Welcome

West Palm Beach
(800) 780-8607
(561) 686-6300
(800) 220-7006 En Español

Tallahassee
(888) 549-7011
(850) 224-7600

We also invite you to request
additional information by using our email contact form below. We will respond quickly and your question will remain strictly confidential.

The sheer size of 18-wheelers and semi-trucks wreaks havoc in collisions with unsuspecting drivers and pedestrians.

We are a nation of motor vehicles and their drivers: families in their cars, going to work and ferrying children to and from activities; public safety employees patrolling our highways and responding to emergencies; and the trucks and truck drivers that make up our major system for transporting products and goods.

When we add to the increasing problem of automobile traffic, commercial trucks that weigh more than 10,000 pounds - and semi-trucks that can weigh as much as 80,000 pounds – we should not be surprised to learn that the danger of accidents increases. Logically, the bigger the truck, the greater the risk of serious injuries and fatalities. Of total motor vehicle fatalities in 2006, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) reports that one out of eight, or 12%, died in a crashes involving large trucks such as semi-trucks - also called semis, semi-trailer trucks, 18-wheelers, or “big rigs.”

The sheer size of commercial trucks is intimidating to automobile drivers and passengers, and for good reason: about 85% of fatalities caused by car and truck accidents are automobile drivers or passengers - not the drivers or occupants of trucks.

There are reasons other than size for the danger posed by trucks on the road:

  • Overweight trucks, especially when their load is not balanced, take longer to brake than cars, and are more likely to roll over.
  • Jackknifing occurs when the trailer attached to a semi truck speeds up or skids in icy or rainy weather.
  • The weight of the largest trucks – semis and 18-wheelers which can weigh more than 80,000 pounds – damages roads and bridges, making them hazardous for all drivers.
  • Trucking companies may have failed to follow safety procedures, ignored necessary repairs and maintenance schedules, or forced drivers to drive dangerously long hours in order to meet delivery deadlines.
  • Truck drivers may be driving without a license, exceeding speed limits, or, despite Federal and state limits on driving hours, suffering from fatigue and sleep deprivation

For families facing the trauma of a trucking accident, the law firm of Searcy Denney Scarola Barnhart & Shipley offers 30 years experience investigating truck accidents, clarifying victims’ rights, and pursuing recovery from responsible parties. To the attorneys at Searcy Denney, truck accident victims and their families are not statistics, but people who deserve compassion and personal, one-on-one attention.

If a loved one has been killed, or you or a family member has been injured, in an accident with a large truck, our attorneys at Searcy Denney can help you answer questions about how to pursue recovery for your physical, emotional, and financial trauma. Please fill out our Contact Form, or call us to learn more and arrange for a confidential free consultation.