West Palm Beach Truck Accident Lawyer

West Palm Beach is a key shipping area for Florida and the greater Southeast, and as such, there is a significant amount of truck traffic coming and going from Route 95. Most of the time, these trucks do not pose any sort of threat to other drivers on the road. But, when a truck accident does occur, it can have devastating consequences for all involved, due to both the size and weight difference between a semi-truck and a passenger vehicle. 

This is just one of the many reasons why commercial truck drivers are held to higher licensing and regulatory standards than other drivers on the road. But no matter how responsible or experienced a driver may be with a tractor-trailer, there is always a risk of serious truck accidents that can lead to severe injuries.

Victims of these types of crashes may be entitled to a truck accident settlement or an award at the end of a lawsuit. However, going through a truck accident case while trying to recover from life-threatening injuries can seem nearly impossible, which is why it is so important for victims to work with a truck accident attorney after a crash in Palm Beach County. 

Contact 1-800-Injured Today to Connect With a West Palm Beach Truck Accident Lawyer

If you or a loved one was injured in a truck accident in West Palm Beach, it is important to seek out the help of an experienced personal injury attorney as soon as possible. The sooner you have legal representation, the better your chances of recovering damages for your injuries and losses.

1-800-Injured is an attorney and medical referral service that connects accident victims with experienced and qualified West Palm Beach truck accident lawyers in their area. Our goal is to help you connect with a lawyer who is ready to fight for the compensation and justice you deserve.

Read more below to learn about the specifics of these types of truck accidents, and contact us as soon as possible to connect with a Florida truck accident lawyer for a free consultation about your case. During your consultation, you will have the opportunity to discuss the specifics of your accident, learn more about your legal options, and ask any questions you have about the personal injury claims process.

What to Do After a Truck Accident in Florida

Being involved in any kind of car accident can be a traumatizing experience. But when a commercial truck is involved, the stakes are often much higher. Truck accidents often result in serious injuries or death. If you are lucky enough to walk away from a truck accident, it is important that you take the following steps:

Move to Safety

If possible, move your vehicle to the shoulder of the road or another safe area away from traffic. If it makes sense to exit your vehicle, make sure that you do not remain on the road: move to a parking lot, median, sidewalk, or another area out of the way of oncoming traffic to make sure that you are not putting yourself at risk of an additional accident.

Call 911

Even if you think your injuries are minor, it is always a good idea to call 911. The dispatcher will alert police, fire, and EMT support, who will all do their part to secure the scene, administer emergency care, and gather evidence about the cause of the crash.

Since large commercial trucks have complicated insurance policies and unique requirements under federal and Florida law, having a police officer at the scene is also helpful in that they will be able to review the situation and get a better sense of what happened. This police report will play a key role in your personal injury claim, so it’s always best to have a police officer at the scene, and calling 911 makes this as easy as possible.

Get Medical Attention

Even if you don’t think you are injured, it is important for truck accident victims to get checked out by the EMTs at the scene. Some injuries, such as whiplash or traumatic brain injuries, may not present themselves until hours or even days after the accident, and since trucking accidents can be so overwhelming and stressful, victims may not even recognize that they are suffering from devastating injuries due to the adrenaline and shock.

Many people mistakenly refuse treatment at the scene, and once they claim severe injuries in a personal injury claim, the insurance company will use this initial refusal as a way to suggest that the injuries were not related to the crash. They might also claim that the severity of the injuries were not as bad as the truck accident victims may claim.

To protect your best interests, both legally and health-wise, let the EMTs check you out.

Collect Evidence

If you are able to do so, take pictures of the accident scene, your injuries, and the property damage to your vehicle. If possible, recording a video of the scene is also helpful. These pictures and videos will serve as key pieces of evidence in your personal injury claim. Any detail or piece of information that you think is relevant at the time should be included in this evidence, whether with a note, audio recording, or simply narrating over the video you are filming. Leave it up to your attorney to decide whether or not it is actually important. 

Remember, the more information you can record, the better. No matter how vivid these details may seem at the moment, your memory will fade over time, and these important details may be lost.

If there are any witnesses at the scene, be sure to get their contact information so that your attorney can speak with them and gather their testimony about what they saw. These witnesses may help support your version of events and establish liability against the trucking company or driver.

If you have a dashcam, be sure to download the footage before it gets overwritten and give the footage to your attorney. If the other driver was on their phone, your attorney can subpoena the phone records from the trucking company or the driver’s cell phone provider.

In short, any and all evidence that you can collect at the scene will be helpful in your personal injury claim against the trucking company. Truck accident victims have a lot on their plate, but gathering evidence should be at the top of your list.

Find a West Palm Beach Truck Accident Lawyer

One of the most important things you can do after a truck accident is to call a personal injury lawyer. An experienced attorney will protect your rights and fight for the compensation you deserve.

