The perils of driving our interstate highways are many. The speed limits, of course, are higher and therefore more conducive to high-velocity collisions. In addition, we share our thoroughfares with large trucks and semis. These large vehicles can often be eighteen wheels of trouble. We can — and should — drive defensively, but sometimes that is not enough. Our Semi-truck and regular Truck accident attorney in St. Petersburg can investigate the details of the accident and help you obtain the settlement you deserve.

Trucking Statistics

It takes large trucks and semis up to 20 to 40 times longer to come to a full stop than a smaller car.  The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) reports that one in every ten highway deaths involves an oversized vehicle. In 2016, according to the IIHS report, 3,986 people perished in large truck crashes. The majority of these fatalities (66%) were automobile drivers and their passengers. Sixteen percent were motorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedestrians.  The number of people who died in large trucking crashes was 27% higher in 2016 than in 2009.

Fatigue and Driving Just Do Not Mix

What are the factors involved in truck accidents? IIHS research found that driver fatigue often contributes. Long-distance semi driving, of course, is a dangerous job. Sleep deprivation, disruption of the body’s normal sleep and rest cycles, and cumulative fatigue reduce a driver’s reaction time. Unfortunately, drivers do fall asleep at the wheel after long hours on the road. Fatigue is just one of the numerous contributing factors that will be investigated by your St. Petersburg truck accident attorney.

Driver intoxication, reckless driving, and the improper maintenance of the truck’s brakes and other mechanical systems are also factors. In St. Petersburg, large semis share the lanes of Interstate 275 with passenger cars, day and night. There are also the busy trouble spots around town – intersections such as Gandy Boulevard, Ulmerton Road, and Clearwater exchanges. When semis leave the highway and enter the traditional traffic lanes, the risks remain. Therefore, defensive driving is not always going to keep you and your passengers safe.

A truck accident attorney is essential as you begin navigating the confusing legal system. The law firm of Growney, McKeown & Barber, P.A. will be with you every step of the way.

A Personalized Truck Accident Attorney

At Growney, McKeown & Barber, P.A., we give our client’s cases the personal attention they deserve. One does not seek out the counsel and services of a truck accident attorney only to work with a paralegal, a clerk, or a case manager. You will be represented, start to finish, by an attorney who will fight for you. Margaret B. Growney, a respected Tampa Bay-area lawyer, founded our firm. She received her Juris Doctorate from Stetson University and later began her practice in 1951. Ms. Growney retired in 2002 and passed on leadership of the firm.

A Florida native, H. Mary McKeown began her career in the law by working as an Assistant State Attorney in the St. Petersburg area. She has worked tirelessly for the rights of children and other victims of abuse. From 1991 to 2012, Ms. McKeown was at adjunct professor at Stetson’s College of Law teaching trial advocacy. As a personal injury attorney, she has found success both in and out of the courtroom for more than 25 years.

The newest member of our team is Katie Jackson who has a solid record of securing the best outcome for her clients. Born and raised in St. Petersburg, she is committed to the idea of giving back to the community that has given her so much. Among other local affiliations, Ms. Jackson served as the 2017-2018 President of the Rotary Club of St. Petersburg Sunset. Her fields of practice range from personal injury cases to estate planning and probate.

Sharing the Roads Is Not Always Easy

It is a fact of our life that we must share the road with large commercial vehicles. It is inevitable that large trucks are going to intersect with passenger cars. The results, of course, can be catastrophic. Ultimately, a truck accident attorney must have legal knowledge, unbridled tenacity, and compassion. In St. Petersburg, that is Growney, McKeown & Barber, P.A. Let us go down that road with you.

Need a truck accident attorney? Call Growney, McKeown & Barber, P.A. at (727) 384-3800 now, or fill out the online form.

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