Recently, I’ve written articles about all manner of major truck accidents. When people think of a big truck crash, they probably think of commercial semi trucks. Much like our recent articles about the City of Tampa garbage trucks, there’s another type of truck making the news lately. I’m talking about dump trucks. It often feels like Florida roads are under everlasting construction. Because of this, we share the roads with hulking construction vehicles like dump trucks every day. When things go wrong with a big truck, no matter the type, they go very wrong.
Young Zephyrhills Boy Critically Injured in Dump Truck Crash
Last Wednesday, a 6-year-old boy and his family from Zephyrhills were seriously injured after a dump truck collided head-on with their SUV. The SUV was driven by his mother, Aimee Lopez, 40. The 6-year-old boy was airlifted to Tampa General where he remains in stable condition with the rest of his family. The rest of his family was taken by ground transport. At the time of the accident, all four of the passengers were wearing seat belts.
Vladimir Carvajal, 40, was driving his dump truck northbound on U.S. 301 when he missed a Kia Soul attempting to turn in front of him. Carvajal hit the brakes and swerved at the last minute, but he was unable to miss the car in front. After striking the Soul, the dump truck continued to travel onto the southbound lane of U.S. 301. The dump truck collided head-on with the Lopez’s SUV shortly after entering the southbound lanes.
The driver in the Kia Soul originally hit by Carvajal’s dump truck sustained minor injuries, but she did not required transport to a hospital.
Northbound and southbound traffic on U.S. 301 was shut down for several hours after the incident occurred. The 6-year-old was in critical, but stable condition shortly after the accident. Details of the accident and injuries are still coming from Florida Highway Patrol.
How Dangerous Are Dump Trucks?
Just like other large, commercial trucks, dump trucks are heavy hunks of metal. They can range from 20-30+ tons and that means they can also do a lot of damage. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, dump trucks are some of the most dangerous commercial vehicles on the road. It’s not just other motorists that need to watch out, dump trucks are the second leading cause of fatalities at road work zones for construction workers.
- There were 279 fatal occupational injuries at road work zones between 2011 and 2015
- 49 of the total fatalities to workers were caused by dump trucks
That’s nearly double the amount caused by other commercial vehicles on the road. Dump trucks do a lot of damage when the right precautions aren’t taken.
There’s a reason that the average person can’t hop right into a commercial truck and take off. It requires extra training and certifications, because the stakes are so much higher. I can only wonder what happened with the dump truck driver above.
- Were proper safety measures being taken?
- Was the truck driver in any way impaired?
- Was distracted driving a factor?
I wish I could answer these questions for you, but we’re still waiting on all the facts. I hope that you’ll all be a little more careful when sharing the road with construction vehicles or other big trucks. Accidents can happen in an instant, and the consequences can be tragic.
Contact Brooks Law Group
Were you or a loved one injured in an accident involving a truck? Call our offices today for a free case evaluation. Truck accidents and the cases that follow are complex, and they can require the guidance of an experienced attorney. At Brooks Law Group, our attorneys have the skill and experience you need to fight for your compensation. Our clients will always come first, and they owe us nothing unless we are able to recover money for their case. Don’t wait, choose the law firm that your community trusts. You can submit an online case evaluation form on our website or call one of our specialists at (800) LAW-3030.
