Did you or a loved one sustain injuries in a commercial truck accident in Tampa, FL? Our legal team at Mincone Personal Injury Lawyers can help you pursue the total compensation you deserve. With an experienced Tampa truck accident lawyer, you’re much more likely to recover fair compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and other injury-related losses. Call us today at (813) 800-0810.
Since opening our doors, we’ve successfully recovered millions of dollars for satisfied clients. We have a proven track record of securing settlements in each case we take on, and we put over 15 years of experience to work.
We’ve dedicated our entire practice to holding potentially liable parties accountable for their actions. Contact our law offices in Tampa, Florida, to schedule your free case evaluation.
How Mincone Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help After a Truck Accident in Tampa?
You should never have to stand up to a large corporation and its insurance company on your own. Truck accident claims can be incredibly overwhelming. You deserve experienced personal injury lawyers in Tampa in your corner.
To start, you’re already struggling with more serious injuries. The insurance and defense teams will do everything they can to exploit that. They may offer a tempting lowball settlement agreement early on. They might even try to blame you or pressure you into accepting quickly.
Our team at Mincone Law Group knows how to help.
When you hire us, you’ll have an experienced attorney by your side every step of the way to:
- Conduct a detailed investigation
- Collect and analyze all available evidence
- Work with leading experts to help calculate your case value and prove causation
- Defend against victim-blaming and other insurance tactics
- Negotiate with the insurance carrier and defense teams on your behalf
- File a lawsuit and advocate for a fair jury verdict at trial if necessary
Understanding your legal rights after a crash is critical. Call our personal injury attorney to learn more today.
How Do I Prove Negligence After a Truck Accident?
Most truck accidents happen because of driver error. That means you’ll likely have to prove the other driver was negligent to recover damages.
Negligence is a legal concept that requires proof of:
- The at-fault driver’s legal duty of care
- Some breach of duty occurred
- That breach was the direct cause of the accident
- The damages you suffered injuries due to the accident
Evidence in a truck accident claim can include:
- Police reports
- The truck’s electronic recording device (EDL), also known as the “black box”
- The truck driver’s qualifications and CDL
- Witness statements
- Medical records
- Maintenance and inspection logs
- The driver’s hours-of-service logs
- Video surveillance footage
- Physical evidence, including skid marks, vehicle damage, and vehicle placement
- Drug and alcohol test results
Expert witness testimony can be extremely useful in cases involving serious truck wrecks.
Most Common Types of Truck Accidents in Tampa
At Mincone Law Group, we have extensive experience handling various types of truck accident cases, including the following:
Jackknife Accidents
This type of accident often happens when drivers lose control of the truck. This can lead to devastating injuries and even fatalities. When this happens, you need experienced legal representation to help you every step of the way. Contact our Tampa jackknife accident attorney for help holding the at-fault parties accountable.
Rear-End Accidents
If you are rear-ended by a truck, you could face whiplash, airbag injuries, and more. This may lead to overwhelming medical expenses and time missed from work. Reach out to our rear-end accident lawyers for help recovering the compensation you need to move forward.
Rollover Accidents
Rollover accidents can lead to severe injuries and fatal accidents. It can be challenging to focus on healing and dealing with the aftermath of a collision while also seeking justice. Call our Tampa rollover accident attorneys to learn how we can make this difficult legal process more manageable for you.
Blind Spot Accidents
When drivers change lanes, turn, or merge, other vehicles may be in their blind spots. When this happens, accidents may occur, leading to serious accidents, injuries, and vehicle damage. However, you do not have to deal with this alone. Consult our blind spot accident lawyer to learn more.
Tire Blowouts
Tire blowouts can cause devastating car accidents, impacting drivers, passengers, motorcycle riders, and bicyclists. If your truck accident was caused by a tire blowout, don’t delay getting the help that you need. Reach out to our Tampa tire blowout lawyers for experienced support and guidance.
T-Bone (Side-Impact) Collisions
T-bone collisions can have lasting consequences for truck accident victims who may need extensive medical treatment, miss time from work, or deal with emotional suffering. Reach out to our t-bone collision attorney for help holding the at-fault truck driver and trucking company responsible for your injuries and losses.
