Commercial vehicles, such as those belonging to large delivery, freight, and haulage companies, are responsible for a considerable portion of Florida’s personal injury claims. This is due to a number of factors. Firstly, due to the size of the vehicles involved in a truck accident, the scale of damage has a higher chance of being significantly more catastrophically. Secondly, due to a host of unethical employment practices used by commercial trucking companies, truck drivers are much more likely to suffer from driver fatigue than the average civilian driver.
Whatever the cause, if you have been involved in an accident involving a commercial vehicle or large truck in the period of the last four years, the Bradenton truck accident lawyer team at The Law Place can help you to achieve the maximum amount of compensation for the damages, injuries and lifestyle complications you may have received as a result. Our personal injury and accident lawyer team has over 75 years of combined experience fighting and winning cases similar to yours and is available to start on your Bradenton truck accident case right away. All that it takes to start the process is for you to make a call to our office in Bradenton, Florida. We offer all of our clients a free case evaluation at no obligation over the telephone to let you know how we would go about the processes of proving negligence and winning you the most considerable sum of compensation possible for your case.
Contact us and schedule a free consultation to hold the trucking company responsible for your personal injury case accountable. Our number is (941) 444-4444!
What Is Driver Fatigue and How Does It Contribute to the Likelihood of Car Accidents?
Accidents involving driver fatigue are some of the most common types of auto accidents that occur on the roads of Bradenton, Florida, today.
When someone is improperly rested – either from driving long stretches without taking appropriate breaks or driving without sleep – their focus, reaction speed, and decision-making processes are impaired.
The actual reason for the accident can range from misjudging distances, nodding in and out of consciousness, or falling asleep at the wheel of the vehicle entirely and losing control of it. The results are often the same, crashes that can cause considerable damage and devastation.
Why Are the Employees of Large Trucking Companies More Likely to Drive While Fatigued?
While fatigued driving can occur in any regular motor vehicle and all types of passenger vehicles, there are certain things that make this type of auto accident more likely to occur in the trucking industry.
This is because trucking companies, more often than not, pay their commercial truck drivers by the mile, rather than by the hour or with a regular salary. These payment schemes compound the risk of fatigued driving in several ways.
Not only do they encourage all types of shortcuts and the cutting down of scheduled sleeping breaks, but they also encourage dangerous and illegal processes such as using stimulants to drive longer distances without sleep. This obviously contributes to the risk of drivers of commercial trucks driving under the influence.
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Which Processes Are Impacted by Pay Per Mile Schemes?
We have mentioned how pay-per-mile schemes increase the risk of fatigued driving. We will now break this down into the individual areas of the job that are impacted by immoral pay per mile schemes:
- The drivers of commercial trucks are encouraged to minimize sleep and also federally mandated break periods.
- Routes are often planned hastily and improperly, leading unprepared drivers to take more risky routes.
- The loading, checking, and securing of cargo is often done as quickly as possible. This can contribute to the risk of an auto accident caused by cargo coming loose. These types of accidents are also more likely to cause multiple vehicle crashes.
- Vehicle maintenance stops, breaks, and checks are often also minimized. Many more accidents occur due to mechanical failures as a result of this.
- Speeding and reckless driving are implicitly endorsed by this payment model, as the drivers of trucks can earn more money in a shorter period of time. Coupled with poor employee screening procedures, this can be a real problem.
If you have been involved in an accident featuring a vehicle belonging to the trucking industry, fatigued driving may have been involved indirectly, even if you don’t realize it.
For the best chance at receiving the maximum amount of compensation for an accident of this type that wasn’t your fault, you should call a Bradenton truck accident personal injury lawyer from The Law Place as soon as possible.
We’re Florida’s top litigation team with over 75 years of combined experience
Is Proving Negligence Different in an Accident Involving Large Trucks?
The way your truck accident attorney has to prove negligence will not differ too much from regular motor vehicle crashes, as in line with Florida Statute 768.81.
