Fort Lauderdale, FL Truck Accidents Lawyers Handling Claims for Injured Accident Victims
Any time a semi-truck collides with a passenger vehicle, there’s potential for serious injuries and fatalities. After all, these types of commercial trucks are much larger and heavier than most other vehicles on the road, leading to devastating consequences when they crash. If you’re still recovering from a truck accident with a large commercial truck, you should talk to a truck accident attorney about how to seek compensation.
At Milano Legal Group, PLLC, our truck accident lawyers have handled numerous personal injury claims involving crashes between semi-trucks and smaller vehicles. We know that the injuries sustained are often severe or even permanent, and we don’t believe that injured accident victims should have to pay for the medical expenses that start to add up when they seek treatment after a large truck accident. This is why we’re committed to helping truck accident victims recover compensation from the liable party. Contact our Florida law firm today to schedule a free case evaluation with our caring, knowledgeable truck accident lawyers.
What Are Common Causes of Truck Accidents?
Just as with car accidents, truck accidents may occur for a variety of reasons. In most cases, it comes down to driver error or negligence behind the wheel. Either way, you deserve compensation for the financial hardships and pain and suffering brought on by the truck accident. The following are some common reasons behind many truck accidents, possibly including the collision you were in:
- Drowsy driving
- Speeding
- Poor maintenance on the truck
- Insufficient truck driver training
- Unsecured cargo
- Inattentiveness behind the wheel
- Brake failure
- Impaired driving after ingesting drugs or alcohol
- Inclement weather
- Dangerous road conditions, such as poor lighting or potholes
Any of these issues on the road can be hazardous to commercial truck drivers and the drivers of passenger vehicles around them. For example, driver fatigue is especially dangerous because tired truck drivers might not be alert enough to notice stop signs and traffic signals, blowing past them into other vehicles crossing the intersection. If tired drivers fall asleep at the wheel, their heavy tractor-trailer could veer into other lanes or even go toward oncoming traffic, causing a head-on collision. While some drivers are tired because they’ve been driving for several hours without sleep, others are drowsy and may have fallen asleep due to alcohol, illegal drugs, or certain over-the-counter drugs.
Another common reason for trucking accidents is poor driver training. Not every commercial truck driver has been adequately trained or has the truck driving experience necessary to handle a truck that weighs over 35,000 pounds. This can cause them to be unable to properly maneuver the vehicle or stop in time to avoid a truck accident. They might also be insufficiently trained at loading truck cargo, leading to an overloaded truck or cargo spill on the road.
Of course, just as with a car accident, a truck accident may be caused by speeding, reckless driving, distracted driving, or road hazards. The difference is that when heavy tractor trailers are involved, the results are typically more devastating due to the sheer weight of the semi-truck. So, if you were the victim of a trucking accident, and you want to find out what caused it and how to pursue fair compensation, come to our Florida law firm to talk to an experienced truck accident lawyer about your legal options.
Can I Get Compensation for My Medical Bills?
Semi-truck accidents can cause serious injuries for everyone involved. If you’re recovering from a truck accident injury, you may be wondering how you’re going to afford the bills you’re getting for your medical care. The answer is that you should consider pursuing damages from the at-fault party, which is often the insurance company of the truck driver and the trucking company that employs the driver. This is because when you bring a truck accident claim against the liable party, you can request enough money to pay all your medical expenses related to the truck accident.
In our experience handling truck accident claims from injured victims, medical bills are quite costly and add up quickly, especially given the severity of the injuries caused by truck crashes. Some of the most common serious injuries that truck accidents result in include:
- Spinal cord injuries
- Lacerations
- Fractured bones
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Neck injuries
- Internal bleeding
- Burns
- Limb amputation
- Paralysis
If a truck accident caused you to suffer from these or other severe injuries, you can expect to face lots of medical treatment bills. From the ambulance ride and surgery to physical therapy and follow-up appointments, the costs of medical treatment may be overwhelming. This is especially the case if you can expect to have future medical bills for additional treatment for your injuries. But don’t let financial concerns stop you from getting the treatment you need after a serious Florida truck accident. It’s critical that you get emergency care immediately instead of waiting until you can afford it, as you can always recoup your costs by bringing a truck accident claim against the at-fault driver for a fair settlement.
Your claim should cover not only your medical expenses but also any lost wages that you missed out on earning when you took time away from work to get medical treatment. Whether you took days or months off work after the truck accident, you shouldn’t have to go without a paycheck. Requesting lost wages in your claim can ensure you don’t suffer financially due to a truck accident that someone else caused. You deserve the ability to pay your bills while you recover from your injuries after a truck accident.
Your Florida truck accident lawyers will also typically recommend that you request compensation for property damage. This way, you will have the money you need to repair your vehicle after a truck accident or to buy a new car if yours cannot be fixed. Buying a new car is a huge expense that you should not have to take on by yourself since you would not have needed to buy a new car if the truck driver hadn’t crashed into you.
