The term “tanker” generally refers to large trucks that carry some sort of liquid in a cargo tank. The liquid cargo that a tanker carries can be combustible or otherwise dangerous, and the weight of a tanker may be a hazard itself. If you or a loved one was involved in a Tampa crash, our tanker truck accident lawyer can help you seek compensation.
When those who drive tankers are not as cautious as they need to be, then they may cause accidents resulting in injury to or the death of innocent victims. Our Tampa truck accident lawyer may be able to help you seek the justice that you deserve because of a tanker accident.
What Our Personal Injury Attorney Can Do for Your Truck Accident Claim
Careless driving, reckless driving, aggressive driving, and driving under the influence can lead to serious collisions. No matter how your accident happened, our team is here to advocate for you.
When you seek the guidance of our Tampa personal injury lawyer, we can handle all the legal details of your case. You can rely on us to:
- Determine the liable parties
- Explain which damages you can recover
- Communicate with you throughout your case
- Seek fair compensation through a personal injury lawsuit or insurance claim
- Investigate the cause of your truck crash
When you have an attorney from the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine on your side, you are not alone in your pursuit of justice.
Damages You Can Recover After a Tampa Tanker Truck Accident
Accident victims have the right to seek compensation for their economic and non-economic damages. Our experienced truck accident attorneys can build a case and demand compensation for damages such as:
- Medical care expenses
- Pain and suffering
- Property damage
- Emotional trauma
- Lost income
- Reduced earning capacity
We can also build a case on your behalf if your loved one passed away in a truck accident in Tampa. Our team can hold the negligent party accountable for their wrongdoing.
The Abnormal Danger of Tanker Accidents
When an accident occurs, there may be multiple dangers that those involved in the collision must consider. When two passenger vehicles collide, for example, those involved must determine:
- How seriously they were injured by the impact of the collision
- Whether oncoming traffic poses a threat of collision
- Whether hazards within the vehicle, such as broken glass, could cause injury
- Whether potentially hazardous substances, such as leaking gasoline, could cause additional injury through fire or an explosion
When a tanker is involved in an accident, these considerations may also apply. However, the threat of dangerous substances causing great injury may be even greater.
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) lays out two scenarios in which a collision involving a tanker truck carrying oil could lead to an oil spill, which may cause a serious fire. The possibility that a collision involving a tanker could result in hazardous material spilling onto the roadway, and possibly onto motorists directly, makes it all the more critical that tanker truck drivers operate their vehicles with extreme caution.
The Weight of Tanker Trucks May Make Them a Hazard
Tanker trucks may fall within the heaviest category of vehicles on the road, with these categories laid out by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy. Commercial trucks that weigh substantially more than other vehicles could have a disproportionately high potential for causing damage when a collision occurs.
A heavier-than-average vehicle may be more difficult to slow or stop when a collision is imminent, may be less able to handle turns, and could have a greater wrecking capacity when striking other vehicles, motorcyclists, or pedestrians. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explains how the limitations of tankers can lead directly to accidents and rollovers.
Those who are certified to drive tanker trucks have a duty to be aware of such vehicles’ poor stopping ability and must take related precautions such as maintaining a safe distance from other vehicles at all times. They must also refrain from driving in any way that increases the risk of an accident occurring.
A Tampa tanker truck lawyer can review the facts of your accident and bring a case for compensation against any parties responsible for your collision and losses.
Our Lawyer Serving Tampa May Assign Liability for Your Accident
When you are harmed because of a collision with a tanker, you may need to determine who is responsible for your losses if you hope to recover compensation. A trucking accident lawyer from our firm can help you with this process.
Those who could have some responsibility for a tanker truck collision include:
- The driver of the tanker
- The employer of the tanker driver
- The trucking company
- The manufacturer of any vehicle component that failed and caused your collision
- Any mechanic whose work is tied to a malfunction
- A municipality such as the City of Tampa if road conditions contributed to or directly caused a collision
Other parties could be responsible for some or all of your losses depending on the specific details of your accident. Your lawyer may determine all of the individuals and entities that have a share of fault for your losses and will aim to hold those parties accountable.
Bringing a Lawsuit Against Responsible Parties With Our Truck Accident Attorneys
A lawsuit may be the most appropriate way for you to pursue fair compensation, though in some cases an insurance payout may be sufficient. A lawyer can handle the process of bringing a lawsuit so that you can worry about recovering from injuries or dealing with the loss of a loved one.
As they aim to secure compensation through a lawsuit, your lawyer may:
- Formulate the argument for why you should be entitled to compensation
- Hire experts to support their argument
- Determine how much compensation you are owed due to your accident-related losses
- Interview witnesses and record their accounts
- Gather evidence, which could include video footage of your accident
- File your lawsuit before applicable deadlines expire
- Negotiate a settlement with attorneys for defendants in your lawsuit
Your lawyer and their team will be prepared to complete a trial if settlement negotiations are not successful. In addition to the above duties, your lawyer will defend your rights and provide advice throughout the legal process. They may keep you as informed or involved in the legal process as you would like to be.
If your lawyer is successful, then you may collect compensation for medical costs, lost income, pain and suffering, and other losses that have come because of your tanker truck accident.
Call the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine Today for Guidance After an Accident in Tampa
Hiring a Tampa tanker truck lawyer could allow you to focus your time and energy on recovery, assisting a loved one who has been injured, or other responsibilities that you should prioritize. A lawyer will handle the legal process so that you do not have to.
Call the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine today for more details about our responsive brand of legal care.
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