Florida Truck Accident Lawyer

Florida Truck Crash Lawyer

A Southwest Florida truck accident often leaves devastated lives and families in its wake.

Consider the numbers on the national level.  In 2008 (which are the latest available statistics at the federal level), more than 380,000 large trucks (gross vehicle weight rating greater than 10,000 pounds) were involved in traffic crashes in the United States. More than 4,000 of these were fatal crashes.

Tractor trailers, 18-wheelers, double trailers (22 wheelers), and large trucks (semi trucks) can cause devastating injuries when they crash into consumers driving cars, pick-up trucks, and SUVs. These truck accidents are often violent, resulting in rollover, roof crush, vehicle occupant ejections, and permanent life-changing injuries. It is not uncommon for the truck accident victim to suffer from severe personal injury, including traumatic brain injury (TBI), head injury, spinal injury, or even wrongful death.

Southwest Florida Trucking Accidents Cause Serious Harms and Losses

The stories are not much different for those of us living and working throughout Southwest Florida.  Following a serious semi accident on our roads, whether the road is Interstate 75, I-75, State Road 93, Route 41, Alligator Alley, State Road 82, State Road 78, State Road 29, State Road 31, Route 27, State Road 25, or other major roadways such as county roads, the victim is often left with permanent, life-changing personal injury for a lifetime.

The trucking company continues its business.  Life for our friends and neighbors continue on.  The truck accident victim and family, however, struggle with their day-to-day lives, left to pick up the pieces of life, physically, mentally, and financially, and wondering how they will get through it all. Faith and hope certainly play important roles in reaching milestones and overcoming these losses and challenges.

On the practical side, medical treatment, surgery, therapy, all cost large sums of money. Limited insurance can and will only pay for so much of the required car and treatment, and then the truck accident victim is left to fend for himself or herself.

Where do you turn? What do you do now?  A truck accident caused by truck driver negligence, improper truck maintenance, or other sources of carelessness drastically change lives forever.  The wrongdoers must be held to account for their actions.

At the Harris Law Firm PA, we move to protect your legal rights and fight to obtain just compensation quickly and efficiently to help with your harms and losses. If you or your loved one was injured in a some sort of accident, then contact us to ensure that your legal rights are protected.

When you contact us, you will speak to an experienced accident lawyer. Your information is confidential, and the consult is free. Call us or simply fill out our form located on your screen.

Following a SWF Semi Truck Accident . . .

Several drivers assume the Florida laws and compensation for incidents, wage loss, etc., are the same regardless of whether you’re hurt in an auto accident crash or tractor trailer crash.  There are distinct differences, and understanding them and approaching them properly is often critical to protecting your rights to just financial compensation to make up for your harms and losses.

Here are some tips on dealing with insurance coverage, health care problems you should know in the event you or someone you know is involved in a truck accident:

Contact Police or Highway Patrol

Even if it is a minor incident, get in touch with local police or Florida Highway Patrol.  Seek medical attention from first responders such as EMS if you feel any pain or discomfort.  There may be more going on than you may realize.

Let First Responders Known If You Have Any Pains or Discomfort — Regardless of How Minor They May Seem at the Scene

Be sure to report even minor pain or discomfort at the scene. Substantial personal injury is often masked early on, and failure to let others know — especially law enforcement and emergency medical personnel — at the scene, will result in the truck company’s insurance carrier to dispute your injuries later on when the personal injury symptoms are full blown.

Obtain Witness Information

While it is important to obtain the info for any passengers and witnesses in the truck accident, it all depends on how you feel at the scene.  The fact is, if you are hurt, you’re not in a position to start assembling witness information, let alone other evidence. So, if you’re hurt, focus on getting well. Allow the FHP or other law enforcement to do their job and preliminarily obtain witness information.

We know from experience that, unfortunately, law enforcement do not often obtain all relevant witness information and rarely photograph the scene.  So, if you are able, contact a friend or family member or the Harris Law Firm PA to go to the scene and photograph the crash scene and interview available witnesses.

If witness details aren’t preserved in the scene, or if it’s missing from the police investigation, then it can be difficult to find later on. So, contact the Harris Law Firm PA to obtain witness information, gather evidence, and represent your interests.

Notify your vehicle insurance company promptly

In Florida, there’s a time limit to notify your very own insurance coverage firm of your truck accident, and to file an application to obtain compensation (personal injury protection insurance, or PIP benefits) for your health care bills up to $10,000. After PIP is finished, you’re on your own or your health insurance steps in.

Filing an application for gains variety together with your insurance coverage corporation is essential for safeguarding your rights, even if your injuries do not seem to be severe.

A experienced accident attorney can definitely help at this stage, so call the Harris Law Firm at 877-274-2080 to start the insurance paperwork to ensure prompt compensation, as well as properly fulfilling the requirements for your truck accident lawsuit.

The reality is, however, that all of the PIP benefits will probably be exhausted, or spent, paying for the hospital stay. The remaining bills will be your responsibility to pay.

After a Serious Semi Truck Accident Injury, Contact Our Accident Injury Law Firm

Retain an experienced attorney. Trucking businesses are required by federal and state law to keep records of safety inspections and drivers’ hours. Since bad gear and driver fatigue trigger numerous truck accidents, these records could prove liability towards the trucking company.

But right after a certain period of time, trucking businesses by law can dispose of pre-trip inspection documents and log books. That’s just one essential way that a truck crash is extremely different from a car accident.

We recommend that you hire a truck accident lawyer (personal injury lawyer) at the Harris Law Firm as soon as possible ahead of important records are intentionally (and legally) destroyed.

Check your vehicle insurance cover policy for uncoordinated benefits

It is essential to quickly review your car insurance coverage policy and any extra contractual coverage you may have. There could be some popular pitfalls and loopholes posed by some typical car insurance cover policies.

For example, some persons have lost thousands of dollars since they did not understand the coordination between health insurance plans and PIP.

In no way sign a release or give statement to an insurance  adjuster

Because it is common practice for trucking companies to send defense attorneys, investigators, and insurance adjusters right away to the crash scene in an effort to lessen the company’s liability, do not speak with them or sign anything.

Otherwise, you could unknowingly relinquish your rights or put your truck accident claim in jeopardy.

Never give statements to any truck crash promises adjuster and never sign a release or allow the adjuster to appear at the automobile injury — without having your your own truck accident attorney present.

Merely tell the adjuster that you need to review the paperwork with your attorney and will get back to them with your response. Too many folks rush into signing adjusters’ documents and do not have the language reviewed by an attorney.

Thus, the injured person may waive their right to sue the negligent truck driver as well as the trucking company for accident-related personal injury. Claims adjusters regularly try to get recorded statements early, aiming to minimize the incident victim’s discomfort and incidents for later use in court.

Even limited property damage releases can contain unrelated language releasing all personal incidents suffered from the auto accident.

Protect Your Rights and Preserve Your Claim
Your Financial Security in the Wake of a Serious Truck Crash May Depend on It

At the Harris Law Firm PA, we provide aggressive, prompt, and ethical advocacy on behalf of individuals and families who have suffered serious personal injury, accident injury, and wrongful death in truck accidents. Contact us today at 877-274-2080.