Any type of accident is traumatizing and can be especially difficult when it involves a large truck like an 18-wheeler. You may be subject to many injuries; some could be severe in nature. When you have an accident such as that, you don’t need to sit by and handle the pain and expenses from your injuries alone.
You can get help from a Brandon truck accident lawyer if you need help recovering compensation for the losses you’ve incurred. Before you move forward and make any settlements, talk to an attorney about what your rights and options are to recover damages. Let the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine help you today.
How Much Damage Can an 18-Wheeler Truck Do?
Since an 18-wheeler truck is so large, weighing up to 4 tons, it can do a significant amount of damage if it gets into a wreck with another vehicle. These vehicles can sometimes roll over unto another vehicle, especially if they are loaded with too much heavy cargo or go around a corner too quickly. There are numerous accidents that do occur involving heavy trucks.
Common Reasons for 18-Wheeler Accidents
There are a multitude of reasons an 18-wheeler can get into an accident. Driver may make poor choices or bad decisions when operating a large vehicle. This could involve driving too fast for conditions, driving recklessly, not changing lanes properly, making too wide of a turn, and so on. When an 18-wheeler makes a wrong or bad decision, it can have disastrous results.
Drivers who do not react appropriately, or who fail to avoid a danger, to avoid accidents can also be held liable if their behavior was negligent. An 18-wheeler driver must be always aware of the road, paying attention to any danger or problems ahead. If they don’t watch out for dangers or obstructions, they may get into an accident.
There are numerous mechanical issues that can cause problems and lead to an accident, and some parties may be liable for an accident in this scenario. No matter what happened, you can reach out as soon as you can to discuss any potential negligence in your case. Consult an attorney to determine who the responsible party is in the accident.
What Are Common Injuries in an 18-Wheeler Accident?
You may be suffering from numerous injuries after an accident involving an 18-wheeler truck. Some of these injuries can be life-threatening, while others can be painful and require a prolonged recovery time. Some of the physical injuries you may have sustained from the accident include:
- Whiplash or neck injury
- Traumatic brain injury
- Concussion
- Shoulder injuries
- Broken bones
- Surface wounds like cuts or burns
Injuries and losses in an accident also go beyond the physical pain. You may suffer from mental health issues or emotional trauma after the accident, too. The financial value of economic losses is easier to determine than noneconomic losses, but our team is ready to figure out how much you are owed for all of your damages, both economic and noneconomic alike.
Proving Negligence in Florida
In Florida, the pure comparative negligence rule is used to determine awards for personal injury cases. This rule, as codified in Florida Statutes § 768.81, allows the plaintiff to be up to 99 percent to blame and still file a claim for damages.
However, the award total gets decreased by the amount of blame you have. While the other party may try to assign you an unfair or untrue percentage of blame, a Brandon personal injury lawyer with our firm will work to help establish the other party’s blame.
Our lawyers work hard to prove the negligence of the other party. In order to help prove negligence, the attorney will do the following:
- Prove duty of care: The duty of care is already established in driving cases, because every driver owes other drivers the care of not harming them.
- Prove there was a breach of duty: When a driver is negligent, they breach this duty of care. That’s why, the attorney will work to prove the other driver was negligent in some way.
- Prove causation and injuries: The lawyer must prove that you were injured or otherwise harmed and that the injuries were from the accident and not some other cause.
Statute of Limitations
Florida Statutes § 95.11 states that when filing a personal injury lawsuit, you must do so in a within four years. While this may seem like a large window of time, delays in legal proceeding and negotiations can impact how long you have to act. It is in your best interest to get started as soon as possible to account for any delays and holdups.
How an Attorney Helps You
A Brandon 18-Wheeler truck accident lawyer can help you carry the heavy load of dealing with a personal injury case. This involves a lot of communicating with other parties and can be cumbersome, especially when you are attempting to heal from your injuries. A lawyer can:
- Take care of all correspondence such as emails and phone calls
- File all necessary court papers promptly
- Gather relevant evidence
- Negotiate a fair settlement
- Take the case to trial if necessary
Get Help from an Attorney at Our Firm
If you are suffering because of an 18-wheeler accident, find the help you need from a Brandon personal injury lawyer. At the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine, our team members are standing by to provide you with a free consultation. We work these cases on a contingency fee basis, which means you won’t pay any fees until your case successful.
When you work with a lawyer at the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine, you will always be kept in the loop about what’s going on with your case. Call our office to schedule an appointment today.
We Can Help.
