What Counts As A Commercial Vehicle?

There are a lot of large trucks and other vehicles on Florida roads at any given moment, but the average person may not be aware that not all of them qualify legally as commercial motor vehicles. While a vehicle may be used in intra- or interstate commerce, it may not legally fall under the designation of being a commercial motor vehicle. This can affect the case against a driver if they are involved in an accident.

State vs Federal Definitions

The state of Florida (and most other states) and the U.S. federal government have their own definitions for what exactly constitutes a commercial vehicle, and while they only differ slightly, it is enough to make a difference in the event of an accident. The reason why is that different rules may apply to accidents involving commercial vehicles versus those involving non-commercial vehicles.

For example, in Florida, a vehicle must weigh 26,001 pounds or more or have three or more axles to qualify as a commercial motor vehicle specifically. The federal definition requires only a weight of 10,001 pounds or more, and that only applies if the vehicle does not meet any of the other requirements (for example, taking a certain number of paying passengers). If an accident involves a commercial vehicle, the investigation and settlement of the case may be different than a case involving two standard cars that have crashed.

Why Does This Matter?

The average Floridian might wonder why the classification of large vehicles used for commerce would ever matter to them – and the answers lie in how an accident case is handled. If an ordinary car is involved in an accident with a commercial vehicle like a truck or private bus, not only do the driver’s injuries have a disproportionate likelihood of being severe, but the driver has to deal with many more parties than the driver as possible defendants.

In addition, other small details will be different when dealing with a commercial vehicle accident. For example, Florida law requires every accident involving a commercial vehicle to have a police report filed, regardless of the level of damages or injury that occurred. This can be an invaluable source of information in many cases, giving an objective view of events that might not have been accessible otherwise.

Contact A Tampa Commercial Vehicle Accident Attorney

Understanding which vehicles fall under the umbrella of ‘commercial motor vehicles’ can make a difference in your accident case. A Tampa truck accident attorney from the Rinaldo Law Group can help you receive the compensation you deserve if you have been involved in this type of crash. We are here to help – call our office today at (813) 831-9999 to schedule a free consultation.

Source:

leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0300-0399/0320/Sections/0320.01.html