Earlier last week, a fatal accident on Buckman Bridge in Jacksonville claimed the lives of four individuals and seriously injured three others. According to one local news report, the accident occurred on a Monday afternoon around two o’clock. Evidently, an SUV was coming to a stop on the bridge when it was struck from behind by a semi-truck. The SUV caught fire soon after the initial collision. Tragically, all four people inside the SUV—including two adults and two minors—were pronounced dead at the scene. A third vehicle was also involved in the accident. Thankfully, all occupants of that vehicle were able to make it out with non-life-threatening, although still serious, injuries. The driver of the semi-truck was also injured as a result of the accident. A preliminary investigation into the cause of the accident indicates that the semi-truck driver’s negligence was at least partially responsible. However, the formal investigation is not complete, and the driver of the truck currently is not facing criminal charges or a citation for his involvement in the accident. With that said, as of right now, there is nothing to counter the evidence that he simply did not slow down when traffic in front of him had slowed to a near stop. The Trucking Firm Has a History of Citations According to a second news source, the trucking company that owned and operated this semi-truck rig has had serious compliance problems in the past. Apparently, the company has been cited roughly 50 times over the past two years for failing to keep accurate rest logs. Of those, three involved a driver submitting a false rest log. In five other cases, the driver of the semi-truck was found to have been on the road for over 14 hours. Truck Compliance with Rest Requirements Due to the nature of their employment, truck drivers spend long hours on the road. However, federal and state lawmakers understand that having someone behind the wheel of a massive vehicle with little sleep is a dangerous thing. Therefore, federal and state law require semi-truck drivers to get a certain amount of rest per day, as well as per week in between long hauls. To help enforce these regulations, the government requires that truck drivers keep a log of the hours they are on the road, as well as when they are resting. Drivers must submit these logs periodically to ensure compliance. Additionally, these logs can be the subject of a subpoena at a civil trial to help prove the plaintiff’s case that the truck driver (or the trucking company) was in some way negligent. Have You Been Involved in a Florida Truck Accident? If you have recently been involved in a serious Florida truck accident, and you believe it was due to the negligence of the truck’s operator, you may have a case for financial compensation. In order to recover compensation, however, you will need to prove the truck driver’s negligence. Subpoenaing rest logs is but one of many ways that a plaintiff can do so. Speak with a dedicated truck accident attorney at the Dean Law Firm to discuss your case and to learn more about how you may be able to recover for what you have been through. Call 352-387-8700 today to set up a free initial consultation. More Blog Posts: Canadian Motorcyclist Killed in Accident in Florida, Ocala Injury Lawyers Blog, published January 22, 2015. Florida’s “2 Drunk 2 Care” Driver Pleads Guilty to DUI Manslaughter in Fatal Crash, Ocala Injury Lawyers Blog, published March 3, 2015.
