Riverview Man Injured After Tractor-Trailer Crash

While tractor-trailer accidents are common on Florida roads, this does not necessarily mean that people know the best practices to deal with them. In late September 2024, a Riverview man was injured when he was involved in an auto accident after a tractor-trailer crash on I-75. A tractor-trailer had jackknifed across the lanes of the expressway, and the man had slowed to take photos of the accident while talking to his spouse on the phone. A Melbourne Beach woman was unable to stop in time and collided with his vehicle. While the tractor-trailer driver bears no fault in the accident between the two cars, it is still important to note how other drivers react to truck crashes.

Man Was Driving Distracted

Tractor-trailer crashes happen for a variety of reasons, in a variety of ways. Jackknifing is a relatively common accident type, occurring when the two parts of a tractor-trailer lose communication with each other and start to move in opposite ways, creating a “jackknife” shape as the vehicle comes to a stop. It can sometimes cover the entire width of an expressway, which can cause traffic stoppages and other crashes after the fact – as the man from Riverview found out.

The tractor-trailer accident took place near State Road 60, just outside of Tampa, when the vehicle collided with a guardrail. The Riverview man was caught in the traffic stemming from the necessary cleanup, and decided to take photos instead of focusing on the road. While there is no information as to whether the man was charged with anything, operating a cellphone while driving is illegal in Florida, and it may be that he will face civil penalties for causing his accident.

Establish Negligence

If you are ever in a similar situation to the State Road 60 accident, it is important that you exercise due caution, even if your vehicle was not directly involved in a crash. It is all too easy to become distracted as the Riverview man did  and cause another collision; indeed, this scenario is one of the most common for multi-vehicle accidents, when people simply fail to stop in time after an accident blocks the road ahead.

Regardless of whether you are directly involved in an accident or merely witnessing one, knowing what tractor-trailers are capable of can help to avoid further injuries. The right attorney on your side can help protect your interests in the event of such a crash, and to establish negligence in a scenario where fault can be difficult to discover.

Contact A Tampa Tractor-Trailer Accident Attorney

While no serious injuries appear to have occurred as a result of the State Road 60 accident, the next person who drives distracted around a tractor-trailer might not be so fortunate. If you have questions or concerns about this type of case, a Tampa truck accident attorney from the Rinaldo Law Group may be able to help. Call our office today to schedule a free consultation.

Source:

wfla.com/news/hillsborough-county/man-injured-in-i-75-crash-while-facetiming-wife-taking-photos-of-earlier-crash/