An accident involving a semi-truck and a dump truck closed down I-75 southbound near the intersection with State Road 56 last Thursday. Traffic was snarled for miles as first responders fought to contain a fire that was caused by leaking fuel from the accident. Asphalt at the site of the accident had to be removed and repaved, and drivers were instructed to find alternate routes to avoid the dense traffic jam.

According to police who were interviewed by the Tampa Bay Times, a semi-truck “was southbound on the interstate when it crashed into a construction zone on the right. The impact caused the truck to jackknife and crash into the center guardrail.” Luckily, no one was injured in the accident, as the drivers of both vehicles were able to extricate themselves before the trucks burst into flames.

Truck accidents are a common occurrence on I-75 and many of the nation’s highways. It was incredibly lucky that no one was seriously injured in this crash; on a daily basis, many unsuspecting motorists are injured and killed in truck accidents just like this one. According to the National Transportation Safety Board, accidents with a large truck are more often fatal than accidents involving regular passenger vehicles. In fact, the NTSB estimates that accidents with a large semi truck have made up roughly 13% of all highway fatalities in the United States since the 1970s.

When a driver is killed in a truck accident, their family may have the right to bring a special form of a personal injury lawsuit to compensate for the loss of their loved one. These claims are called wrongful death claims, and they are designed to assist a grieving family when their loved one was killed due to another driver’s negligence. The experienced wrongful death attorneys at Brooks Law Group are here to help you if you’ve lost a loved one in a truck accident. If you have any questions about Florida wrongful death claims, call 1-888-WE-MEAN-IT (1-888-936-3264) or email us at: [email protected].

Steve was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. As was the practice for new doctors his father worked day and night during his medical residency at Charity Hospital there. Steve comes from a long line of doctors. His father, his grandfather, his great grandfather, even two uncles were all specialists and/or surgeons in their chosen medical specialties, including internal medicine specialist, obstetrics / gynecology, neurosurgery and general practice / surgery. His great-great grandfather was the Surgeon General of Ohio during the Civil War.