SARASOTA, FLORIDA – On Friday, December 9, 2011 Daniel Lawless was injured when a tractor-trailer driven by Jose Melendez-Rivera pulled out from the emergency lane into the pathway of Mr. Lawless. Daniel Lawless, who was also driving a tractor-trailer, was taken to Lee Memorial Hospital for treatment. The collision occurred on I-75 southbound in Punta Gorda, Florida. The I-75 southbound lanes were shut down for five hours while officers cleared debris from the roadway.
Comments from Our Trucking Attorneys
When a tractor-trailer is stopped on the side of the roadway, the truck driver must make sure he has ample space and time to enter the roadway, because his vehicle will be traveling at a low rate of speed. The speed and size of the tractor-trailer make it extremely dangerous for the driver to enter the roadway. Truck drivers are trained on and should utilize methods to avoid collisions when merging with traffic. We have handled a number of merger cases. You can review our case results here.
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