Other types include:
- Semi trucks
- Large commercial vehicles
State and Federal Laws on Trucking
Federal regulations require drivers in Florida to adhere to the following rules:
- A driver may drive 12 hours after 10 consecutive hours off duty
- A driver may not drive after the 16th hour after coming on duty following 10 consecutive hours off duty
- A driver may not drive after 70 hours on duty in 7 consecutive days or after 80 hours on duty in 8 consecutive days (34 consecutive off-duty hours ends the time period)
The federal trucking laws include the following:
- Drivers may drive a maximum of 11 hours after 10 hours off duty
- Drivers may not drive more than 14 consecutive hours, and off-duty time does not extend the 14-hour period
- Drivers must take a 30-minute break for eight cumulative hours
- Drivers may not drive 60/70 hours on duty in 7/8 consecutive days
- Drivers may restart a 7/8 consecutive day period after taking 34 or more consecutive hours off duty
- Drivers can extend the driving window up to two hours when encountering adverse driving conditions
Understanding the state and federal laws that truck drivers are required to follow can help you identify potential causes of your collision and who may be liable.
Tampa Truck Accident Statistics
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) publishes data on truck accidents each year.
According to preliminary reports, 9,583 large trucks were involved in motor vehicle accidents across the state of Florida in 2023. 4,505 people were injured, and 309 people were killed in those truck wrecks.
Trucks are an integral part of daily life in Florida. Tractor-trailers make up over 16% of vehicles on the interstate, while single-unit trucks are over 4% of the vehicles present on the interstate. As a result, truck accidents are far too common, resulting in deadly collisions, as trucks may weigh 20 to 30 times more than passenger cars. In addition to impacting motorists, collisions with large trucks have caused severe injuries and fatalities for pedestrians, motorcycle riders, and bicyclists.
Who Could Be Held Liable for My Tampa Truck Accident?
Florida is a no-fault insurance state. Before doing anything else, you’ll file a claim for compensation with your own insurance policy.
However, in serious injury cases, the law recognizes that your policy may not cover all of your damages. You can pursue compensation from the at-fault party when you suffer serious injuries.
In truck accident cases, the responsible party may include:
- Negligent truck drivers
- Truck owner
- The trucking company, as the employer of the at-fault truck driver
- A company that owns the truck
- Cargo loading companies
- Truck leasing companies
- Inspection or maintenance companies
- Manufacturers of defective truck equipment
- Government authorities
Trucking companies carry commercial insurance to cover damages in an accident. Most likely, you’ll be filing your claim with the trucking company’s insurance carrier.
What Types of Damages Can I Recover After a Truck Accident?
When your injuries are serious, it’s likely that you’ll suffer a variety of financial and non-financial losses. Under Florida law, you can seek compensation for all of these economic and non-economic damages.
Common economic damages include:
- Past and future medical expenses
- Rehabilitation
- In-home assistance
- Nursing care
- Lost wages
- Reduced earning potential
- Property damage
Non-economic damages are much more personal and may include:
- Pain and suffering
- Diminished quality of life
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Emotional distress
- Embarrassment
- Depression
- PTSD
- Disfigurement or scarring
- Loss of consortium
Florida courts also have the authority to award punitive damages. Those are designed to punish the defendant, rather than compensate the victim. So, they’re reserved for cases where the defendant’s acts were particularly shocking.
What is My Truck Accident Case Worth?
Injuries generally have one thing in common: they’re expensive to treat. When it comes to personal injury claims, however, your case will be different from anyone else’s.
When our lawyers are assessing your case value, we’ll consider various unique issues, such as:
- The severity of your injuries
- The cost of your medical care and vehicle repairs
- The circumstances of the accident
- Whether you’re forced to miss time at work and lose income
- Whether you’re expected to suffer a long-term impairment
- Long-term prospects, including damage to your life and future earnings
- Whether you share any blame
Most injury victims don’t understand the value of their personal injury cases. Insurance companies tend to use that to their advantage. You don’t have to let them dictate the terms of your claim.
