Collisions with 18-wheeler trucks can lead to catastrophic injuries and other devastating results. Accident injuries can be expensive and disrupt your life. In addition, if you don’t have the proper legal help, you could be misled about your rights.
A West Palm Beach truck accident lawyer at our law firm can help you understand your rights and pursue a claim against the person or entity responsible for the truck accident. Our team can help you fight for damages to cover your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. We provide free consultations.
Types of 18-Wheeler Truck Accidents
There are many types of 18-wheeler truck accidents, and each has its dangers. The most common types of crashes include:
- Jackknife accidents
- Rollover accidents
- Underride accidents
- Wide-turn accident
- Head-on collision
- Rear-end collision
Reasons Why 18-Wheeler Trucks Are Dangerous
Trucks are dangerous for many reasons ranging from speed to weight. Here are some of the top reasons why 18-wheeler truck collisions are so dangerous:
- They carry heavy loads: 18-wheelers can carry loads far heavier than regular vehicles. This means the damage and injuries will be much more severe when an accident happens.
- They’re the most oversized vehicles on the road: A truck is much larger and heavier than a typical car. If they collide, the smaller vehicle will often sustain severe damages and injuries because of its small size compared to the truck.
- They need much time and space to maneuver: 18-wheeler trucks need much more time and space to stop than other vehicles on the road. A truck driver who follows other vehicles too closely may rear-end smaller passenger vehicles, causing serious accidents.
- They have substantial blind spots: An 18-wheeler truck has enormous blind spots that block a driver’s view from seeing other vehicles around them, particularly in their side mirrors. Truck drivers should be mindful of checking blind spots when changing lanes.
Call the West Palm Beach personal injury lawyers at the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine for a free consultation.
Causes of 18-Wheeler Truck Accidents
Proving what caused your 18-wheeler accident is crucial to your claim. Our lawyers will build your case to demonstrate how the accident happened and who caused it. Common causes of truck accidents are listed below:
Reckless Driving
Truck drivers must adhere to strict time schedules to meet their deadlines. Some drivers exceed the speed limits and drive recklessly to meet deadlines.
Reckless driving often results in high-speed crashes, which can be especially dangerous with a large truck.
Truck Driver Fatigue
Drivers who fail to follow hours of service rules might become fatigued behind the wheel, which puts everybody at risk of a serious accident. Driving while tired can be just as dangerous as drunk driving. Sleep Foundation states that after a driver has been awake for 20 hours, they have the equivalent impairment of a 0.08% BAC.
Driving Under the Influence of Drugs or Alcohol
Alcohol impairs vision and reaction time, which can cause a truck driver to fail to notice a vehicle in front of them. They also may be unable to stop their car in time to avoid an accident if they’re impaired via alcohol or drugs.
Parties You Can Hold Accountable for Your Truck Crash
More parties may be responsible for your pain in a Florida truck crash than the truck driver. In addition to the truck driver, you could hold the following parties accountable:
- Trucking company: If the truck driver is overworked or the truck requires service, and it leads to your accident, the trucking company could be liable. The company should ensure its drivers are in good health and keep the trucks in their fleet updated on service to avoid collisions.
- Truck manufacturer: Commercial vehicles like trucks need to be dependable and free of defects before the public uses them. If a defect in a truck led to your injuries, we’re ready to help you hold the manufacturer responsible.
- Cargo company: The cargo a truck carries should be loaded properly and in a way that doesn’t negatively impact how the truck functions. If the truck crash resulted from poorly loaded cargo, your lawyer could help you file a lawsuit against the company.
- Another driver: Driving on the road with trucks can be difficult. If another driver didn’t know how to maneuver around them or wasn’t paying attention and you got injured, we can hold them responsible for their negligence.
It’s important to remember that multiple parties can be responsible for your injuries. Our Florida team is ready to help you identify the liable parties and get you the compensation you qualify for.
