Miami Truck and Tractor-Trailer Accident Attorneys
Help for Victims of Truck Accidents Throughout Florida
Despite advances in safety technology and driver training, truck accidents and fatal truck crashes have been increasing across the U.S. According to a report from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), large trucks are involved in more than 450,000 accidents each year, and that number is increasing. Unfortunately, more than 100,000 of those truck crashes cause injuries, which are often very serious or fatal.
A commercial truck typically weighs at least 25 times as much as an automobile and is not as responsive. Consequently, truck collisions can be devastating. People hurt in truck accidents may suffer from multiple injuries, including fractures, neck and spine injuries, traumatic brain injuries, internal organ damage and other life-threatening injuries. They may need surgery and long-term medical treatment, rehabilitation and continuing care. They may experience chronic pain and be unable to work or participate in normal, everyday activities.
If you or a family member has been injured in a truck accident, an experienced truck accident attorney can help you obtain the financial compensation you need and deserve for all the damages you have suffered. The trial lawyers at Boyers Law Group are skilled litigators who have helped accident victims and their families throughout Florida obtain substantial monetary awards for their injuries and would be honored to help you obtain the full compensation you deserve.
Call us today at 305-512-7600 or submit the “Tell Us What Happened” form on our website to get expert legal advice on your truck accident case.
What Causes Truck Accidents in Florida?
A main cause of Florida truck accidents is driver negligence. This negligence often occurs when truck drivers are overtired, distracted, or not adequately trained. With systems of compensation and schedules that reward speed and long hours of driving, trucking companies can exacerbate the problems caused when drivers are not well trained or well rested.
Safety violations can also occur if drivers are under pressure to meet unrealistic travel goals or if they use drugs or alcohol while on the job. The number of hours drivers are allowed to drive per day and per week is established by federal regulations, as are requirements for rest breaks and regular drug testing. By disregarding any of these regulations, drivers put themselves at risk of driving unsafely and possibly causing an accident.
Defective parts can also cause truck accidents. A truck that hasn’t been properly maintained may, for example, have defective brakes or tires, which can cause serious accidents. Similarly, if windshield wipers and lights are not replaced or if truck loads are not adequately secured, serious accidents can occur.
Other automobile drivers can also cause truck crashes, typically by changing lanes or merging into traffic too close to an oncoming truck, driving erratically between large trucks, or not adequately controlling their speed when a truck is changing lanes.
How Experienced Boyers Law Group Attorneys Can Help with Your Florida Truck Accident Claim
When a truck accident occurs, the trucking company and its insurer will usually investigate the crash and attempt to minimize the financial compensation paid to those who were injured. Insurance companies typically try to protect their clients (the trucking company) by deflecting liability away from the driver and the trucking company, beginning at the scene of the accident.
That’s why it is very important to meet with an experienced truck accident attorney before speaking with investigators or insurers who contact you on behalf of the trucking company. Their goal is to undermine your claim and either minimize the compensation that you are paid or avoid paying you altogether. They may try to get you to minimize the damages you have experienced because of the accident or to answer their questions in such a way that they can justify paying you less than you deserve or not pay you at all.
It is definitely to your advantage to have an experienced truck accident attorney protecting your rights and negotiating for you with the defendant’s insurance company representatives. The attorneys of the Boyers Law Group are skilled negotiators with a long track record of success in litigating and trying truck crash cases in order to achieve the substantial compensation to which you are entitled. We can investigate your accident and determine liability, gather the critical evidence needed to bolster your claim, and fight for the full, fair compensation you deserve from the responsible party or parties.
Who May Be Held Liable for Negligence in a Florida Truck Accident Lawsuit?
The legal theories advanced in truck accident lawsuits can vary, depending on what caused the accident and the extent of the injuries you sustained. Many lawsuits claim negligence on the part of the driver or the trucking company that employs him or her. This negligence can arise from driver inattention or distraction, excessive speed, failure to follow traffic laws or fatigue from driving for too many hours, among other acts or omissions. The trucking company may also be found negligent for:
- Failure to monitor the driver’s hours spent on the road
- Failure to properly train the driver
- Hiring an inexperienced or unfit driver
- Overloading the truck
- Not maintaining the truck appropriately.
Some catastrophic truck crash cases result from dangerous and defective trucks or a combination of a defective product with negligence on the part of the owner or operator of the truck. In such cases, our experienced Miami product defect attorneys prove that the truck or one of its component parts was defective and unreasonably dangerous and caused or contributed to the crash. In a case where a defective product leads to an accident resulting in injuries, the product manufacturer and its distributors can be found strictly or absolutely liable for the harm that their product caused to you or your loved ones.
When trucking negligence or product defects cause fatal injuries, we will pursue a wrongful death claim on behalf of our clients. In such cases, family members may be entitled to recover compensation for their mental pain and suffering and lost support, among other damages that are recoverable under Florida law.
If you have lost a loved one due to a tragic trucking accident injury, getting help from an experienced wrongful death attorney is important in order to receive the substantial compensation to which are entitled. Call us at 305-512-7600 or fill in the “Tell Us What Happened” form on this page to get the experienced legal help you need.
What Kind of Compensation May Be Available in Florida Truck Accident Cases?
Compensation for injuries and damages from a truck accident can be economic, non-economic and in special cases, punitive. Economic damages are given to compensate you for your monetary losses, and non-economic damages are intended to compensate you for non-financial losses. In general, these damages can include:
- Payment for physical pain and suffering
- Payment for mental anguish endured because of the truck accident injuries
- Monetary losses from existing and future medical expenses associated with your truck accident injuries
- Incomes losses due to wages lost between the time of the injury and the end of the lawsuit, as well as the loss of earning capacity in the future
- Compensation for your family’s loss of your services, assistance and companionship
- Other damages recoverable under Florida law
Punitive damages are supposed to punish the owner or operator of the truck that caused the serious truck accident injuries and are only awarded when the crash resulted from intentional misconduct or gross negligence.
Rely on Experienced Miami Truck Accident Attorneys to Protect Your Rights and Fight for Justice
If you or a family member has been injured in a truck accident in Florida, the experienced personal injury attorneys of Boyers Law Group want to hear what happened and help you pursue justice. We understand how difficult life can be after a serious accident and want to help where we can.
Let us put our extensive experience, skills and resources to work helping you obtain the substantial compensation you need and deserve for your truck accident injuries. Call us today at 305-512-7600 or submit the “Tell Us What Happened” form on our website for a free consultation with an experienced Miami truck accident attorney.