If any other property was damaged in the auto accident, let your truck accident lawyer know so you can include the repair or replacement cost in your request for fair compensation. Your attorney will advise you on any other damages to include, as well, such as pain and suffering. This is meant to compensate you for any inconvenience, humiliation, or emotional devastation the truck accident has caused you.
If you’re ready to talk to a truck accident lawyer about how to get a fair settlement in your truck accident case, come to Milano Legal Group, PLLC. Our Florida truck accident attorneys will calculate the damages you may be entitled to, from property damage and medical expenses to pain and suffering. We offer free consultations, so call today to schedule your meeting with compassionate, experienced truck accident attorneys.
Who Is the Liable Party in Most Large Truck Accidents?
Now that you’re thinking about pursuing compensation with the help of a Florida truck accident lawyer, the next step is to consider who to go to for damages. Determining liability after a truck accident occurs can be complicated. Even when it’s clear that the truck driver is the one who caused the big rig accident that injured you, this doesn’t mean he or she is the only liable party. In fact, you can usually hold a few parties financially responsible for the auto accident.
You can start by bringing a claim against the truck driver’s insurance company. But considering that the truck driver was likely working at the time of the big rig accident, you can also hold their employer, typically a trucking company, liable for the accident. For example, if your truck accident lawyer can show evidence that the truck company often urges commercial truck drivers to keep driving despite being fatigued, you can hold them partly responsible for the crash.
Trucking companies and truck drivers aren’t the only ones who may be liable for truck accidents. If the evidence surrounding your auto accident shows that the driver was distracted by a passenger or that an employee of the transport company loaded the cargo improperly, you may be able to pursue damages against them.
In addition, if it’s clear that mechanical failure in the semi-truck led to your auto accident, you can add the truck manufacturer to your personal injury claim. Similarly, if improper or poor maintenance may have caused the accident, you can hold the mechanic or trucking company liable, depending on who was responsible for the maintenance. If it’s apparent that poor road conditions led to the crash, you may be able to pursue compensation from the federal or state agency responsible for road maintenance.
These are just some examples of who may be liable for your accident with a semi-trailer. Clearly, the trucking industry has multiple parties who could be partly to blame when devastating roadway accidents occur between large trucks and passenger cars, causing injuries or wrongful death. Your Florida truck accident lawyer will work closely with you to determine who is at fault for the crash. If you’re thinking about taking legal action and want to know who will be held liable, come to our law firm to talk to a personal injury attorney today.
How Can a Lawyer Prove Fault in a Truck Crash?
In order to get compensation to pay for your medical costs, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more, you will have first to prove who the negligent party was and how their actions have affected your life. Experienced truck accident attorneys know exactly how to do this, so it’s important to contact a Florida law firm to start your truck accident case.
Skilled semi-truck accident attorneys have the knowledge necessary to gather evidence to prove fault after a large truck accident. Some of the evidence they will collect includes:
- Witness statements
- Your medical records
- Driving logs
- Driver training records
- The driver’s accident history
- Data from the semi-trucks computer
- Drug or alcohol test results
- Police report
- Pictures and videos of the accident scene
- Expert testimony
While you might have some of this evidence available to give your truck accident attorney, a lot of it must be requested by a legal professional who knows what to look at in accidents involving large trucks. This is why you need a Florida truck accident attorney who will obtain the evidence necessary to prove fault and determine a fair compensation amount.
Once your truck accident attorney has the documents to prove fault, they will work on calculating the amount to a request for damages. Truck companies and other at-fault parties will usually be held liable for lost wages, medical expenses, and other costs related to accidents between semi-trailers and smaller cars. When you hire personal injury lawyers from Fort Lauderdale for your case, you will work with them to come up with a fair amount to request.
After your lawyers have evidence and an amount to a request for compensation, they will put together a claim to send to the companies that insure the truck driver, truck company, and any other parties that are to blame for the tractor-trailer crash. This step takes a lot of time and research, so you’ll be glad to leave it to experienced truck accident lawyers who can confidently handle it.
Once the insurance providers for the truck drivers, trucking companies, and other liable parties receive the claim, your lawyers will begin negotiating with them. Having a law firm on your side to go back and forth with insurance companies can save you time and effort, letting you relax at home as you heal from your injuries. Once the insurance company accepts the claim, you can await your settlement. If they refuse to pay, your law firm can take further legal action by taking them to court when necessary.
If you’re suffering from injuries you got in an accident between a large truck and your smaller vehicle, you deserve to pursue compensation to pay for your expenses. At Milano Legal Group, PLLC, we’re here to help you with all your legal needs as an accident victim so you can start your path to financial recovery after a large truck accident. Contact our Florida law office today at 855-545-1777 to schedule a free consultation with our lawyers.