Rear-End Collision In Polk County Kills 1

In May 2025, a Lake Wales man was killed after his pickup collided with a tractor-trailer near Lake Alfred in Polk County. The man ignored a stop sign, colliding with the back end of a stopped tractor-trailer near Old Polk County Road. While the tractor-trailer driver was uninsured, the pickup driver was pronounced deceased at the scene. Unfortunately, this is all too common in accidents where private cars and pickups collide with commercial trucks.

Damages Require Negligence

Statistics reported by Forbes show that the majority of those who lose their lives in tractor-trailer accidents are outside the tractor-trailer itself (roughly 72 percent); this includes drivers of other vehicles. The sheer size and weight differential between large tractor-trailers and the average car or pickup means that the smaller vehicle will almost always take more punishment than the tractor-trailer, and thus, fatalities in the smaller vehicle are sadly more likely.

This does not, however, mean that a tractor-trailer driver will always be liable for damages after an accident. Damages are only awarded to an injured plaintiff if a defendant can be proved negligent; if the defendant acted properly and the accident still happened, the plaintiff will likely have no grounds to sue. This ambiguity is why it is always best to have an attorney at your side if you seek damages after a tractor-trailer accident.

Look For Evidence Of Liability

As of this writing, there is no information on which to conclude the tractor-trailer driver in Polk County acted negligently. However, it is possible a similarly situated driver’s employer might be held liable if the truck lacked what are known as rear impact guards. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) requires that all trailers manufactured after 1998 carry these guards, which are intended to prevent smaller vehicles from becoming lodged under a tractor-trailer.

Tractor-trailer accident cases can involve a host of different variables, but at the heart of it, there must have been negligence involved in your case in order to hold someone liable. In Polk County, the possibility of the deceased driver’s family trying to file suit against the tractor-trailer driver appears unlikely – but if more evidence for negligence exists in your case, you may be able to seek damages.

Contact A Tampa Tractor-Trailer Accident Attorney

If you or a loved one have been in an accident with a tractor-trailer, it is important to keep in mind that evidence of negligence must exist before one can seek damages for it. Contacting a Tampa tractor-trailer accident attorney from the Rinaldo Law Group can help clarify your legal options. Call us today to schedule a free consultation.

Source:

msn.com/en-us/news/us/fhp-lake-wales-man-dies-in-collision-with-tractor-trailer-on-old-polk-city-road/ar-AA1EMTdc