Lakeland Truck Accident Lawyer

Spanning 132 miles from Tampa in the west to Daytona Beach on the Atlantic coast, Interstate 4 (I-4) intersects several major expressways throughout the state as it traverses Central Florida. Crossing the north side of Lakeland, FL, I-4 intersects Polk Parkway (SR 570) which runs as a semi-loop though Winter Haven and Bartow before returning to I-4 at the campus of Florida Polytechnic University near Polk City.

As the major highway in the area, I-4 is all too regularly the scene of multi-vehicle accidents that include large trucks. In June of 2020, a 22-year-old Lakeland woman lost her life when she was involved in a five-vehicle accident that included a large truck.

The longest US road in Florida, U.S. Route 98 (US 98) runs 671 miles from Pensacola in the panhandle to Palm Beach on the east coast. Traveling along the Gulf Coast from where it begins in Alabama, US 98 crosses the Alabama-Florida border at Escambia County, making its way along northwestern portion of Florida before heading inland. As a route to and from Dade City, US 98 becomes North Florida Avenue (SR 35) as it enters Lakeland before following Bartow Road (SR 35) on the way out of town.

In May 2018, a fatal crash occurred at US 98 North and Rockridge Road when a truck driver impeded a passenger car's right of way, striking the car. The driver of the car did not survive while the truck driver was uninjured.

Connecting Daytona Beach in the east to St. Petersburg on the Gulf Coast, U.S. Route 92 (US 92) is a 181-mile intrastate highway that prior to the construction of I-4, connected Lakeland to Tampa and Orlando. US 92 runs concurrently with Wabash Avenue as it heads north until heading east as Memorial Boulevard on its way out of Lakeland towards Winter Haven.

While the volume of traffic on US 92 is lower than I-4, US 92 is still a major roadway in the area. A motorcyclist was killed in July 2019 after colliding with a semi-truck at US 92 and Fish Hatchery Road.

The significant forces generated during a truck accident can cause traumatic brain injuries. Symptoms such as cognitive disorders, memory loss, concentration issues, mood swings, and chronic headaches are just a small sample of the long term effects of a brain injury. Brain injuries can also lead to sensory issues such as vision problems, hearing loss, or a loss of sense of smell. Difficult to treat, a brain injury can impact the victim's personal relationships and affect their ability to return to work.

From whiplash to more serious injuries, an accident with a commercial truck can exacerbate the severity of injuries common to car accidents. Depending on the level of damage and the location of the injury, this pain may resolve itself through extensive physical therapy, but some victims may experience pain for the rest of their lives. More serious truck accidents can lead to partial or complete paralysis due to a spinal cord injury, which can impact the victim's ability to return to work and live independently.