U-HAUL RENTAL ACCIDENTS – MIAMI LAWYER INFORMATION AND INSIGHT
Injured in a U-Haul truck accident and need a lawyer?
- Involved in an accident as a passenger in a U-Haul truck?
- Crashed into by a U-Haul truck?
- What to do after an accident involving a U-Haul truck?
- What happens if you crash in a U-Haul truck?
- Are you looking for the best lawyer for a U-Haul accident?
In Miami, the Perazzo Law Firm’s personal injury staff of attorneys and staff strive to offer the best possible legal representation to U-Haul related accident victims that have suffered injuries, damages, or losses from a U-Haul rental vehicle accident, U-Haul product defect, or U-Haul operator negligence. Our Miami-Dade law offices are ready to guarantee highly dedicated personal injury law service to U-Haul accident clients that seek righteous compensation for physical or financial losses.
Jonathan Perazzo and his legal team will handle your insurance claim for compensation to cover your losses from a U-Haul truck rental service accident or wrongdoing.
If you, a friend, or relative has been injured or suffered losses from an accident involving U-Haul, contact the Miami-Dade offices of the Perazzo Law Firm, ONLINE or CALL (786) LAWS-411 for a FREE initial consultation and ZERO OUT-OF-POCKET FEES to our clients in Miami-Dade and Broward.
Renting a U-Haul is a convenient way to deal with one of life’s most stressful moments, MOVING! That said, the last thing a U-Haul rental customer wants is to suffer injuries, damages, or losses from an accident involving a U-Haul rental unit while moving.
There are several ways a U-Haul customer can experience injuries when operating a U-Haul vehicle or using one the tools and equipment they provide to their rental customers and users. Like any service provider, U-Haul owes a duty to customers and users to provide safe trucks, vehicles, equipment such as hand trucks, ramps, levers, pulleys, latches, hooks, and any other objects that may be used throughout the move.
Common U-Haul Accidents
Traffic Accidents: Getting behind the wheel of a vehicle you’ve never driven before can be stressing. Especially, when behind the wheel of a U-Haul truck, whose large dimensions may result awkward in traffic. busy avenues, streets, and highways. To avoid accidents and crashes, car accident lawyers know that many factors need to be consider when driving a U-Haul truck. In Miami, the Perazzo Law Firm personal injury lawyers that have handled U-Haul accidents, understand that most U-Haul traffic accidents occur when making left hand turns, changing lanes or backing up. This is because it takes time to adjust to the height of U-Haul trucks dimensions and get comfortable behind the wheel, as well as be able to use rear view mirrors effectively to avoid accidents when turning, switching lanes, swerving, or backing out of a driveway. Furthermore, with a loaded U-Haul truck, any sudden maneuvers may lead to objects tumbling over and distracting the U-Haul driver. In fact, distractions behind the wheel of a U-Haul truck are common causes for accidents on Miami roadways. The complexities of operating a U-Haul truck safely on Miami streets, and avoid collisions left turn and lane change collisions are great. That’s why U-Haul truck and hitch accidents occur more frequently, sadly, they may also include motorcycle riders, bike riders, and pedestrians. If you are in an accident in a U-Haul truck, you probably purchased or have some sort of insurance to cover an accident that involves the U-Haul truck.
Safety tips when driving a U-Haul truck:
- Keep safe distance. Do not tailgate. Tailgating when operating a vehicle loaded with cargo will be harder to stop. Keep a safe buffer-zone between you and the vehicles around the U-Haul vehicle you are driving.
- Adjust and use your mirrors. Extend folding mirrors and adjust them accordingly before taking to streets and roadways. Ask the U-Haul operator to help adjust the mirrors of the U-Haul vehicle you rent.
- Do not neglect the clearance level. Clearance level should be considered when driving on highways, approaching overhangs, bridges, tunnels, drive-throughs, gas stations, etc.
- Caution at traffic lights and multiple lane roadways. Trucks are sluggish and require greater care when turning or changing lanes. Thus, signaling much beforehand is fundamental for preventing U-Haul accident when turning or changing lanes.