Your truck accident lawyer will still need to prove that the truck driver owed you a duty of care, that this duty of care was violated in some way and that the violation in question was what caused the injuries you are claiming for.
However, truck drivers are not the only party potentially liable. The company that employs them may also be negligent if they practice poor employment procedures (such as improper screening) or break other laws.
Furthermore, when it comes to truck accidents, your accident attorneys will have another secret weapon with which to assist you. This will be covered in the next section.
From the initial call to updates on your case status, we are here to get you answers.
The Black Box and How Your Bradenton Truck Accident Lawyer Can Use It
Most large trucks, semi-truck vehicles, and other corporate delivery craft will carry a black box. Much like the black box in aircraft, if recovered, this will contain the perfect information for your Florida truck accident lawyers to prove negligence.
The black box in the average large truck or semi-truck will record:
- The speed the truck was traveling along its journey.
- The breaking patterns of the truck, which can be used to determine the presence of reckless driving.
- The force of the actual impact itself, which can be a great tool for demonstrating the severity of injuries to insurance companies.
- The presence of check or error lights inside the vehicle, which can be used to demonstrate upkeep negligence.
Understandably, commercial truck companies often try to resist giving away this black box, as it makes their lives much harder. Your Bradenton truck accident lawyers will fight tirelessly to obtain this key piece of information, and we have many established methods for doing so.
What Injuries Are Commonly the Result of a Florida Truck Accident?
The injuries which often result from a Florida truck accident are similar to those that are the result of a regular motor vehicle accident.
The main difference is the fact that with a large truck, there is a considerably larger bulk, weight, and amount of material involved in the accident. This makes the likelihood of the accident result in more severe injuries, disabilities, disfigurements, or even fatalities is increased considerably.
This is especially scary when we consider that, according to this study in the U.S. National Library of Medicine, over 70% of all chest traumas are the result of car accidents in general.
Injuries commonly the result of a Florida truck accident include:
- Abrasions, lacerations, and cuts.
- Burns or scalds.
- Broken bones or fractured bones.
- Spinal injuries or back injuries, which can often lead to loss of mobility or even complete paralysis.
- Blunt force trauma, such as internal bleeding or damage to the internal organs.
- Scarring or other types of body disfigurement or amputation.
- Disability or severe impairment.
- Injuries to the brain or head trauma, which can result in various levels of intellectual or emotional disability.
- Psychological trauma, which can express itself as anxiety, loss of enjoyment of life, depression, or any other forms of post-traumatic stress disorder.
If you have received any of these above injuries, or injuries not included, after a collision with a large truck, we can help. Your injuries do need to be limited to physical ones. If you have experienced any of the mental or psychological distresses listed above, you should still get in touch with the team at The Law Place.
Call The Law Place today using the number at the top or bottom of this article to secure the assistance of our experienced Bradenton truck accident attorneys.
What Types of Damages Can Be Claimed Following Truck Accidents?
The damages available in your case will depend upon the specifics of the truck accident you were involved in. Your Florida personal injury lawyers from The Law Place will discuss your case in a free consultation and evaluation and let you know which apply to you.
The following sections will give a brief outline of the main types of damages available for this type of motor vehicle accident.
Claiming for Property Damage After Truck Accidents
If the car you depend on was destroyed in a collision with a large truck, this represents a considerable amount of monetary property damage. This becomes even worse if there were other valuable items upon your person or inside the vehicle at the time of the truck accident.
A property damage claim means you can receive compensation for these damages.
Claiming for Medical Bills After Truck Accidents
As well as the actual physical impacts of your injuries, you will have the financial stress of treating them. We’re sure it will be no surprise for you to learn that the leading cause of bankruptcy in the United States today is medical debt.
However, your personal injury lawyers will be able to help you recover the cost of any medical bills incurred as a result of your truck accident.
For the best chance at recovering the maximum amount, keep copies of all your medical bills. It may also help to provide a medical history, as insurance companies often try to imply your accident claim may be for preexisting conditions instead of those you received as a result of your truck accident.
