The risk of collisions with tractor-trailers and other large commercial vehicles continues to rise for a variety of reasons, including a nationwide trucker shortage of nearly 100,000 drivers, the Internet economy, which continues to put more delivery vehicles on neighborhood and urban streets, and the ongoing supply chain issues caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
More than with many other types of traffic collisions, consulting an experienced truck accident attorney is critical in the wake of a serious or fatal accident involving a semi or other commercial vehicle. Your chosen truck accident lawyer must have extensive experience in handling these complex claims, which often involve out-of-state drivers, trucking companies and their insurers, as well as the state and federal regulations that govern commercial drivers. Stephen K Brooks explains in his article “Why Are Truck Accidents Surging in Florida?”
Services your truck accident law firm can provide include:
- Independent investigation of the facts and circumstances of your collision.
- Identifying all liable parties, including drivers, trucking companies, insurance companies, maintenance contractors and freight owners.
- Determining the full extent of your losses, including medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering and the likelihood of future medical expenses or disabilities.
- Negotiating with liable parties and their insurers to obtain a full and fair settlement.
- Preparing your case for trial and, if necessary, proving your case in court.
These collisions often involve very serious injuries to occupants of passenger vehicles, which makes it vital to choose the best truck accident lawyer available in your area. Your truck accident law firm must have extensive resources in building comprehensive legal and medical cases capable of getting the compensation you deserve. Your chosen truck accident injury attorney must also be capable of fighting some of the nation’s largest insurance carriers and their defense attorneys.
Not all truck wreck law firms are the same. Only those with the knowledge, proven experience, and resources to fight the trucking industry will be capable of succeeding despite the many tactics trucking companies use to avoid liability, including operating under a variety of limited liability corporations, hiring drivers and maintenance personnel as independent contractors, and using leased or rented trucks to limit liability in the event of a serious or fatal collision.
We have fought thousands of South Florida truck accident cases and believe anyone dealing with a collision involving a tractor-trailer or other commercial vehicle deserves immediate access to experienced legal help. Call today for a free and confidential consultation to discuss your rights.
If you have been in a collision with a large truck or commercial vehicle, call the SE Florida Truck Lawyers Today at 786-296-0411.
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When to Hire a South Florida Truck accident, attorney
We believe anyone involved in an injury accident deserves immediate access to experienced legal help. From the moment you contact an insurance company, a team of professionals will be working behind the scene to limit your ability to collect damages. The more serious the accident, the more experienced the team arrayed against you.
This is particularly true when it comes to collisions involving semis, tractor-trailers and other large commercial vehicles. Insurers know these cases typically result in very serious or fatal injuries to occupants of passenger vehicles.
Commercial truckers, trucking companies, dispatch companies, maintenance companies, freight owners, and commercial insurance carriers have spent decades perfecting the tactics used to limit their liability, including the use of limited liability corporations, hiring drivers and maintenance personnel as independent contractors, and renting and leasing tractors and trailers from third-party vendors.
Your chosen truck accident lawyer in Boca Raton or Palm Beach must also have comprehensive knowledge of all of the state and federal regulations under which commercial drivers operate, including Hours of Service regulations aimed at reducing the risk of tired, distracted and fatigued drivers on the road. Additionally, your chosen commercial truck accident lawyer must have access to the legal and medical professionals who can best determine the full extent of your losses, including the likelihood of future medical complications, disabilities or reduced quality of life.
The complexities of these cases always make seeing early consultation with an experienced tractor trailer accident attorney the best course of action. But there are particular cases in which seeking early consultation with a Palm Beach truck accident lawyer is vital:
• Claims that are expensive or complex.
• Claims involving serious injuries.
• Claims in which you and the insurance adjuster disagree early on.
• Substantial claims involving major losses or extensive damages.
• Claims where the fault may be difficult to establish.
You can see here that many claimants are not in the best position to determine whether any of these factors are present. In some cases, even serious injury may not be readily apparent, as skeletal muscular issues are among those that may not present for days or even weeks after a collision. The fault is another area that is best left to a professional 18-wheeler accident lawyer. Failure to identify all liable parties can seriously impact your claim, both because compensation will not be sought from an unidentified at-fault party and its insurance carrier and because omission of such parties can permit other defendants to attempt to shift blame and liability to a party not named in your lawsuit.
Your South East Florida trucking accident law firm must:
- Fully investigate the facts and circumstances of your collision.
- Determine all liable parties and their insurance companies.
- Determine all factors of causation, including violations of state and federal rules, poor maintenance, overloaded or unsafe cargo, and trucker inexperience, distraction or intoxication.
- Identify all current and potential future medical expenses.
- Built a case for damages capable of forcing liable parties to make a timely and fair settlement offer.
- Be ready to take your case to trial.
We have fought for victims in thousands of serious and fatal trucking accident cases throughout South Florida and have the knowledge, experience and resources necessary to fight even the largest trucking companies, insurance companies and their defense attorneys.
