Florida Truck Accident Lawyer

For most Florida truck accident injury claims you have 2 years from the date of the crash. It can be shorter when a government vehicle is involved. Because trucking evidence can disappear quickly, it is best to involve a lawyer well before the deadline.

Often more than just the driver. The motor carrier, the broker or shipper, a maintenance contractor, the cargo loader, and sometimes a parts manufacturer can each share fault — and each may carry separate insurance. Identifying every responsible party is one of the biggest differences between a truck case and an ordinary car case.

Under federal rule 49 CFR 387.9, a large truck hauling general freight must carry at least $750,000 in liability coverage; hazardous loads require $1 million to $5 million. That minimum was set in 1980 and never raised, so it is often far below the cost of a serious injury — which is why carriers often add umbrella and excess policies, and why reaching the full insurance tower matters.

Electronic logging device (ELD) hours-of-service records, the truck's event-data recorder (black box), the driver qualification and drug-and-alcohol testing file, maintenance and inspection records, and the carrier's internal reports. Some of these are only kept for limited periods, so a fast preservation letter is critical before that data is overwritten.

Trucking is governed by federal safety regulations, there are usually multiple defendants and multiple policies, the injuries tend to be more severe, and the carrier often sends a rapid-response team to the scene within hours. The investigation has to start immediately and reach far beyond the driver.

The firm works on a contingency fee. The consultation is free and you pay no attorney fees or costs unless the firm recovers money for you.