Daytona Beach Truck Accident Lawyers
Big-truck accidents are more likely to lead to serious injuries and fatalities because of their considerable weight and size compared to cars. Our experienced Daytona Beach truck accident lawyers have been helping truck accident victims recover financial compensation since 1979.
Interstate 95 is a major trucking route passing through Daytona Beach, and truck traffic has reached an all-time high. As a result, our Daytona Beach truck accident lawyers are seeing an increasing number of significant injuries caused by large commercial trucks.
When you are injured in a semi truck accident, you may have an insurance claim against a large trucking company. These companies may not take responsibility voluntarily. Without legal representation, you could miss out on compensation for your lost income, medical expenses, and pain and suffering. Insurance companies hire lawyers, and you should, too.
If you have been injured by a big truck in the Daytona Beach area, call us today at (386) 267-6921, and let us put our experience to work for you.
Why Should You Hire a Truck Accident Lawyer at Farah & Farah?
We are a family-owned law firm that puts the needs of our clients above all else. We have recovered more than a billion dollars for injured clients during our 40+ years in practice because we care, and this drives us to work hard to get the results you deserve.
When you hire our Daytona Beach personal injury lawyers, you get your own team of award-winning lawyers who will work around the clock building your case and advocating for you. We have an open-door policy, which means you can always reach your team, and we will stay in contact with you so you never have to wonder what is happening with your case.
Going up against large trucking companies requires the assistance of a legal team with experience, resilience, and financial resources. We have it all at our Daytona Beach law firm, so you can be confident that we will make an effective case against the large trucking company.
Recent Truck Accident Case Results
We know what it takes to hold a trucking company accountable, and our track record speaks to the effectiveness of our team approach and work ethic. Here are some noteworthy of our truck accident results:
- $3.4 million verdict for a client who suffered herniated disks and needed extended pain management due to a rear-end accident caused by a moving truck.
- $2 million verdict for a 47-year-old man who sustained serious shoulder, neck, and back injuries when a 12-ton tractor-trailer rear-ended him.
- $1.3 million recovery for the family of a truck driver killed when a semi-truck struck him on a loading dock.
- $317,000 verdict against JEA for a client who suffered a herniated disc when he was rear-ended by a JEA truck.
Our skilled, hard-working attorneys will fight tirelessly with no upfront cost to you, and you will never owe us anything unless we win.
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Why Truck Accidents Are So Serious
Commercial trucks can legally weigh as much as 95,000 pounds with a length as long as 95 feet. With the appropriate permits, the weight can be even heavier. By comparison, passenger vehicles weigh an average of 3,200 to 4,289 pounds. Consequently, passenger cars sustain significant damage in truck collisions, making the passengers inside vulnerable to severe injuries.
Tractor-trailers are far from the only trucks that can cause serious accidents. Dump trucks and cement trucks can be top-heavy, making them prone to rollovers, which can crush most passenger vehicles. Any truck that hauls hazardous materials and flammable liquids can cause a fiery explosion in the event of a collision.
Common Causes of Truck Accidents in Daytona Beach
Driving a large truck requires more skill than driving a passenger vehicle. The most common causes of truck accidents can be traced to human error and are largely preventable.
Driver Fatigue
Truck drivers are allowed to drive for 11 hours per shift. Drivers can become fatigued working this many hours, yet some companies pressure them to exceed these limits so they can accommodate unrealistic schedules.
Speeding
Speeding is the primary cause of many motor vehicle accidents, but it is especially dangerous when truck drivers speed. They have longer stopping distances, which increases both the risk and impact of a collision. Unrealistic schedules may cause a driver to feel pressure to speed.
Inattentive or Distracted Driving
Distracted driving is any activity that takes any level of the truck driver’s concentration off of the road, such as cell phone use, playing with the radio, and eating. Inattentive driving can occur when a truck driver goes into autopilot and fails to think about driving.
Inexperienced Drivers
Inexperienced drivers may not handle emergencies well and could endanger other drivers. They should be trained to handle difficult situations before being placed on the road and not be assigned challenging routes until they have gained sufficient experience.
Poorly Screened Drivers
Laws require trucking companies to perform background checks, including criminal, driving history, and drug screening. Drivers who cannot pass background screening are more likely to exercise poor judgment and put all roadway users at risk.
Following Too Closely
Approximately 5 percent of commercial motor vehicle accidents are caused by following too closely. Due to the lengthy stopping distance, a typical tractor-trailer should leave at least four seconds between itself and the vehicle in front of it. Rear-endings involving trucks are significantly more severe than car rear-endings.
Improperly Secured Cargo
If the weight distribution of cargo on a tractor-trailer is uneven, the truck can tip over and crush other vehicles. An inadequately secured or unsecured load on a dump truck, garbage truck, or moving truck can result in large objects falling onto the roadways, crushing vehicles, or causing collisions.
Oversized loads may take up more than one lane. They require extreme care during loading, and most vehicles carrying these loads must use escort vehicles to ensure cars clear the roadway. Improperly loaded or secured oversized loads can crush other vehicles if they fall off the truck or cause the truck to roll over.
Improper Turns
Right- and left-turn accidents happen when truck drivers fail to monitor the mirrors while turning to ensure the wheels do not clip the curb and that no cars are in the turning area.
Sometimes, a truck must swing left when preparing to turn right. If the driver fails to use a turn signal, other drivers may reasonably assume the truck is merging into the left lane and attempt to pass it on the right. They may then get caught between the truck and the curb when the truck moves right.
Equipment Malfunctions
The most common equipment failures that cause accidents are faulty brakes and tires. Every truck driver must perform a post-trip inspection, and trucking companies must address safety issues before allowing a truck back on the road. Trucking companies also have a legal duty to follow a preventive maintenance schedule.
