Truck Accident Statistics in Orlando, FL

Truck accidents, unfortunately, occur almost daily in the Orlando area. Orlando and the surrounding counties have hundreds of commercial vehicle crashes annually. Even though truck accidents may seem like a daily occurrence, each crash can have devastating consequences for injured accident victims, including debilitating injuries, expensive medical recovery, and lost earning capacity.

When you’ve gotten hurt in a commercial truck crash due to another party’s negligence or fault, you deserve to pursue financial compensation and accountability for your harm and loss. Turn to an Orlando truck accident attorney from Paul Knopf Bigger to passionately advocate for justice for you.

What Are the Top Causes of Truck Accidents in Florida and Orlando?

Truck accident statistics in Orlando and throughout Florida show many troubling facts. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration conducted a study that reviewed large truck crash data to identify the top causes of serious accidents. The study defined “causation” as the factor or factors most likely to contribute to a large truck crash. The study also coded causes as a “critical event,” or the action that made an accident unavoidable, and a “critical reason,” or the immediate reason or failure that led to the critical event.

The study found three top critical events that caused large truck accidents:

  • Departing from a road lane into another lane or off the road (32 percent of accidents in the study)
  • Loss of vehicle control due to speeding/traveling too fast for conditions, mechanical failure, poor road conditions, or cargo shift (29 percent of accidents)
  • Colliding with the rear end of another vehicle (22 percent of accidents)

Critical reasons attributable to drivers accounted for 87 percent of all large truck accidents. In comparison, critical reasons attributable to vehicle performance accounted for 10 percent of crashes, and environmental critical reasons only 3 percent. The top critical reasons identified by the study include:

  • Brake issues/failure
  • Speeding/traveling too fast for conditions
  • Unfamiliarity with roadway
  • Poor road conditions
  • Over-the-counter drug use
  • Inadequate surveillance of the roadway
  • Fatigue
  • Pressure from employer/trucking company
  • Illegal maneuvers
  • Driver inattention
  • External distractions
  • Tire problems
  • Tailgating/following too closely
  • Jackknifing
  • Cargo shift
  • Driver illness or medical emergency
  • Internal distractions
  • Illegal drug use
  • Alcohol use

How Many Deaths in Florida and Orlando Are Caused by Truck Accidents Each Year?

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, about 6.7 percent of all fatal accidents in Florida in one recent year involved a large truck, with 366 large trucks involved in fatal crashes in the state. Fatal large truck accidents in Florida resulted in 373 fatalities, including:

  • 46 truck drivers and passengers
  • 264 occupants of other vehicles
  • 63 non-occupants, such as bicyclists and pedestrians

What Roads and Highways in Florida and Orlando Have the Most Truck Accidents?

Based on the annual number of crashes, some of the most dangerous streets and roads in Orlando for accidents include:

  • Semoran Boulevard
  • Lee Vista Boulevard
  • Goldenrod Road
  • Curry Ford Road
  • Colonial Drive
  • Ivanhoe Boulevard
  • Mills Avenue
  • Orange Avenue
  • Orange Blossom Trail
  • Kirkman Road
  • International Drive
  • B. McLeod Road

Across Florida, some of the deadliest roads and highways, according to numbers of fatal crashes and fatalities, include:

  • S. 19 from San Marco Drive to Denton Avenue in Pasco County
  • S. 41 from 30th Avenue East to Pearl Avenue in Bradenton
  • I-95 from Hypoluxo Road to Woolbright Road in Lantana/Boynton Beach
  • I-95 from Exit 27 to Exit 32 in Broward County
  • S. 19 from Queensboro Avenue South to 54th Avenue North in St. Petersburg
  • I-95 from Exit 4 to Exit 9 in Miami
  • S. 441 from Northwest 181st Street to Polk Street in Miami, Miami Gardens, Miramar, and Hollywood
  • S. 19 from High Street to Embassy Boulevard in Port Richey/New Port Richey
  • I-95 from Exit 20 to Exit 16 in Broward & Miami-Dade Counties
  • S. 90 from Meadowbrook Boulevard to Parental Home Road in Jacksonville

Other dangerous highways in Florida include U.S. 1, which runs the entire length of the East Coast of Florida down to Key West, and I-4, which runs through the Orlando area to connect the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of Florida.

How Often Do Truck Accidents Happen in Florida and Orlando?