If you have been in a collision with a large truck or commercial vehicle, call the SE Florida Truck Lawyers Today at 786-296-0411.
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What to look for when hiring a South Florida truck accident attorney
Serious and fatal collisions involving a semi, tractor-trailer, or other large commercial vehicle are among the most complex cases a South Florida personal injury and wrongful death law firm can handle.
An experienced truck injury lawyer is vital to protecting the rights of motorists injured in trucking accidents for a wide variety of reasons:
Proving liability:
The trucking industry understands the risks and has spent decades on perfective tactics aimed at limiting liability, including operating under a wide variety of limited liability corporations, hiring drivers and maintenance personnel as independent contractors, and renting and leasing tractors, trailers and other equipment from third party vendors.
Causation:
Your chosen truck accident law firm must have a thorough understanding of the many state and federal regulations that govern commercial carriers and their drivers. Failure to uncover all factors of causation may limit, or even eliminate, your ability to collect damages.
Medical expertise:
The best truck accident attorneys have built relationships with leading investigators and expert witnesses who understand all of the common medical consequences of collisions involving large trucks, including the likelihood of future complications, disabilities or reduced quality of life.
Resources:
Your truck accident law firm must have the resources to go up against some of the nation’s largest commercial insurance carriers and their defense lawyers.
Victims who search for “truck accident attorney near me” or “truck accident lawyer near me” are already at a disadvantage. You should never rely on a search algorithm, or worse yet, click advertising, to help you choose a law firm capable of handling these complex cases.
Your chosen commercial truck accident law firm must have a number of vital qualifications:
Experience:
We have litigated thousands of truck accident cases in South Florida. Unless your law firm has the experience that comes with years of building, negotiating, a taking these cases to trial, you will not be getting the professional representation you deserve.
Reputation:
Few law firms have built a reputation for handling these complex cases. Ask around. There are only a few truly qualified truck accident injury law firms in South Florida.
Accountability and Honesty:
Finding a law firm large and experienced enough to handle these cases by going against some of the nation’s largest trucking companies and their insurance companies is vital to a successful outcome. But your law firm must also be built around accountability and honesty. We pride ourselves on handling each case individually and providing excellent service and communication to each victim we accept the responsibility of representing.
Your Budget:
Most reputable personal injury and wrongful death law firms work on a contingency fee basis. This means you do not pay anything upfront and instead agree to pay a portion of any eventual settlement award or jury verdict, in addition to costs, to your chosen law firm. While this percentage can fluctuate, it’s important to remember that choosing a firm capable of winning a superior settlement or jury award can result in a better outcome for victims and families than choosing the law firm that appears the cheapest.
Past Case Performance:
Always ask a law firm about their results. While past results do not guarantee outcomes in your particular case, those law firms with the experience to handle these types of cases will be glad to share past results with you.
What Locals Say:
Look for law firms that are not afraid to share with you the experience of past clients.
Do not be afraid to ask your chosen truck accident law firm these questions. After all, a law firm incapable of building their own case as the best choice to represent you and your family, should not be trusted to build your best cases for damages against trucking companies, their insurance carriers and their experienced defense attorneys.
If you have been in a collision with a large truck or commercial vehicle, call the SE Florida Truck Lawyers Today at 786-296-0411.
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Advantages of hiring a local truck accident lawyer
One of the questions we are frequently asked is what are the advantages of hiring a local truck accident law firm compared to a large, nationwide personal injury or wrongful death law firm.
While each case is unique, and no blanket statement can be made about every law firm, whether large or small, there are some common challenges to choosing the best truck crash lawyers for your particular case.
These are among the most complex cases a law firm can handle. So choosing an experienced truck wreck attorney is the most important decision you will need to make. Trucking companies and their insurance carriers understand the risks. Consequently, they have spent decades perfecting tactics aimed at reducing liability in the event of serious and fatal collisions. These include operating under limited liability corporations, hiring drivers and maintenance vendors as independent contractors, and even leasing tractors and trailers from third-party vendors.
When combined with the fact that these collisions most often result in very serious injuries to passenger vehicle occupants, as well as the likelihood of long-term medical consequences, including disability and reduced quality of life, victims sometimes think of hiring the largest law firm they can find is the best choice.
When it comes to finding the best truck crash lawyers, we believe there is a middle ground between giving your case to a large nationwide firm and settling for Internet searches, like “Truck attorney near me” or “best trucking wreck lawyer.”
A proven local law firm with the extensive resources necessary to handle these claims, combined with the knowledge and experience of successfully litigating commercial trucking accidents, can provide victims with the representation they need without forfeiting the individualized communication, service, and attention to detail that comes with retaining a local law firm staffed by people who live and work in your community.
Advantages to hiring local trucking accident injury lawyers include:
- They know the roads.
- They know the challenges of local traffic.