The Limited Time You Have To File a Truck Accident Injury Claim
According to Florida Statutes § 95.11, you only have four years to file a personal injury claim when you get injured in a West Palm Beach truck accident. You should file your claim as soon as possible to ensure you qualify for the maximum compensation.
You may have a longer or shorter time to file, depending on the situation. When you meet with our personal injury attorneys for a free consultation, we can examine the level of negligence in your case and determine how long you have to file. We’ll help you fill out any paperwork and answer any questions.
How Our West Palm Beach 18-Wheeler Accident Lawyers Can Help You
If you’ve suffered severe injuries in an 18-wheeler accident, your life may have turned upside-down. You’re injured, must spend time off work recovering, and may be dealing with considerable pain and suffering.
Our West Palm Beach truck accident lawyers can pursue adequate compensation after an 18-wheeler accident. With a lawyer from our firm by your side, you’ll get responsive legal care from the beginning until the end of the case. Our team will:
- File your claims and paperwork.
- Communicate with insurance companies and truck carriers on your behalf.
- Provide frequent case updates about your case.
- Return your calls and emails and answer all your questions.
- Give you their phone number so you’re connected to your legal team.
- Help you meet deadlines.
- Negotiate a fair settlement for your losses.
- Represent you at trial if needed.
We can even work with expert witnesses, retrieve documents and accident reports, and send the truck carrier a spoliation letter to preserve evidence in its control. Our team works to build your case and prove the defendant’s liability for your injuries and losses.
Recovering Damages in an 18-Wheeler Truck Accident Case
Regarding recovering damages from an 18-wheeler truck accident in West Palm Beach, you can recover two main categories: economic and non-economic. Injured individuals must understand their legal rights when recovering these damages after a trucking accident.
Economic Damages You May Recover
Economic damages are directly related to the losses you incurred. Some of the economic damages you could recover in your Florida truck accident case include:
- Medical bills to treat your injuries
- Ongoing medical care or treatment
- Physical therapy
- Rehabilitation
- Lost wages and benefits
- Reduced earning capacity
- Permanent injury
- Property damage
Non-Economic Damages You Could Recover
Non-economic damages refer to the intangible losses you’ve incurred. Typically, they are related to the long-term effects of your injuries. Our 18-wheeler truck accident lawyers can help you recover damages such as:
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of consortium
- Mental anguish
- Emotional distress
- Loss of enjoyment of life
If you lost a loved one, our wrongful death lawyers could help you file a Florida wrongful death claim to recover funeral and burial costs, medical bills, the deceased lost wages, and other losses.
Determining if You Should Take Your Case to Court or Negotiate With the Insurance Company
Negotiating a settlement or taking your case to court is the final step in filing an 18-wheeler truck accident claim. Negotiating a settlement involves both parties agreeing on an amount of money paid to the injured person for their losses. If the parties cannot agree, the case may go to trial, where a judge or jury will decide how much money you should receive.
There are benefits and drawbacks to each legal action. You’ll likely get more fair compensation if you take your case to court, but going to court doesn’t guarantee a settlement.
And you can still get a high compensation from the insurance company with the help of our team, but the insurance adjuster often will try to give you the lowest amount. We can help you decide which option is the best for your situation.
We Don’t Get Paid Unless You Do
We only recover attorney fees if you get compensation for your injuries. You do not pay attorney fees if you do not recover compensation in a settlement or judgment. We do not charge upfront costs to hire our West Palm Beach personal injury lawyers.
Contact Our Passionate Truck Accident Lawyers for Legal Guidance
If you were hurt in an 18-wheeler accident in West Palm Beach, you don’t have to fight the trucking company and its insurance company alone. You can get help from the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine. Our team will review your case, identify all liable parties, and help you fight for compensation for your losses.
We’ll review your case for free and provide responsive legal care. Call us today or fill out our contact form for a free case evaluation with a law firm that gets results.
We Can Help.