Many people wait until after they have initiated their personal injury claim, but the truth is that truck accident victims are better off connecting with a lawyer before they even contact the insurance company. Insurance adjusters are trained to find any piece of information possible that they can use against truck accident victims to reduce their settlement amount, so the less you say to them, the better.

Your attorney will be the one to communicate with the insurance company on your behalf, and they will know exactly what information to share and what to hold back. Your lawyer will also be able to investigate the accident and gather evidence to support your claim, so you can focus on your recovery.

What Causes Truck Accidents?

There are many different factors that can contribute to a truck accident, but some of the most common causes include the following:

Driver Fatigue

Truckers often feel pressure to meet deadlines, which can lead them to drive for long hours without taking a break. Drowsy truck drivers may fall asleep at the wheel or make mistakes while driving, leading to a serious trucking accident.

The FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) has strict regulations in place regarding how many hours truck drivers can work in a day and week, but these regulations have no control over whether or not a driver is exhausted because of their personal life.

If driver fatigue is a factor in your accident, your attorney will work to hold the trucking company or driver liable.

Distracted Driving

Distracted driving is a serious problem for all drivers, but it can be especially dangerous for truckers because of the size and weight of their tractor-trailer.

Truck drivers may be distracted by their cell phones, GPS devices, or even just a conversation with other people in the cab. If a driver is not paying attention to the road, they may not see another vehicle stopped in the road. They might not notice smaller vehicles moving into their blind spots before they commit to a maneuver like a lane change or a wide turn.

Some distractions, such as daydreaming, can be harder to prove than something as clear as sending a text message from behind the wheel, but your attorney will work to prove the cause of your crash and get you the compensation you deserve.

Inexperienced Drivers

Trucking companies may hire inexperienced drivers to save money or avoid worker shortages. These drivers may not be familiar with the dangers of driving large commercial trucks — even if they are properly licensed.

Inexperienced drivers may not know how to properly secure their load or may not be aware of the blind spots around their vehicles. They may also be more likely to make mistakes while driving, like following other vehicles too closely or misjudging stopping distances.

Poorly Maintained Vehicles

Truck companies are required to regularly maintain their vehicles to ensure they are safe to operate, but some companies choose to cut corners to save money or avoid missing deadlines. They may overlook defective truck parts or major maintenance issues to keep their tractor-trailers running, which can lead to serious accidents.

If a company does not properly maintain its trucks, it could lead to equipment failure issues like bald tires, broken brakes, or faulty lighting. Any of these problems could contribute to serious trucking accidents, and the trucking company may be held liable. In some cases, the driver is an owner-operator, meaning that they own the truck and are therefore liable for maintaining it, in which case they would be held liable.

There are other instances in the trucking indusrty where the semi-truck maintenance is contracted to a third-party, and your West Palm Beach truck accident lawyer will be able to determine who should be held accountable.

Improper Loading

Truck drivers are often responsible for properly securing their load before they start driving, but some choose to take shortcuts to save time. An improperly secured load can shift while the truck is moving and cause the driver to lose control.

If an accident occurs in West Palm Beach because of an improperly secured load, the driver may be held liable, but in some cases, the company that loaded the semi- truck may also be held responsible.

Speeding

Speeding is a serious issue for all drivers, but it can be especially dangerous for truck drivers because of the size and weight of their vehicles. When trucks are involved in accidents, they often cause serious injuries or damage because of their size.

Trucking companies may incentivize their drivers to speed to make deadlines, which can put other motorists at risk. If you believe that speed was a factor in your truck accident, your attorney will work to gather evidence, including data from the truck’s “black box,” or Electronic Logging Device (ELD), that will show the speed of the truck at the time of the collision.

Weather Conditions

Bad weather can make driving conditions more difficult for all drivers, but it can be especially dangerous for truckers. Truck drivers may have a harder time stopping in slick conditions, and they may have trouble seeing other vehicles in a heavy downpour.

A driver isn’t responsible for the weather in West Palm Beach, but they are responsible for how they drive in inclement weather — if they choose to drive at all. Your attorney will investigate to see if the driver was driving too fast for the conditions or if the trucking company should have halted operations due to the weather.

Negligent Hiring Practices

Trucking companies have a responsibility to properly vet the drivers they hire to ensure they are qualified and capable of operating their vehicles safely. Unfortunately, some companies overlook red flags or choose to ignore them altogether in an effort to save money or fill positions quickly.

If a West Palm Beach trucking company hires a driver with a history of accidents, erratic driving, DUI convictions, or license suspensions, they may be held liable if that driver gets into another accident. Your lawyer will investigate the driver’s history to see if the company should have known about their potential risks before putting them behind the wheel.

Frequently Asked Questions About Truck Accidents

The following are just a few examples of the many questions that West Palm Beach attorneys are commonly asked during initial consultations and throughout their work with a client. Keep in mind that the answers below are meant to give you a general idea of this specific legal area, but the only way to get a clear and comprehensive answer about your unique case is to connect with an attorney.