Truck Accident Lawyer in Tampa
Helping Injured Victims and Their Families Recover Fair Compensation
As one of the fastest-growing states in recent years, it’s no surprise that Florida’s roads and highways have become quite congested with passenger vehicles and semi-trucks. This has led to an increase in severe accidents involving semi-trucks and cars, with the drivers and passengers of the smaller cars often suffering the most serious injuries. If your family has been affected by a Florida truck accident, it’s time to schedule a consultation with an experienced Tampa truck accident lawyer who will guide you through the legal process of collecting compensation.
At L Pincus Law, PLLC, our legal team has spent years providing Florida residents with compassion and legal support for all kinds of personal injury claims. Whether you suffered severe injuries or lost a family member in a Tampa truck accident, you can count on our law firm to fight for the financial compensation you deserve during the healing process. Call our law office today to speak to a caring Florida personal injury attorney before getting started on your truck accident claim.
What Are the Primary Causes of Truck Accidents in Florida?
Truck accidents can occur for a variety of reasons, some of which we can’t control. However, many reasons behind devastating truck accidents are preventable because they’re caused by careless or negligent drivers. When this is the case, the at-fault party should be held accountable for the victim’s losses, which experienced truck accident attorneys can assist with.
The following are some of the most common reasons truck accidents occur:
- Distracted driving, including texting, eating, reading GPS instructions, and changing the radio station
- Speeding, whether this involves driving above the speed limit or driving too fast for conditions, such as harsh weather
- Reckless driving, including tailgating, failing to yield, and running red lights
- Impaired driving due to drugs or alcohol
- Truck driver fatigue, especially among truck drivers who may be incentivized to drive long hours without proper sleep
- Poor road conditions, such as potholes or missing stop signs
- Improper maintenance on the vehicle, including failing to regularly check and repair the brakes, tires, lights, or safety features
- Cargo that was overloaded or improperly secured on the trailer
If you’re unsure what led to your Tampa truck accident, you can rest assured that an experienced truck accident lawyer can investigate this before proceeding with your case. Once your lawyer has evidence that shows who and what caused the truck crash, they can begin communicating with the at-fault parties’ insurance companies to get you the compensation you need to start healing and recovering financially. Call our Tampa personal injury law firm to schedule a consultation with an accident lawyer who is eager to take on your truck accident case.
Who Can Be Held Liable for a Truck Accident?
In our years of experience handling truck accident cases, we’ve found that truck crashes are usually more complex than most car accidents for a few reasons. The main one is that multiple parties are often liable for truck crashes, since truck drivers are typically employees who are on the road for work, which means the trucking company they work for can also be to blame. In some complex cases, additional parties may be held partly liable, allowing truck accident victims to collect compensation from multiple parties.
Depending on the facts of your Tampa truck accident case, you may be able to file claims against:
- The negligent truck driver whose reckless driving, speeding, or other poor decisions caused you or your loved ones to suffer severe truck accident injuries
- The trucking company that has failed to train their truck drivers properly or pressures them into breaking traffic laws and hours-of-service rules so they arrive sooner
- The truck manufacturer, assuming a defective vehicle or vehicle part caused the crash
- The maintenance team that failed to provide proper vehicle maintenance, assuming improper maintenance played a role in the accident
- Negligent cargo loaders who may have overloaded or improperly secured the cargo, causing it to fall out and cause a crash
- Other drivers whose speeding, unsafe lane changes, or other examples of driver error helped lead to the accident
- The government agency in charge of ensuring roads are free of hazards, assuming the crash was caused by poor road conditions
In some cases, the injured driver of the passenger vehicle could be considered partly at fault for a crash. For example, if the truck accident investigation reveals that you were speeding, made an unsafe turn, or followed too closely, you could be partially to blame. However, if you were 50% or less at fault for the truck crash, you can still collect compensation from the other responsible parties. Florida’s modified comparative fault system would reduce your settlement by the percentage of blame, meaning your settlement will be reduced by 25% if you were 25% at fault.
At L Pincus Law, PLLC, we’re committed to holding all responsible parties accountable for the catastrophic injuries and other losses suffered in Florida truck crashes. This is why we urge you to contact our law firm immediately after a truck accident in Tampa, as we will work hard to build a strong case that gets you the maximum compensation. Call today for a free initial consultation with a compassionate Tampa truck accident lawyer.
What Are the Most Common Injuries in Tampa Truck Accidents?
Most truck accident injuries are serious or even catastrophic, causing long-term pain and disabilities for the victims. This is why you must get immediate medical treatment, followed by contacting a Tampa truck accident attorney to find out how you can get the compensation you need for your medical expenses, lost wages, and other losses.
Some of the most common Florida truck accident injuries include:
- Broken bones
- Cuts and bruises
- Burns
- Whiplash and other neck injuries
- Crush injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Internal bleeding
- Organ damage
- Spinal cord injuries
- Limb amputation
- Sprains and strains
- PTSD
- Paralysis
If you or a loved one suffered these or other painful injuries in a truck accident, it’s crucial that you seek medical care immediately. Even if you don’t think the injuries are severe enough to take an ambulance to the hospital, you should call your doctor as soon as you leave the accident scene. Some seemingly minor wounds can quickly become more serious without immediate treatment, so your doctor will likely want to provide a physical exam and order tests to make sure you don’t have serious internal injuries.