High Winds
High winds can cause high-profile vehicles to tip over. This is especially true of tractor-trailers, with the highest risk of a rollover when the trailer is empty. Tractor-trailers should not travel in extremely windy conditions.
Jackknife Accidents
A jackknife accident occurs when a driver loses control of a semi truck, and the cab moves in the opposite direction as the trailer, resulting in the truck bending in a V-shape. The trailer can hit other vehicles as it swings out or tip over.
Underride Accidents
An underride accident occurs when a vehicle gets caught under a large truck on the back or side of the truck. These accidents can happen with tractor-trailers, large flatbed trucks, dump trucks, and nearly any other large truck.
Injuries in an underride accident can be catastrophic since the bumper on a truck is at about the level of a driver’s head. A rear underride accident is typically the result of a car rear-ending a truck. A side underride accident may occur when a truck turns improperly and a car gets swept underneath.
Poorly Planned Routes
Some areas are not safe for large trucks. A trucking company is responsible for being aware of areas too dangerous for large trucks and planning routes accordingly. Examples of inappropriate truck routes include areas with excessively busy streets, narrow roads, tight turns, and low underpasses.
How We Can Help You Get the Compensation You Deserve
You can count on our big truck lawyers in Daytona Beach to do the following:
- Gather evidence
- Investigate your accident
- Identify all liable parties
- Skillfully negotiate a settlement
- Take your case to court
- Keep you informed
- File your case on time
Substantial Compensation May Be Available After a Daytona Beach Truck Accident
Our Daytona Beach semi truck accident lawyers can help you pursue the maximum compensation for your financial losses and your pain and suffering.
Recovering Your Financial Losses
Damages to recover financial losses are known as economic damages. Truck accident injuries can leave you with overwhelming and ongoing medical bills. We can help you estimate your lifetime medical costs and pursue compensation for this amount. Examples of recoverable medical expenses include the following:
- Hospital bills
- Doctor bills
- Physical therapy
- Rehabilitation
- Mental health counseling
- Durable medical equipment
- Home health care
We can also help you pursue lost wages. We can project your lifetime lost wages based on your age, life expectancy, and likely earnings had you not suffered an injury.
Non-Economic Damages You Can Pursue
Non-economic damages are also known as pain and suffering. They are calculated based on the pain and suffering you have experienced and are likely to experience in the future. You can also pursue damages for the following:
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of bodily functions
- Mental anguish
- Loss of relations with a spouse
- Disfigurement
Punitive Damages
Punitive damages are only awarded when you have clear and convincing evidence of intentional misconduct or gross negligence.
Wrongful Death Damages
If your loved one has passed away because of a truck accident, our compassionate and skilled wrongful death lawyers can help your family file a wrongful death lawsuit, which will enable you to pursue compensation for financial losses and intangible losses your family has experienced because of the death.
Who Can Be Liable in a Truck Accident Case
The following parties may be liable for a truck accident:
- The truck driver
- A trucking company that owns the truck or employs the trucker
- A negligent truck mechanic
- Someone who loaded the truck
- A government entity if road hazards caused the accident
- A manufacturer of defective vehicle parts that contributed to the accident
What Do You Have to Prove in a Truck Accident Claim?
Before receiving damages in a truck accident case, you must have evidence proving another party’s negligence caused the accident. You then must prove you were injured in the accident and that those injuries resulted from the negligence of the liable party. Evidence that may help support your claim includes:
- The black box. Most commercial trucks contain electronic devices that record data while the truck operates, similar to the black box on an airplane. The truck’s black box can provide important information about its operation immediately preceding the accident.
- Witnesses. It’s crucial to interview eyewitnesses as soon as possible after the accident so they still have a clear memory of what they saw and heard.
- Forensic analysis. A truck accident reconstruction expert can conduct a forensic analysis based on skid marks, damage, road conditions, injuries, and other data. Such forensic analysis helps us identify who is at fault and may help clear you of improperly assigned fault.
- Camera footage. Camera evidence can be a cell phone recording, a commercial camera, or a dashcam. Camera evidence can be especially incriminating for an at-fault truck driver and can help force a settlement.
- Your medical records. Your medical records are needed to prove your injuries resulted from the accident and did not pre-exist the incident.
- Driver logs. Truck drivers are required to record their driving times. These records can support a claim that driver fatigue caused the crash.
- Maintenance records. Maintenance records can provide evidence a truck was poorly maintained. Our Daytona Beach big-truck lawyers will also look for recalls and hire a forensic mechanic to study the truck for manufacturing defects.
When Should You Contact a Daytona Beach Truck Accident Attorney?
The Florida personal injury statute of limitations is two years from the date of your accident. However, you shouldn’t put off involving a lawyer. If you wait too long to hire an experienced truck crash attorney in Daytona Beach, the important evidence needed to prove your case could disappear.
Our talented and resourceful attorneys will also need time to perform the investigative work your claim requires. This will ensure you have a strong case that will hold up against the insurance company’s tactics to avoid paying you the compensation you need and deserve.
Don’t take the chance of leaving substantial compensation on the table. Contact our Daytona Beach truck accident lawyers today through our online contact form or by calling (386) 267-6921.
Why Should You Hire a Truck Accident Lawyer at Farah & Farah?
Why Truck Accidents Are So Serious
Common Causes of Truck Accidents in Daytona Beach
How We Can Help You Get the Compensation You Deserve
Substantial Compensation May Be Available After a Daytona Beach Truck Accident
Who Can Be Liable in a Truck Accident Case
What Do You Have to Prove in a Truck Accident Claim?
When Should You Contact a Daytona Beach Truck Accident Attorney?
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