Claiming for Pain and Suffering Damages After Truck Accidents
Drivers involved in truck accidents can also claim pain and suffering damages. The way these damages are calculated is by looking at the duration of your recovery process and the amount of pain involved.
The presence of any disability or life-altering complication will also be taken into account, which is good news because these things are especially common in those injured as a result of a trucking company accident.
Claiming for Lost Wages After Truck Accidents
As well as the cost of medical expenses, property damage, and other financial burdens after a truck accident – you may well also be unable to work due to the extent you were injured. For many people, no work means no wages.
With the help of the accident injury team from our law firm, you can win back these wages lost in the recovery process. All we need from you is a copy of the correspondence you have had with your employer concerning the time off you were forced to take.
Claiming for a Wrongful Death After Trucking Accidents
None of us wants to consider it, but when it comes to accidents involving trucks, the possibility of a fatality cannot be ignored.
While we know and understand that no amount of money will ease the pain you feel if a loved one is lost, but a wrongful death claim is designed to relieve the financial precarity of your situation. Compensatory considerations will be made for lost wages, emotional distress, loss of consortium, and those often surprising burial and funerary expenses.
It is also worth noting that a wrongful death action, as described in Florida Statute 768.21, represents a piece of civil law. This means that you will not be accusing the person responsible for the accident of murder in any criminal sense.
How Long Do I Have to Make a Claim if I Am Injured In An Accident Involving Large Trucks?
As with all crashes involving motor vehicles in the State of Florida, your personal injury claim will be subject to the statute of limitations.
The statute of limitations for this type of claim is contained within Florida Statute 95.11. This statute states that you have 4 years from the exact date of the accident in which you were injured to make a claim.
It should be noted that just because you have four years to make a claim, you should not waste time. The quicker you make your claim, the less chance there is of evidence getting lost and impacting your settlement amount. Furthermore, your insurance company will likely be using their own legal team and team of insurance claims adjusters to get away with paying out as little for your injuries as they possibly can.
How Much Will a Lawyer From The Law Place Cost Me?
Many people wrongly assume that they can’t afford a quality lawyer from a trustworthy law firm to represent them if they are injured in a situation that is not their fault.
The good news is that you absolutely can. The Law Place operates all of its personal injury and accident cases on a contingency basis, which means that any fee you pay will only be taken from your final settlement once your case is successful. Yes, this does mean that if your case is unsuccessful for any reason, you will pay absolutely nothing for the services.
All of our work is monitored by the State Bar Association, so when we say there will be no nasty surprises, hidden costs, or extras fees up ahead, we mean it.
If you’re worried about the quality of our contingency work, many of the attorneys working for our law firm are AVVO rated a perfect 10.0.
Don’t fall afoul of the various complexities of Florida’s laws for accidents involving motor vehicles or the various tricks of insurance companies and their insurance claims adjusters. Instead, call today and stand the best chance at securing your maximum compensatory amount.
Contact The Law Place Today
If you are a driver who was injured in an accident involving a large truck company in the past four years, we can help you to navigate the process of receiving compensation for the injuries and complications of your accident. Our lawyer team has years of experience working on a variety of truck accidents and has the compassion, know-how, and skills to shoulder the heavy technical burden of maximizing your compensatory claim.
All that you need to begin your journey to compensation and justice is to make a free call to our office. Our hours of service are 24/7 so that you can make your call around your own busy schedule. From there, we will conduct a free consultation and case evaluation to take a look at your truck accident claim. All our accident work is no-win-no-fee, and any fees will only be taken from your final settlement fee after you actually win it. Furthermore, unlike phone calls with insurance companies, all the information you disclose to us will be covered by the bounds of the attorney-client relationship of confidentiality – so you don’t need to worry about what you say.
If you were a driver injured in the past four years in an accident involving a truck driver, which was not your fault, call us today on (941) 444-4444 for the best chance at receiving the sum of money for your injuries that you truly deserve!