Car Accidents With Garbage Trucks
Garbage trucks perform the invaluable service in Miami Dade County helping to remove residents' waste, trash, and keeping the city of Miami clean. Unfortunately, there are also many car accidents with garbage trucks in Miami each year. The Solid Waste Association of North America reports that in 2019 there was an unprecedented rise in garbage truck accidents. When car accidents with garbage trucks in Miami occur, the resulting injuries and property damage are often severe. After all, not only are these vehicles large and heavy, they are often driven in violation of Florida traffic laws. While many car accidents with garbage trucks in Miami occur on residential streets, these accidents can occur anywhere because garbage trucks transport garbage everywhere throughout the city.
If you or a loved one is injured in a garbage truck accident, you could end up suffering serious harm. These accidents are often devastating because garbage trucks are much larger and heavier than passenger vehicles. The resulting injuries leave victims facing high medical bills and other substantial costs like lost wages and property damage. While it might be possible to accept an insurance settlement, it often becomes necessary to pursue to obtain adequate compensation.
If you were injured in a Miami, Florida garbage truck accident contact a car accident lawyer in Miami today by calling (305) 371-6000. By reaching out to a Miami garbage truck accident attorney will help you understand the law that applies to your case and help with any challenge's injury victims must overcome. At Gerson & Schwartz PA our car accident attorneys serve clients injured in crash cases with private garbage truck companies in Miami, Dade and Broward County.
Our attorneys are committed to fighting for the compensation you deserve. During a free case evaluation, we will review your options to obtain compensation and analyze the law that applies to your case. Consultations are free so you have nothing to lose. To schedule a consultation with lawyer to evaluate a crash with a Miami Florida garbage truck, waste management or any other large commercial vehicle contact a lawyer at Gerson & Schwartz toll free 877-475-2905. Or send us an email to info@gslawusa.com.
Garbage Zones in MiamiIn the late 1800s, Henry Flagler created Miami's first hotel on 12th street, which later became Flagler Street. Today, garbage service is determined based on where a person lives in relation to Flagler Street. For those located north of Flagler Street and east of N.W. 57th Avenue, garbage collection occurs on Monday and Thursday. For those who live south of Flagler Street and west of N.W. 57th Avenue, garbage collection occurs on Tuesday and Friday. With that in mind, garbage truck accidents can occur anywhere in Miami on any day.
How a Car Accident With a Garbage Truck in Miami Dade or Broward can OccurGarbage truck accidents are caused by a wide variety of factors, including the following:
- Improper Backing Techniques- Whether negligence by the operator or spotter, garbage truck are requires following rules to prevent injury and death when collecting trash.
- Drivers are required to stop backing if visual contact is loss with workers on foot.
- Resume backing when visual contact is resumed.
- Use a coworker as a spotter
- Use hand signals to communicate with a spotter
- Negligent Maintenance of Safety Devices: Garbage truck come equipped with safety devices such as back-up cameras, horns, lights, sensor technology, and various mirrors. Sometimes, the truck workers tasked with making sure that a garbage truck and their safety devises remains in adequate working condition fail to perform their jobs.
- This might include failure to monitor a garbage truck's cameras, horns, brake pads, or other types of inadequate maintenance that can quickly lead to catastrophic accidents and even a wrongful death.
- Our lawyers understand what questions to ask and documents needed to evaluate whether negligent maintenance of these safety devices caused or contributed a crash with a waste management vehicle in any way.
- Defective truck parts. Garbage trucks are made up of various pieces of heavy-duty equipment. When any of this equipment, from brakes, alarms, to lights to steering components, fail to work properly, there is a substantial risk of and crash or accident.
- Frequent stops. A common reason why car accidents with garbage trucks in Miami
- occur is that they must make frequent and sudden stops to pick up trash. These trucks perform risky maneuvers in tight alleys or along busy commercial roads. When sanitation workers fail to signal or do not look out cautiously enough, they can cause serious accidents with smaller vehicles.
- Workers under pressure. Miami garbage truck workers are often under tight deadlines to follow strict ordinances that prevent the trucks from being on the roads during certain hours. Consequently, these workers are in a hurry to pick up garbage, which can lead to accidents.
- Negligent Training and Negligent Hiring- Garbage truck companies are required to train and hire operators that understand how to operate these large commercial vehicles. Failure to train or retain workers who do not understand how to use safety equipment, alarms to basic rules of the road.
Drivers are also required to maintain special licenses to operate these large commercial vehicles. When garbage truck companies fail to ensure their workers are properly trained serious or catastrophic accidents with garbage trucks can happen.
Liability for Car Accidents With Garbage Trucks in MiamiIf you or a loved one is injured in a garbage truck accident, you could end up suffering serious harm. These accidents are often devastating because garbage trucks are much larger and heavier than passenger vehicles. The resulting injuries leave victims facing high medical bills and other substantial costs like lost wages and property damage. While it might be possible to accept an insurance settlement, it often becomes necessary to pursue damages in a court of law to obtain adequate compensation.
While many injured victims pursue legal action against Miami garbage truck drivers, it is also sometimes possible to pursue legal action against the drivers' employers. In situations in which the employer is a private entity, the accident victim might be able to hold the employer accountable for the entirety of damages. Unfortunately, when the accident involved a garbage truck that was state or local government-owned or operated, the victim might have fewer options for pursuing compensation.
To prevail in a Miami garbage truck accident lawsuit, the victim must establish that the company worker who caused the accident was acting within the scope of his or her duties. This means that the accident must have occurred while the driver was on the normal route rather than on a detour or taking a break from sanitation duties.
Garbage truck crashes can cause serious to catastrophic injury even wrongful death. At Gerson & Schwartz PA our lawyers have helped clients and served in the capacity as:
- Miami Garbage Truck Accident Pedestrian Lawyer
- Garbage Truck Accident Law Firm For Pedestrian Injury Cases
- Garbage Truck Accident Pedestrian Lawyer for Bicycle Riders
- Miami Garbage Truck Accident and Uber Crash Attorney
- Miami, Florida Law Firm For Wrongful Death Victims in Garbage Truck Victims
- Injury Attorney in Miami for Garbage Truck Crash Cases
While it is easy to feel overwhelmed after car accidents with garbage trucks in Miami, it can help to promptly retain the assistance of a skilled attorney. The Miami garbage truck accident lawyers at Gerson & Schwartz, PA will remain committed to fighting for the results you deserve. To schedule a free case evaluation, call our office or email us at info@gslawusa.com. Call us at or toll free at 877-475-2905