The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy designates garbage trucks (dubbed “refuse” vehicles) as belonging to the second-heaviest classification of vehicles on the road. They generally weigh between 26,000 and 33,000 pounds, which makes them a serious danger to the occupants of vehicles that they collide with. Garbage trucks’ weight may make them a threat to cause injury or death at any speed, as even seemingly minor accidents can cause lasting health issues.
If you or a loved one were involved in an accident in Tampa involving a garbage truck, then you may speak with the team for a Tampa garbage truck lawyer to understand your options for seeking compensation. Call the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine today at 1-800-747-3733 for a free consultation.
Garbage Trucks Can Be Dangerous When Not Driven Carefully
The majority of the time that you see garbage trucks, you may witness them traveling at relatively low speeds, stopping frequently, and seeming generally harmless. Yet, garbage trucks hold the potential to cause serious injuries, and potentially fatal injuries, when their drivers do not maneuver them with caution.
Quartz notes that the typical garbage truck in the U.S. may travel as many as 130 miles each day that it operates, including stretches where the garbage truck is operating at substantial speeds. These stretches may be periods where a serious accident could occur, though the threat of a collision may always be present.
Garbage truck drivers must understand that the weight of their vehicles can cause serious damage and should refrain from:
- Speeding
- Driving too closely behind other vehicles
- Making lane changes without checking blind spots or using turn signals
- Driving without headlights when visibility is low
- Driving at too high of speeds when it is raining, even if they are within the speed limit
- Being intoxicated by drugs or alcohol while driving
- Making turns without adequate clearance between oncoming traffic
- Allowing garbage to spill from the truck
- Stopping abruptly
- Using a cell phone while driving
- Eating or drinking while driving
Drivers of garbage trucks may be responsible in the same ways that motorists controlling other vehicles are. Yet, garbage truck drivers must understand that the size and weight of their vehicle may cause damage beyond what a smaller, lighter vehicle may cause, so their duty to drive safely may be even greater in that respect.
Multiple Parties May Be Liable for a Garbage Truck Accident
The garbage truck driver may be just one of the parties responsible for your losses. If some action by the driver of the truck caused your accident, then they may in fact be liable. Their employer, whether it is a municipality or private company, could also be responsible for the driver’s actions.
In the case that a vehicle part malfunctioned and caused your accident, then the manufacturer of that part could be responsible. It is also possible that a combination of these and other parties could owe you compensation for your accident-related losses.
Your Tampa garbage truck lawyer will familiarize themselves with the facts of your accident and determine who could be named as defendants in any lawsuit that you choose to bring. Call the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine today at 1-800-747-3733 for more information about how we may be able to help you determine liability and seek compensation after a garbage truck accident.
A Lawyer May Handle Your Lawsuit Through to Completion
Hiring a Tampa truck accident lawyer may entitle you to their service from before your lawsuit is filed until the legal process is complete. Your lawyer may not require you to pay anything upfront or out of pocket, as the American Bar Association (ABA) explains, and may provide you a number of services and benefits.
Some of the duties that your lawyer may perform are:
- Determining all of the parties who are liable for your accident
- Determining what share of liability individual parties hold
- Calculating the value of your individual and total losses
- Gathering evidence that supports your case for compensation
- Recording witness testimony
- Hiring professional investigators and experts to assist with your lawsuit
- Documenting your injuries with help from your doctors
- Providing general strategy and advice related to your lawsuit
- Defending your rights
- Negotiating a settlement on your behalf
- Completing a trial if no settlement comes to pass
Bringing a lawsuit can be a complex process, particularly if there is more than one party with responsibility for your accident and losses. A personal injury lawyer may have experience with lawsuits involving garbage trucks and may use any experience that they have to help you fight for fair compensation.
You May Receive Compensation for Your Losses
Your lawyer’s goal may be to obtain compensation based on the losses that you have suffered because of a garbage truck accident. Some losses may not have occurred by the time your lawyer is negotiating a settlement, but future losses could also be accounted for as part of a settlement agreement or judgment in your favor.
Some losses that you may receive compensation for include:
- The cost of healthcare for your injuries, which could include both past and future expenses
- Pain and suffering, which may cover psychological trauma as well as the pain of physical injuries
- Damage to your vehicle
- The income you lose while you are injured
- A decline in your earning power because of the physical or cognitive symptoms of your injuries
- Permanent disability
- The cost of medication and other types of treatment
- The cost of temporary transportation while your vehicle is not usable
- The cost of transportation to and from medical appointments
Your lawyer will fight for compensation in response to every loss from your garbage truck accident, including losses from losing a loved one.
Call the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine Today
Hiring a lawyer means relying on a legally trained professional to seek compensation on your behalf, and doing so may allow you to focus your attention on recovering from your injuries. Call the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine today at 1-800-747-3733 to learn how we will go the extra mile as your Tampa garbage truck lawyer.
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