If it turns out you have serious injuries requiring treatment and you’re worried about the medical expenses you face, you should call our law firm to speak to a Tampa truck accident attorney about your legal options. You should not have to pay for medical bills that you didn’t have until a negligent truck driver struck your vehicle. Our team will investigate the details of the truck accident and learn the full scope of your injuries before pursuing the compensation you will need to recover. Call our Florida law firm today to speak with an experienced Tampa truck accident lawyer about your case.
What Financial Compensation Can You Seek After a Truck Accident in Tampa?
If you suffered injuries and damage to your vehicle in a Tampa truck accident that you didn’t cause, you’re likely entitled to compensation. These accidents often cause painful injuries, costly property damage, and emotional distress that could be lifelong. While no amount of money can undo the accident, fair financial compensation can help you recover financially, afford the medical care you need, and begin to move forward with your life after the crash.
Our Tampa truck accident lawyer will fight tirelessly for you to collect the maximum settlement amount. Consider some of the most common damages victims often get in truck accident claims, and then schedule a free initial consultation with our caring team.
Medical Costs
Medical care tends to be the most overwhelming cost after a truck crash, so your lawyer will request substantial compensation for this expense. You should be entitled to compensation that’s sufficient to pay for any life-saving treatment you needed immediately after the truck accident, including an ambulance to the hospital, emergency surgery, diagnostic exams, and pain medication.
Your settlement should also cover any future medical care you need as a result of the accident, such as additional procedures, physical therapy, and prescription medication. You shouldn’t have to pay for these medical expenses alone, so we’ll work hard to ensure the truck driver or trucking company’s insurers are financially responsible for any bills exceeding your Personal Injury Protection (PIP) limits.
Property Damage
Most semi-truck accidents cause substantial damage to the smaller vehicles involved, meaning you’ll likely need extensive repairs on your car. It might even be totaled, requiring you to buy a new car, so a fair settlement should include money for damage to your personal property.
This portion of your claim can also get you reimbursed for repairing or replacing any personal items damaged in the crash, such as your phone, infant car seats, laptop, or tablet. You can trust that we’ll work with the insurance companies that cover the truck driver, trucking company, or other liable parties to ensure you’re compensated for the full value of your personal property.
Lost Wages
Many victims injured in serious accidents are unable to return to work for days, weeks, or even months. Some never regain the ability to work in the role they once thrived in, all because of lasting injuries from a horrific truck accident. This is why any claim you bring against the truck driver, trucking company, or other at-fault party should request money for lost wages.
An experienced Tampa truck accident attorney can get you compensated for any income, bonuses, or promotions you missed out on during your recovery period. They can also request money for loss of earning capacity if it’s clear you can no longer earn the income you did before the crash.
Pain and Suffering
Florida law lets you seek compensation for the physical pain and emotional suffering that’s often caused by a crash. This can include ongoing pain, mental anguish, and emotional distress. It could also include anxiety, depression, or PTSD if the crash caused you to develop these conditions.
If you can no longer participate in hobbies you used to enjoy, spend time with friends, or go out in public due to the physical or emotional effects of the accident, your lawyer can seek additional compensation for these losses. Though these damages are hard to prove on your own, an experienced attorney can do so with help from expert testimony, medical records, and statements from you and your loved ones regarding how the crash has affected your life.
Wrongful Death
If you lost a family member due to a truck driver’s negligent driving, distracted driving, or other fatal mistakes behind the wheel, you may be able to file a wrongful death claim. This can allow you to get compensated for the financial and emotional losses you suffered due to a fatal accident.
Some damages you can get include medical costs, funeral and burial expenses, and lost income and insurance benefits. You can also pursue compensation for the loss of companionship, guidance, support, and other non-economic damages that apply to your case.
We understand the devastation that fatal truck and car accidents can cause, and you’ll find that we have a proven track record of collecting fair financial compensation for clients whose lives were changed due to someone else’s negligence.
Why Should You Hire an Experienced Truck Accident Lawyer in Tampa?
If you want to hold the at-fault truck driver or other parties accountable for their negligence, it’s important to hire a lawyer who has years of experience winning truck accident claims for clients. After all, large truck accidents are typically more complicated than other types of car accidents. This is due to several factors, including the following:
- Trucking companies are subject to strict federal trucking regulations that determine how often vehicle inspections must take place, how to keep accurate hours-of-service records, and how long truck drivers can stay on the road before getting sufficient sleep
- The severity of truck accident injuries and vehicle damage leads to much higher medical bills and car repair costs, driving up the total of most settlements
- Many truck crashes have multiple responsible parties, meaning more insurance companies are involved in each case
- Any truck accident investigation should involve black box data regarding vehicle speed, acceleration, braking, steering, and other details that could affect the claim
These factors can make an impact on your truck accident claim, so hiring a Tampa truck accident lawyer who comprehends the differences in accident types is critical. If you want your case to go as smoothly as possible and lead to the maximum compensation for you and your family, you need an experienced truck accident lawyer to navigate these details for you.
At L Pincus Law, PLLC, our team has successfully obtained generous settlements for truck accident victims and their families, and you can rely on us to do the same for you. We understand the financial and physical pain that colliding with a large truck can cause, so we invite you to contact us to discuss your Tampa truck accident lawsuit today. Call (813) 582-3321 for a free consultation.