the-job behavior, including their use of drugs or alcohol.
- They failed to keep the garbage truck in good condition.
- They acted in any way that increased the risk to you or your loved one.
Liability is not always a straightforward matter, and more parties could be liable for your accident than you initially realize. A Punta Gorda garbage truck accident lawyer will make a final determination of who is liable for your accident and who should be the subject of your insurance claim or lawsuit.
Call the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine today at 1-800-747-3733 for details about how we will go the extra mile in representing you or your loved one.
A Lawyer Will Handle the Legal Process
As a victim of a garbage truck accident in Punta Gorda, filing a lawsuit may not be something that you are immediately concerned with. You may be in pain, dealing with the medical process, mourning the loss of a loved one, or facing other responsibilities that deserve your time and attention.
While you may be understandably occupied, time may be an important factor in your ability to pursue any compensation that you deserve. You may need to file certain documents within a certain period of time after your accident, and your ability to file a lawsuit may be subject to a statute of limitations.
A lawyer will make sure that, time permitting, all necessary paperwork is filed in order for you to be able to complete your lawsuit or insurance claim. When you hire a lawyer, their goal becomes to complete your case, and they will handle the legal process. If you bring an insurance claim, then they will deal with the insurance companies on your behalf.
Your Lawyer Will Seek Awards for Your Losses
You may seek financial coverage, or awards, for losses that you have suffered from your garbage truck accident. The type of awards you could be entitled to will depend on whether you bring an insurance claim or lawsuit, as well as the specific losses that you have suffered.
Some types of losses that you may be entitled to compensation for include:
- The cost of medical treatment for your injuries
- Costs that come from losing a loved one
- The cost of your or a loved one’s lost income
- Pain and suffering
- Damage to your vehicle or other personal property
- The cost of long-term care
Losses from one garbage truck accident may be completely different from losses from another, so your lawyer will analyze your case and speak with you about the harm that you have endured because of your accident.
Call the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine Today
You have the option to hire a Punta Gorda garbage truck accident lawyer if you or a loved one were injured in an accident. Call the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine today at 1-800-747-3733 to speak with our team at no cost.
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