What You Need To Know About Trucking Accidents
Brian O Sutter
Accident Lawyers
Being injured in any kind of accident isn’t easy. Florida motorists who are hurt in an accident will find their lives thrown into chaos. Not only do you have to try to make a full physical recovery, but you have to recover financially as well. And when you factor in medical costs and lost wages from missing work, it’s not hard to see why an accident could be devastating to you in more ways than some think.And one of the biggest examples of this is in trucking accidents. Florida’s roads are filled with commercial trucks, and each of them carries the potential to do serious damage to those in passenger vehicles. Their larger size and weight means that they can seriously damage passenger vehicles and those inside them. If you’re hurt in an accident of this nature, it’s important to find help. There are more variables involved than it first appears.
Proving Fault In Trucking Accidents
The first thing you'll need to understand is that under Florida law, those who are seeking compensation through a trucking accident lawsuit must be able to show that they were hurt due to the reckless or negligent actions of someone else. In most auto accident cases, this means things like speeding, texting while driving, and drunk driving.
But in a trucking accident, there could be additional layers to the question of fault. In particular, truckers and trucking companies must obey certain laws and regulations that the government has in place. For instance, if a driver operates their vehicle for more hours in a day than the government allows and then causes an accident, that alone could be considered negligence and grounds for a lawsuit.
Who Do You Seek Compensation From?
Because of the numerous variables involved in a trucking accident, it’s actually possible that you may need to seek compensation from more than just the truck driver. In particular, if a trucking company is shown to have been negligent, they could be held liable as well. Some examples of this include:
• Enacting policies that mean drivers often must exceed allowed driving hours
• Not requiring drivers to manage their hours and miles driven logs.
• Failing to maintain their trucks properly
• And more
If it’s shown that the trucking companies operated in a way that led to negligence or directly contributed to it, there is a good chance that you can file a personal injury lawsuit against them. The points above are just a few of the ways that this could occur, but are far from all of them.
Bullies On The Other Side
One of the biggest issues to keep in mind is that while filing a lawsuit against a trucking company could mean a larger settlement, it also means a harder process to get that settlement at all. Those trucking companies have deep pockets and many skilled attorneys and professionals on their side, and they work hard to try to avoid paying out a dime more than they have to.
Often, these attorneys and trucking companies will use bullying tactics to try to intimidate those hurt in an accident or trick them into accepting settlements that are less than they deserve. But if you have the right lawyers on your side, you’ll show them that you’re serious about your case and make sure that you stand up to them.
Our team can help. Our reputation means that we immediately get you the respect of the other side and speed up the process of getting you what you’re owed. If you need help following a truck related accident, contact us today to get your free initial consultation.