Florida Personal Injury Lawyers Blog
A tractor-trailer slammed into a motorcycle on U.S. Highway 27 in Polk County this week, resulting in the death of one person and causing a chain reaction of crashes.
In total, three separate crashes involving nine vehicles occurred in the Lake Wales area.
According to a Polk County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman, the semi was traveling south when it drifted into the northbound lanes around 5:30 a.m. apparently due to poor visibility.
The tractor-trailer smashed into a motorcycle and a Ford Expedition. The 47-year-old motorcyclist was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the Expedition was transported to Lakeland Regional Medical Center in critical condition.
A second crash occurred in a northbound lane just south of the first involving a Chrysler minivan, a Toyota RAV-4, a Dodge Charger and a Ford pickup truck. All occupants of the vehicles were taken to hospitals. Their injuries were not considered serious.
No one was apparently injured in a third crash that occurred in the southbound lanes, involving a Mitsubishi car and a Ford Taurus.
Authorities claim the poor visibility that caused the stream of collisions was the result of fog or smoke from a controlled burn about 1.5 miles away.
The series of collisions remain under investigation.
Every year across the United States more than 5,000 motorists die in large truck collisions, including collisions with tractor-trailers and semis. The aftermath of an accident involving a semi-truck can be disastrous, often leaving survivors of the crash with serious injuries that could take weeks, months or even years to recover from. The Florida Semi Truck Accident Lawyers at Whittel & Melton provide victims of big-rig accidents the legal representation they need to recover damages. We also offer representation to families who have unexpectedly and tragically lost their loved ones in a fatal tractor-trailer accident.
A semi-truck can weight approximately 80,000 pounds, and sustaining this type of impact can leave motorists and their passengers suffering from catastrophic injuries. Catastrophic injuries are life-threatening injuries that can leave a victim with an altered physical appearance, mental disabilities and physical impairments. In fact, some catastrophic injuries may never fully heal.
Many catastrophic injuries lead to wrongful death. Catastrophic injuries include:
• Traumatic Brain Injuries
• Neurological Disorders
• Burn Injuries
• Neck Injuries
• Amputation
• Head Injuries
• Spinal Cord Injuries
• Paralysis
Tractor-trailer accident victims can suffer from numerous injuries, including more minor injuries such as:
• Whiplash
• Broken Bones
• Sprains and Strains
• Cuts and Scrapes
• Deep Gashes
One of the most important things you can do after a Florida truck accident is to protect yourself and your loved ones from any further damage. This includes contacting a truck accident attorney to guide you through the legal process. While this may seem overwhelming, the Florida Semi Truck Accident Lawyers at Whittel & Melton can make sure you and your family receives the money needed for medical expenses, pain and suffering, lost earnings, emotional suffering and other damages.
If you or someone you care for has been hurt or killed in a fatal accident involving a truck in Florida, contact the Florida Trucking & Tractor-Trailer Accident Attorneys at the Law Offices of Whittel & Melton, LLC online or call 1-866-608-5LAW (5529).