Those involved in a large truck accident in the State of Florida, unfortunately, stand a higher chance of sustaining injuries that are life-threatening, life-altering, or even, in some cases, fatal. Logically, this is because an accident involving a large truck with great bulk and size has more chance of causing catastrophic damage to those things around it. Not only this, but trucking companies (FedEx included) also demonstrate many unethical employment practices that put other drivers at greater risk of being involved in a truck accident.
If you are a driver who has been involved in an automobile accident involving a FedEx truck in the past four years, we can help you. With the assistance of one of our accident and injury lawyers, you can gain compensation for your injuries, medical bills, lost wages, property damage, and more. The truck accident lawyer team at The Law Place has over 75 years of combined experience maximizing the compensation of those who have experienced various types of vehicle accidents.
To gain a free consultation with an experienced truck accident and Florida personal injury attorney, all you need to do is call our office. Our lines are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Our contact telephone number for free, impartial legal advice is (941) 444-4444!
Statistics Concerning the FedEx Trucking Company
You will no doubt have heard of FedEx, as it is one of the largest trucking companies operating in the United States of America today. Each day they deliver and truly mind-boggling amount of packages, using their fleet of large commercial trucks and semi-trucks.
To see the extent of this fleet and the risk of injury that it poses to drivers across Florida, we can take a look at the Safety Measurement System database.
The following information is drawn from FedEx Ground Packaging System Inc., the main incorporated company used by FedEx to deliver goods. It is common for commercial truck companies such as this to be made of many separate incorporated companies.
The Safety Measurement System database tells us that:
- This branch of FedEx employs 110,971 individual truck drivers to operate a grand total of 73,586 trucks.
- 6,636 inspections of these trucks resulted in some type of violation being discovered.
- 2,175 separate truck accidents occurred involving FedEx trucks.
- 3,249 FedEx truck drivers received violations for unsafe or reckless driving.
- 2,982 driver inspections resulted in truck drivers receiving unsafe driving violations.
- 444 violations occurred in terms of truck driver fitness inspections.
- 15 violations can be found that involve driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs.
What Do These Statistics Mean for the Risk of FedEx Truck Accidents?
First off, let’s start with the obvious. With 2,175 separate FedEx truck accidents and the likelihood of catastrophic injury inherent to the nature of truck accidents, you can imagine the scale of personal injury.
But while these statistics paint a picture, it is not the full picture. For every successfully caught violation for driver fitness, reckless driving, or driving under the influence, there are likely many cases where a truck driver is not caught. When you consider this, you begin to get an idea of the scale of the problem and the risk that these commercial trucking companies pose to other drivers.
The good news is that the truck accident attorneys at our law firm have a wealth of experience dealing with accidents involving FedEx trucks. If you have been injured in an accident which was not your fault, tell us as soon as possible. We will be able to arrange a free case evaluation to show you exactly how much your no-win-no-fee personal injury claim could be worth.
The Way Large Trucking Companies Contribute to Truck Accident Risk
The risk of being involved in a truck accident in the State of Florida does not rest solely on the individual truck driver. Trucking companies create unnecessary accident victims mainly through two practices: unfair payment schemes and negligent hiring practices.
We will first cover unfair payment schemes. Many truck drivers are paid per mile that they drive rather than for the time they spend at work. This increases the risk of an auto accident in the following ways:
- It incentivizes the minimization of federally-mandated break, rest, and sleep periods. This increases the risk of fatigued driving and falling asleep behind the wheel.
- It encourages efficiency-motivated reckless driving, such as speeding, unsafe maneuvers, and the flaunting of traffic laws.
- It encourages truck drivers to cut down time spent maintaining their vehicles or checking for/treating faults, which in turn increases the risk of an auto accident occurring because of a mechanical malfunction.
- It also leads to the rushed loading of the truck. If goods are improperly secured or loaded hastily, they can become loose and cause devastating multiple motor vehicle accidents.
Negligent hiring processes contribute to the likelihood of a vehicle accident by allowing someone who is unfit to be a truck driver to operate a huge and potentially deadly piece of machinery.
If a truck driver is employed who has been improperly screened for a previously existing history of reckless driving or driving whilst intoxicated, this is a demonstration of negligence in line with its definition in Florida Statute 768.81.
When you use one of our truck accident attorneys to make a claim for the injuries, damages, and complications you have received as a result of your truck crash, you are not only helping yourself to achieve compensation. You are also helping to hold negligent trucking companies accountable and making the roads of Florida a safer place.
Common Injuries Sustained in a FedEx Truck Accident
Our personal injury and accident lawyers have seen a huge range of injuries resulting from a car accident involving a large FedEx vehicle. As we have mentioned earlier, the injuries from this type of auto accident have a higher chance of being life-changing or fatal.
The injuries most commonly seen by our personal injury attorneys include:
- Burning, scaling, or road rash on the skin, which may require skin grafts to rectify.
- Various severity levels of cuts and lacerations.
