Earlier this week in St. John’s County, a three-truck accident seriously injured one man and closed one lane of the highway for several hours. According to a report by one local news agency, the accident took place just north of Florida 16 at around eight in the morning. Evidently, one semi-truck rear-ended another truck, causing both trucks to come to a stop in the middle of the lane. A few moments later, a third truck approached. Failing to see the wreck in front of him until it was too late, the driver slammed into the two disabled trucks, adding a third truck to the pile-up. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the third truck driver did attempt to avoid colliding with the two other trucks. However, the effort was made too late, and a collision could not be avoided. It was dark at the time of the accident. One of the drivers was taken to UF Health Jacksonville with serious injuries. The other two drivers reported no injuries. Authorities are still conducting an investigation into what could have caused the accident between the two initial trucks. So far, no one has been cited for their role in the three-truck pile-up. Truck Accidents on Florida Highways Those involved in this accident were lucky that it was not more serious, and that only one person was hospitalized as a result. Often, truck accidents result in serious or fatal injuries to all parties involved, due to the size, weight, and speed involved. In many cases, these accidents are preventable. Preventable Accidents Caused By Distracted Driving In most of the cases we see, at least one of the drivers involved was distracted at the time of the accident. Distracted driving can be something as seemingly innocuous as talking with a passenger while driving in the city, or as egregious as carrying on a text conversation while traveling at high speed on a highway. In either case, if the accident was caused by the driver’s lack of attention to the traffic around him, that driver may be held liable for any injuries caused by the accident. Proving that an accident was caused by a distracted driver often is done through circumstantial evidence, since direct evidence of distraction is rarely available. Circumstantial evidence of distraction may be cell phone records indicating that the driver was engaged in a phone conversation at the time of the accident, or evidence that the driver had been seen moments before the accident tinkering with the radio. The exact investigation that is required in a given case is dependent on the facts presented. To learn more about investigation into the potential causes of an accident, contact a dedicated Florida personal injury attorney. Have You Been Injured in a Florida Personal Injury Accident? If you or a loved one has recently been involved in a Florida personal injury accident, you may be entitled to monetary compensation based on the other party’s negligence. To learn more about personal injury cases in Florida, and to speak to an experienced Florida personal injury attorney about your case, call one of the dedicated attorneys at the Dean Law Firm at 352-387-8700. More Blog Posts: Canadian Motorcyclist Killed in Accident in Florida, Ocala Injury Lawyers Blog, published January 22, 2014. Florida Police Patrol Car Gets into Accident with SUV, Ocala Injury Lawyers Blog, published December 13, 2014.