- They are in the best position to communicate with insurers while keeping you informed.
- They offer moderate costs of service compared to nationwide firms.
- They treat you as an individual, not just another case.
When you look at the responsibilities of your chosen truck accident law firm, it becomes apparent why choosing local can be the best decision:
- Thoroughly investigating the accident scene.
- Reviewing damage to both the truck and involved vehicles.
- Frequent communication with you about your concerns, your medical condition, and your financial challenges.
- Working with your medical professionals to determine the full extent of the loss.
- Building a case capable of forcing liable defendants to make a fair settlement offer.
- Preparing your case for trial.
While it’s common to think that the larger firms will be in the best position to build the best case for settlement or trial, caseload volume at large firms dictate that this is not always the case. Again, while it’s impossible to make blanket statements that fit all large firms, our experienced truck injury lawyers believe the best place to be is with a local, experienced law firm, capable of building these cases, while always mindful of the responsibilities to keep the best interest of our victims, families and neighbors at the forefront of everything we do.
If you have been in a collision with a large truck or commercial vehicle, call the SE Florida Truck Lawyers Today at 786-296-0411.
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Questions to ask before hiring a local truck accident attorney
We believe victims of a serious or fatal trucking accident are best served by early consultation with a local law firm that has the necessary skills, resources and experience, as well as a proven track record of success in handling these complex cases. Choosing the right South Florida truck accident law firm to handle your case likely will be the most important decision you make.
Here are some of the best questions you can ask a potential truck accident law firm:
How will you benefit my case?
We believe clients are best served by hiring a law firm with extensive experience handling commercial truck accident cases while remaining small enough to be true to the commitment to treat victims and families with the respect they deserve throughout the process. Your chosen Miami truck accident attorney or West Palm truck accident lawyer should understand both obligations. A law firm big enough to handle these cases may not make client communication a priority. Conversely, a law firm committed to being accessible to clients and their families may lack the necessary experience and resources to be successful against some of the nation’s largest trucking companies and their insurers.
What are some of your case results?
While past experience and case results are no guarantee of a successful outcome in your case, an experienced law firm with a proven track record of success will not be shy about providing you with specific examples of the work they have done on behalf of their clients.
How will I pay you?
Experienced personal injury and wrongful death law firms will handle your case on a contingency fee basis. This means that whether you are looking for a dump truck accident attorney in South Florida or a Boynton Beach truck accident lawyer, the type of case, or the complexities of your situation, will not impact how you hire your attorney. Working on a contingency fee basis means your law firm will be paid a portion of a settlement or jury award it is successful in obtaining on your behalf, plus costs and expenses, which will also be paid upon successful resolution. This arrangement should allow you to hire the best available legal help without worrying about upfront costs.
How much will I expect to get out of my case?
This is case specific and will depend on a number of unique factors in your case, including extent of injuries and available insurance coverage. Hiring an experienced traumatic brain injury attorney, for example, indicates the damages are likely to be much more substantial, than a trucking accident in South Florida that results in minor injuries. The good news when it comes to insurance coverage is that commercial transport companies and their drivers are required to carry substantially more insurance coverage (typically in the range of $1million-$2million or more) than the $10,000 mandatory minimum per-person liability insurance required for private drivers in Florida. How much your case is worth will ultimately be determined by a thorough accounting of all economic losses (medical bills, lost wages, property damage) combined with non-economic losses, such as pain and suffering. In some cases, punitive damages, or compensation related to an insurance company acting in bad faith, can result in an award over and above the amount of proven damages.
Will you be the only person working on my case?
Your chosen law firm should be experienced in handling these cases. Any law firm with experience will have access to the types of outside legal and medical experts vital to proving your case and winning you the best possible damage award. At the same time, your chosen trucking injury lawyer should not shy away from taking complete responsibility of your case, which means keeping your updated and always being available to answer any questions you may have as your case proceeds.
How many of these cases have you handled?
Again, don’t be afraid to ask about your law firm’s experience. Be wary of vague answers. Look for law firms that can point to specific cases and case results.
How many have you taken to trial?
The truth is the vast majority of cases will settle without the need for a trial. The reason for this is simple: If your trucking accident lawyer builds a case capable of winning at trial, at-fault insurance carriers will not want to take it anywhere near a courtroom. So, while settlement is likely, your attorney must be fully capable of going to trial and have a reputation for doing so.
How long will it take?
This is also case-specific. How long a case takes to resolve can depend on a number of factors, including the number of defendants, the complexity of causation, and the extent of injuries. However, it can also depend on how quickly, efficiently and thoroughly your chosen law firm builds a case capable of winning in court. This is another reason why it’s critical to choose an experienced local law firm that is large enough to win but small enough to treat your case with the individual respect, care and attention it deserves.
If you have been in a collision with a large truck or commercial vehicle, call the SE Florida Truck Lawyers Today at 786-296-0411.