- Broken or fractured bones, which can result in anything from mild inconvenience to permanent mobility problems.
- Crush injuries.
- Injuries to the body’s internal organs or internal bleeding.
- Damage to the spine, which is especially dangerous in terms of mobility and possible paralysis.
- Brain injuries, which can lead to various emotional, physical, and intellectual disabilities.
Not only this, but many people also suffer life-altering trauma from a car accident involving a large truck. This may manifest itself as post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, or the inability to live life as you once lived it.
Your truck accident lawyer will be able to help you claim compensation for all of the above and any more specific types of injury not listed above. To find out how, schedule a free case evaluation with one of our accident and personal injury lawyers today.
When Should You Seek Medical Attention for Injuries Sustained in a Truck Accident?
In health terms, if you are involved in a truck accident and do not receive emergency medical care at the scene of the crash, you should visit your doctor as soon as possible afterward. This is because even seemingly minor injuries can become dramatically worse if inadequately addressed.
Furthermore, Florida Statute 627.736 states that in order to raise an accident injury claim, you must seek professional medical attention within a period of 14 days. Since you are required to anyway in order to gain compensation, you are better off making this trip sooner rather than later – especially if it was your head or back that was injured in the accident.
What Different Types of Damages Can Our Law Firm Help You to Be Compensated For?
Your personal injury lawyer is there to help you to claim various different types of compensation, depending on what the consequences of your truck accident were. The level of compensation you can expect from these damages will depend on how severely you have been impacted.
While the best way to find out exactly what you are entitled to and why is to contact one of our truck accident attorney team through a free consultation, we have detailed the main damage types in the sections below.
Property Damage
These damages do not deal explicitly with injuries but instead with the material and financial damage to your property that occurred during the truck accident.
Most commonly, this property damage takes the form of your car. However, it is also possible to receive compensation for valuables contained within it or upon your person at the time of the accident.
The best evidence you can help to provide for your truck accident attorney, in this case, is detailed photos of your damaged vehicle from multiple angles.
Medical Bills
Medical bills and expenses are the leading cause of personal bankruptcy across America today. This is hardly surprising, as even with insurance, they can often be staggering.
With copies of your medical bills, your personal injury attorneys can fight for you to get this cost reimbursed to you.
Lost Wages
Damaged property and medical expenses are no the only way a vehicle accident in Florida can quickly become financially devastating.
If you were obliged to take time off from your job in order to recover from your injuries, you might not have been paid for this time. Armed with copies of your correspondence with your employer, your accident injury attorneys can fight you to be compensated for this lost earning potential.
Pain and Suffering
Pain and suffering is the name given to the damages that consider the length of the recovery process after accidents and put an economic number to this duration.
These damages also consider the total pain level of your recovery process, as well as the presence of any life-changing consequences on your part. If you have sustained a disability or impairment as a result of your accident, this will be taken into account.
It should be noted that it can be extremely helpful to have a copy of your medical history when claiming for a disability or impairment. Many insurance companies will attempt to argue that the complication you are claiming for is simply a pre-existing condition that you are passing off as an accident injury consequence.
Wrongful Death
If the unthinkable happens and a close loved one is fatally injured in a Florida truck accident, a wrongful death claim can help to support you during these incredibly hard times.
While no amount of money will ease the pain you are feeling, the death of a close family member is often accompanied by financial precarity. The cost of a proper funeral and burial often catches families off-guard, especially if they are being combined with the loss of one-half of the household income.
Wrongful death damages are designed to reimburse you for both of these things, alongside additional considerations for loss of companionship, consortium, and guardianship.
The specific details of this claim type can be found in Florida Statute 768.21.
How to Deal With Insurance Companies After a Truck Accident
Your insurance company may want you to believe that they are on your side, but in reality, the less they pay out in your final settlement, the better for them.
The following checklist details the things you should and shouldn’t to ensure that your insurance company cannot lower your settlement amount:
- Report the accident within 24 hours, but only give the very minimum level of information required.
- Never sign anything without your injury attorneys present.
- Contact a law firm to begin your case as soon as is possible.
- Collect all evidence possible at the scene, including photographs of absolutely everything and acquisition of all the involved drivers’ and witnesses’ details.
- Obtain, if possible, a copy of your full medical history.
- Retain all documentation and correspondence that is at all relevant to your claim.
Contact The Law Place Today
If you are a driver who has been involved in a collision with a truck driver in the past four-year period, our law firm can help you to navigate your insurance company and maximize the compensation that you are owed. Our team of lawyers has over 75 years of combined experience, and this wealth of knowledge is available to you on a no-win-no-fee basis.
In order to begin the process of unlocking the maximum compensation for your injuries and complications, all you have to do is call today and arrange a free consultation with one of our lawyers. We will talk you through the full legal process in detail and break down exactly how much your claim could be worth. Don’t let the complexities of Florida law or the tricks of insurance companies get in the way of the financial justice that you are rightfully owed.
Call our attorney team today on (941) 444-4444!