- Do not speed. Refrain from driving fast and always drive at the recommended speed limits.
Hand truck and dollies: Renting dollies and hand truck save time and prevent damage to the objects being moved. U-Haul offers customers dollies, hand trucks and furniture pads for rent. Thus, in renting equipment with which to move, U-Haul owes a duty to its customers to make sure that the hand trucks and dollies are in good working condition and pose no threat of personal injury. If a wheel on a hand track is loose, it can cause serious personal injury to the U-Haul renter as any loss of balance can cause poorly stacked boxes or objects to topple on steps, staircases, or ramps.
Injuries from defective hand trucks may include:
- Fractures
- Breaks
- Trip and Falls
- Head, neck, shoulder, and back injuries
- Broken hips
- Contusions
- Lacerations
The Perazzo Law Firm’s personal injury lawyers with experience in U-Haul and services providers companies, recommends that U-Haul customers inspect the hand trucks, dollies, and any other elements that you are renting from U-Haul. Furthermore, any items you purchase from U-Haul, should abide by Federal Safety Standards. Injuries such as breaks, lacerations, or spinal cord injuries may be permanent or require extensive treatment which will lead to medical expenses.
Accidents with trailers and hitches: For towing extremely large cargo or building materials, U-Haul provides utility trailers for moving objects that are tall or oddly shaped. Though any car can tow a trailer, not every person can connect the hitch correctly. The potential for an accident is great when safety procedures and proper installation is overlooked. Negligence to provide proper instruction or warning of potential hazards, can be classified as premises liability and U-Haul may be held accountable for personal injury, damages, or losses. In Miami, the Perazzo Law Firm knows that latches, hooks, pullies, and more, must operate properly and warnings may readily visible to U-Haul vehicle renters. Failure to load cargo properly, for example, may cause trailers and hitches to fishtail and whip into other vehicles or pedestrians. To properly load cargo, shifting from side to side should be prevented by fastening the objects with plenty of tie-downs and speeds kept slow.
Common equipment used when using a U-Haul truck and trailer hitch:
- Ball mounts
- Break away cable and switch
- Cater wheels
- Coupler locks
- Dollies
- Electric car jack
- Flat tester
- Front mount work steps
- Furniture pads
- Golf trailer hitch
- Hand trucks
- Hitch balls
- Hitch hammock
- Latches
- Packing tape
- Pin hitch locks
- Plastic moving boxes
- Ratchets
- Ropes
- Skid shields
- Straps
- Swing Away
- Tie-downs
- Tow mirrors
- Trailer jacks
- Trailer jacks
- Trailer stands
- Wheel Chock Locks
- Winches
- and more…
Accidents involving one or more of the above items are common if these objects are misused, defective, or there is negligence on behalf of the supplier to warn of injuries or damage from misuse, or if there is failure to provide information on proper use and installation.
What happens after a U-Haul accident in Miami?
U-Haul, like all registered vehicles in Florida, carry the basic PIP and PD insurance coverages. However, as a service provider, they carry supplemental liability coverage in the event of an accident involving a U-Haul vehicle and drivers, passengers, and all third-party accident victims. Supplemental Liability Coverage insures accident victims for the first one million dollars to cover losses.
Other insurance coverage policies offered to U-Haul customers include:
- Exclusion Free Coverage
This insurance covers any damages accidently brought onto the U-Haul vehicle through a collision or crash with an overhead object.
- Collision Damage Waiver (CDW)
This coverage is available for U-Haul pickup trucks and vans and has a $150 deductible for most accidental damage
- Medical / Life Protection
This coverage gives U-Haul accident victims medical and life protection for drivers and passengers of the U-Haul vehicle.
After an accident involving a U-Haul truck or equipment, contact the Perazzo Law Firm for a FREE initial consultation to help you understand your legal rights and any potential for a possible insurance claim to cover personal injury or losses.
THE PERAZZO LAW FIRM: DEDICATED TO PUTTING YOUR INTERESTS FIRST!
OFFICES IN MIAMI-DADE SERVING ALL OF FLORIDA
(786) LAWS-411 or 888-PERAZZO
