Miami Semi Truck Accident Attorney
Semi-truck accidents generally result in greater injury and damage than regular motor vehicle accidents. This is due to the size and weight of semi trucks. The added weight and size creates additional force during accidents. Motor vehicle accidents can have disastrous results and depending on the seriousness of the crash, can lead to serious injuries including fractures, broken bones, spinal cord injuries, burns, amputations, and even brain injuries. Additionally, medical treatment costs and car repair bills begin to accumulate after an accident, and someone has to take responsibility for this. Remember, you have legal rights. The semi-truck accident attorneys at the Law Offices of Suarez & Montero can help you protect those rights. Don’t let anyone deprive you of your rights, speak with one of our car accident attorneys today!
Leading Causes of Semi Truck Accidents
In south Florida, there are large semi-trucks everywhere. Most drivers who spend time on the highways and roads will see multiple semi-trucks on their daily commute to and from work. The problem is that due to the size of large semi-trucks, truck drivers have difficulty navigating through traffic and as a result, accidents happen. Below is a look at the leading causes of semi-truck accidents in Miami:
Distracted Driving: Common actions that constitute careless driving include talking or texting on cell phones, adjusting the radio, eating, drinking or anything else that takes a driver’s attention off the road.
Failure to Yield Accidents: These situations arise often when truck drivers are merging onto highways, changing lanes and crossing intersections.
DUI’s: Alcohol is as much of a problem for truckers as it is for everyone else. In Florida, many trucking accidents that involve the use of alcohol have been reported.
Rollovers: When a driver loses control of a semi-truck and slides and rolls over onto its side, it can cause accidents with other vehicles.
Jackknife Accidents: When a semi-truck driver brakes too hard or too quickly and the cabin of the truck forms a 90 degree angle with the trailer of the semi-truck.
Blown Out Tires: These types of accidents can happen with any vehicle and can pose a danger to the driver as well as nearby vehicles.
T-Bone: These accidents can occur when a truck driver runs a red light and hits another vehicle perpendicularly.
Blind Spots: When a truck driver can’t see other vehicles while changing lanes, it puts adjacent vehicles in tremendous danger of being hit, crushed, or forced off the road.
Head-on: Collisions with trucks are often the most devastating, causing serious injury and even death.
How Semi Truck Accidents are Different From Car Accidents
Overall, bringing a Florida personal injury lawsuit in the aftermath of a semi-truck accident involves many different technicalities and potential challenges. Therefore, if you or someone you love has been injured in a semi-truck accident, you should seek the help of an experienced Florida semi-truck accident attorney. Some of the major differences in handling semi-truck accident claims and cases involves insurance. Florida law requires commercial trucks to carry higher levels of insurance coverage. For larger commercial trucks, Florida has the following insurance requirements. For trucks with a gross vehicle weight of 26,000 pounds or more, but less than 35,000 pounds, florida law requires fifty thousand dollars per occurrence. For a commercial truck with a gross vehicle weight of 35,000 pounds or more, but less than 44,000 pounds, florida requires one hundred thousand dollars per occurrence. And finally, for a commercial truck with a gross weight of 44,000 pounds or more, florida law requires insurance coverage of three hundred thousand dollars per occurrence. All Florida insurance agents that sell truck insurance coverage for semi-trucks must abide by these requirements and provide the higher insurance limits to trucking companies and their drivers. Should they not provide enough coverage, the truck owner can bring a claim against the agent and force them to provide the higher insurance limit to pay you for your personal injury and medical bills which exceed the lower limits originally provided.
Who is Liable in Semi Truck Accidents?
The first challenge that often comes up in semi-truck accident cases is identifying who is the proper parties that are responsible for the injuries and damage caused in the truck accident. Accomplishing this task will often depend on the nature of the truck driver involved in the accident in terms of his or her relationship with the trucking company. If the truck driver was an employee of a trucking company, then both the driver and the trucking company would likely be named as defendants. However, if the truck driver was operating as a sole proprietor or as an independent contractor, the situation becomes much less clear. If you have been injured in a truck accident, it’s in your best interest to work with a truck accident attorney as soon as possible. It is the other side’s goal to pay you as little as possible. When you talk to the other party or their insurance company, they might take what you say out of context. They might also completely twist your words or claim that you said something that you didn’t say. When you work with an experienced attorney, they can handle the negotiations with the other side.
Why You Should Hire an Attorney After Your Semi-Truck Accident?
Insurance adjusters generally work directly for commercial truck insurance companies. Their goal is to pay the smallest possible amount to victims of semi-truck accidents. They are not representing you (even though they may seem very friendly), but rather they represent the truck accident insurance company who pays their salary. Many times, truck insurance companies will outright deny a large percentage of claims that are made. There are several reasons that a truck insurance company may decide to deny all or a portion of your claim. Additionally, semi-truck accident lawsuits tend to involve more complex legal and medical issues than those in a typical injury case so, if you’re thinking about filing a lawsuit, you should speak with an experienced semi-truck accident attorney. If you or someone you care for was involved in a semi-truck accident, it is important to choose the right law firm to represent you. Our spinal cord injury attorneys have experience handling cases in a variety of practice areas and are ready to help you recover the compensation you need to treat your injuries. You need legal representation that you can trust to have your best interests at heart every step of the way.
Speak to our Attorney to Discuss your Semi Truck Accident Case
If you have additional questions about your semi-truck accident case, you should contact an experienced Miami semi truck accident attorney today! The attorneys at Suarez & Montero protect your rights, understand how the truck accident claims process works, and know how to present a strong personal injury claim. The Miami semi truck accident attorneys at Suarez & Montero encourage you to reach out so that we can explain more about the different ways that our law firm and attorneys can provide legal help and guidance after an auto accident. Make an appointment with us at one of our many locations. Remember, we work on a contingency basis so you will owe us nothing If we are unable to obtain successful results for your case. The attorneys at Suarez & Montero can meet with you to discuss further. always available to talk with you and answer your questions. Our skillful attorneys are genuinely committed to our clients. We will fight to make sure that you get the maximum amount of compensation owed to you. Let us help you get the medical care you need and fight to make sure you are compensated for your injuries! Our attorneys are ready to provide proven legal representation in pursuing your claim and stand ready to protect your rights. We are available 24/7 to give you a free, no risk case consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions
When you are injured in an accident, your recovery is not necessarily limited to your medical expenses. You can also claim lost wages for time missed from work, including the loss of a job as a result of your accident.
There are specific laws and regulations that apply only to commercial trucking companies and their drivers. There are also complex technical, mechanical, engineering and accident reconstruction aspects to these cases that differentiate them from regular car accident cases.
Generally, yes. Accidents involving large commercial trucks are more likely to result in serious injury or death than other automobile crashes because these commercial trucks are much heavier than standard motor vehicles.
If you were in a trucking accident, you might worry about how to deal with the trucking company and their commercial insurance attorneys. The good news is that you do not need to handle your case all by yourself. The attorneys at Suarez & Montero can absolutely deal with the insurance companies for you and protect your rights after a semi truck accident.