The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles reports that Florida had 44,217 crashes involving commercial motor vehicles in one recent year. Orange County had 2,632 commercial motor vehicle crashes, which resulted in 12 fatalities and 971 injuries. CMV crash statistics from other counties in the Orlando area include:

  • Brevard County: 943 crashes
  • Lake County: 679 crashes
  • Osceola County: 714 crashes
  • Polk County: 1,901 crashes
  • Seminole County: 644 crashes
  • Volusia County: 970 crashes

Are There Peak Seasons When Truck Accidents Occur in Florida and Orlando?

According to the National Safety Council, certain months of the year have higher rates of truck accidents. Fatal truck accident rates begin increasing in the summer, staying high through the end of the year. In one recent year, September had the highest number of fatal truck crashes, followed by August, October, July, and June. Accident rates dropped from October to November but then increased in December, potentially due to increased shipping for the holiday season.

What Are Common Causes of Truck Accidents in Florida and Orlando?

In addition to the top events and reasons identified by the FMCSA/NHTSA study, various errors, reckless acts, or other mistakes can cause truck accidents. Some of the more common causes of truck accidents in Orlando include:

  • Speeding/traveling too fast for conditions
  • Tailgating/following too closely
  • Reckless driving (excessive speeding, swerving through traffic or across the road, etc.)
  • Disregarding traffic controls, including running red lights/stop signs
  • Drowsy or fatigued driving
  • Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
  • Distracted driving, including using a cell phone while driving
  • Unsafe turns or lane changes, including failing to check mirrors/blind spots or use indicators
  • Illegal road maneuvers, including illegal turns or lane changes or traveling the wrong way down a one-way street
  • Truck driver inexperience with vehicle type
  • Unfamiliarity with a route or traffic patterns
  • Failure to conduct pre-trip inspections
  • Unsafe cargo loading, including overloading the truck/trailer, not balancing load weight, or securing cargo from shifting or falling out of the truck during travel
  • Improper braking
  • Inadequate truck/trailer maintenance
  • Vehicle or truck part defects
  • Poor road conditions, including slick road surfaces, broken pavement/potholes, or debris on the road
  • Adverse weather conditions, including heavy fog or rain
  • Poor visibility due to precipitation, fog, or low lighting

Are Large Trucks Usually at Fault?

A truck driver, trucking company, or other corporate entity may bear responsibility for a truck accident when their negligence or fault causes the crash. However, large truck operators don’t always cause accidents involving their vehicles. Other parties may have liability for a large truck crash. For example, another motorist may cause a truck accident by cutting off a commercial truck, causing the truck driver to either swerve or slam on the brakes and potentially lose control of their vehicle. Other motorists can also collide with commercial trucks due to speeding, unsafe lane changes, or running red lights or stop signs.

Even when a large truck causes an accident, the truck driver or trucking company may not bear responsibility for the crash if it occurred due to a mechanical failure caused by a defect in the truck/trailer or one of its parts or by negligent maintenance performed by third-party truck mechanics.

If multiple parties’ negligence caused the truck accident, the law may impose financial liability in proportion to each party’s percentage of fault. However, when an injured party chooses to pursue a compensation claim, Florida’s comparative negligence system requires the injured party to have a share of fault less than or equal to the fault of the party or parties from whom they seek compensation.

How Can Paul Knopf Bigger Help You in a Trucking Accident?

When you’ve gotten hurt in a trucking accident due to a truck driver’s, trucking company’s, or other party’s fault, you deserve to recover compensation for your medical expenses, costs of care, lost income, and pain and suffering. Let an Orlando truck accident attorney from Paul Knopf Bigger help you during your recovery by handling all the details of your legal claims so you can focus on your treatment/rehab and getting your life back on track. Trust our legal team to:

  • Thoroughly investigate the truck accident to recover all available evidence, including police accident reports, accident scene photos/videos, surveillance footage, truck driver hours-of-service logs, truck event data recorder (“black box”) logs, and cargo/freight manifest
  • Identify all potentially liable companies, such as at-fault drivers, trucking companies, or truck/trailer manufacturers
  • Gather documentation of your injuries and losses to calculate the compensation you deserve to recover
  • Sit down with you to discuss your legal options and ensure you know what to expect during the claims process
  • File insurance claims or demand letters with the liable trucking companies and their insurers
  • Vigorously negotiate with insurance adjusters, trucking company representatives, and defense lawyers
  • Present a compelling case in court and at trial to fight for maximum compensation for you

Contact an Orlando Truck Accident Lawyer Today

If you’ve suffered injuries or property damage in a truck accident in Orlando, turn to the law firm of Paul Knopf Bigger. Let us pursue the financial recovery and justice you deserve from an at-fault truck driver or liable trucking companies. Contact us today for a free, no-obligation consultation to discuss your legal options with an experienced Orlando truck accident lawyer.