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Jacksonville Woman Killed in Semi-Truck Crash on I-10 Near I-295: Understanding Legal Options After a Fatal Trucking Collision
A tragic crash in the early morning hours of Thursday, August 28, 2025, claimed the life of a 72-year-old Jacksonville woman after her vehicle collided with a semitruck on Interstate 10 near I-295, according to the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP). The incident shut down all eastbound lanes of I-10 for several hours, highlighting once again the dangers of crashes involving commercial trucks on Florida highways.
Troopers say the accident occurred at 2:05 a.m. when a sedan was parked on the right shoulder of I-10 East, just before Hammond Boulevard. The sedan’s driver, a 72-year-old Jacksonville man, attempted to merge back into traffic from the shoulder.
According to FHP, the driver failed to ensure it was safe before merging into the outside lane, resulting in a collision with a semitruck traveling east. After the impact, the sedan veered off the roadway and struck a Department of Transportation (DOT) traffic sign support pole.
The female passenger in the sedan was tragically pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the sedan suffered minor injuries, while the 47-year-old Lakeland man driving the semitruck was not injured.
Accidents involving semitrucks often result in devastating injuries or fatalities due to their massive size and weight. Under federal law, commercial trucks can weigh up to 80,000 pounds when fully loaded. When a passenger vehicle collides with a truck, the smaller vehicle absorbs the majority of the impact.
Common contributing factors in truck-related crashes include:
- Merging or lane-change errors (by passenger vehicles or trucks)
- Driver fatigue, especially during late-night and early-morning hours
- Reduced visibility in low-light conditions
- Wide blind spots on commercial trucks, which can make it difficult to see merging vehicles
- Highway shoulder risks, where parked vehicles are vulnerable when re-entering traffic
Legal Considerations After a Fatal Truck Crash
While the FHP’s initial report indicates the sedan driver failed to yield safely, families may still have legal options depending on the circumstances of the crash.
The surviving family of the 72-year-old woman may pursue a wrongful death lawsuit under the Florida Wrongful Death Act. Damages could include:
- Funeral and burial costs
- Loss of companionship, guidance, and protection
- Mental pain and suffering of surviving family members
- Loss of financial contributions and household services
If further investigation reveals that the truck driver was speeding, distracted, fatigued, or otherwise negligent, liability could extend to both the driver and the trucking company under the legal doctrine of respondeat superior.
Florida law follows a modified comparative negligence system, which means liability may be divided among multiple parties. Even if the sedan driver is found partially at fault, families may still recover compensation if another party’s negligence contributed.
Truck accident cases are often more complex than other motor vehicle crashes because they involve:
- Multiple parties (driver, trucking company, insurance carriers, contractors, and manufacturers)
- Federal trucking regulations (such as hours-of-service limits and maintenance requirements)
- Large insurance policies that encourage aggressive defense strategies
- Critical evidence, including black box data, driver logs, and maintenance records, that must be preserved quickly
Families pursuing justice should act promptly to ensure key evidence is not lost.
The sudden loss of a loved one in a trucking accident is devastating. While criminal investigations focus on fault and charges, civil wrongful death claims can provide grieving families with accountability, closure, and financial relief.
At Flanagan & Bodenheimer Injury & Wrongful Death Law Firm, we represent families in Jacksonville and across Florida who have suffered losses in trucking accidents. Our attorneys have extensive experience investigating commercial vehicle crashes, identifying all responsible parties, and pursuing maximum compensation for families.
If your loved one has been killed in a trucking accident in Florida, call us today at 305-638-4143 for a free, confidential consultation. We work on a contingency fee basis — you pay nothing unless we win your case.