Our Tampa truck accident attorneys evaluate your case for free. That way, you can rest assured you’re getting the full compensation you deserve.
What Causes Most Commercial Truck Accidents in Tampa?
Truck drivers spend a significant amount of time behind the wheel. Despite training and commercial driver’s license (CDL) requirements, they’re prone to causing accidents. After all, they’re often tired, distracted, and rushing to meet tight deadlines.
Some of the most common causes of truck crashes are:
- Speeding
- Distracted driving
- Reckless driving
- Brake failure
- Driver fatigue, often due to ignoring FMCSA hours-of-service rules
- Failure to yield the right-of-way
- Aggressive truck drivers
- Passing too closely
- Lane departures
- Dangerous or wide turns
- Drunk driving or drug use
- Inexperienced truck drivers
- Failure to check blind spots
- Improperly loaded cargo
- Failure to conduct thorough inspections before and after trips
- Negligent vehicle maintenance
When truck drivers ignore state and federal safety regulations, the roads become more dangerous for everyone.
However, the trucking company has significant resources and will search for evidence to prove they weren’t responsible. Let our experienced truck accident attorneys take the lead and find out what caused your accident.
Common Injuries Resulting From Truck Accidents
Passenger vehicles are often no match for large and heavy trucks. Occupants are susceptible to all types of injuries.
Our Tampa truck accident attorneys handle all types of injury claims, including cases involving:
- Broken bones and crush injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Burns
- Spinal cord injuries
- Paralysis, including quadriplegia and paraplegia
- Internal organ damage
- Chest injuries
- Head and neck injuries
- Concussions
- Back injuries
- Amputations
- Catastrophic injuries
- Wrongful death of a loved one
If you were injured in a motor vehicle accident, reach out to our lawyers today. Insurance companies will try to downplay your injuries to reduce their own financial liability. Our lawyers know how to help you fight for the full compensation you deserve.
What To Do After A Truck Accident in Tampa, FL?
If you were injured in a truck accident, it is crucial to take the following steps:
- Seek medical attention immediately: You should get a medical exam even if you feel fine. It may take time for symptoms to develop, and getting help as soon as possible could improve your outcome.
- Report the accident: Immediately alert law enforcement that a collision occurred and obtain a crash report.
- Exchange information: Exchange insurance and contact information with the truck driver and note the name of the trucking company
- Gather evidence at the scene: Take photos and videos of the accident scene and visible injuries. You should also take notes regarding what occurred and the road conditions.
- Notify the insurance company: You should inform the insurance carrier that an accident occurred and begin the claims process.
- Contact a truck accident attorney: Schedule a free case review with an experienced attorney to learn about your legal options and protect your rights.
It is important not to admit fault at the accident scene or when speaking to an insurance adjuster. You should also avoid giving a recorded statement to the insurance carrier until after consulting with an attorney.
How Long Do I Have to File a Truck Accident Lawsuit in Florida?
You have only two years from the date of the accident to file a lawsuit. Fail to file your claim within two years of the crash, and you lose your right to damages in Florida. This rule is known as the statute of limitations.
After an accident, it’s always best to consult an experienced attorney as soon as you can.
Can I Recover Compensation If I’m Being Blamed for Causing a Truck Accident?
You could lose your right to compensation if you share too much blame.
Under Florida’s shared fault law, you cannot seek compensation if you were more than 50% liable. If your share of liability does not reach 50%, your compensation is reduced to account for your percentage of liability.
Call an Experienced Tampa Truck Accident Lawyer for a Free Consultation
Truck accident injuries can make your life difficult in so many different ways. While you recover, a Tampa truck accident lawyer can build your claim and fight for maximum compensation.
If you were injured in a truck accident, call Mincone Law Group to learn more about your options today. Our experienced truck accident lawyers work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you don’t pay any upfront costs. You only owe attorney’s fees if we successfully recover compensation for you.
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Additional Truck Accident Resources
- Six Questions to Ask a Personal Injury Lawyer During a Free Consultation
- What Is Negligence? Understanding the Basics
- How Are Pain and Suffering Damages Calculated?
