Truck Accident Law in Pace, FL
Florida is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico and is home to 15 seaports, 10 container ports, and 7 cargo ports. Every day, a massive number of tons of cargo is transported through commercial trucks for import and export purposes as well as for domestic consumption across the state.
Many of these trucks can be found on the roadways of Pace on a regular basis. Due to the exponential growth that Pace has experienced over the past two decades, the number of automobiles on the road has also increased exponentially. As a result, collisions involving commercial trucks and passenger vehicles have become more common than before.
If you have been injured by a commercial truck, the seasoned Pace truck accident lawyers at Whibbs, Stone, Barnett & Turner can help you get the monetary damages you deserve. We bring over 60 years of legal experience to the table and have a track record of recovering large settlements and jury awards for our clients. Contact us today to talk to one of our experienced attorneys.
What Makes Commercial Trucks So Dangerous?
There are many reasons why commercial trucks are considered more dangerous than passenger vehicles. These include:
- A fully loaded tractor-trailer can weigh as much as 80,000 pounds. A passenger car, on the other hand, only weighs around 4,000 pounds. It’s why when a truck collides with a car, the force of impact can crush the car completely.
- A fully loaded truck traveling at a speed of 60 mph needs at least 250 feet to come to a complete stop. If there is a hazard on the road or if a vehicle cuts them off, the truck driver might not be able to stop the truck suddenly even if they want to.
- Commercial trucks have a higher center of gravity than cars and are vulnerable to rollover or overturn accidents.
- Commercial trucks have much larger blind spots than cars, which increases the risk of blind spot accidents significantly.
The Most Accident-Prone Intersections in Pace, FL
- The intersection of US 90 and Diamond Street.
- The intersection of Woodbine Road and Chumuckla Highway.
- The intersection of Waldroup Circle and Caroline Street.
Steps You Should Take Following a Pace, FL Truck Accident
Document the Accident Scene
Take pictures of your injuries, damaged personal items, damage to your vehicle, damage to the truck, traffic lights and signs nearby, and the landmarks around the accident scene. If you are unable to take pictures yourself, ask one of your passengers or someone else to do it.
Get the Truck Driver’s Contact Information
Get the truck driver’s license and insurance details, phone number, and the company they work for.
Talk to Eyewitnesses
Talk to witnesses (if there are any) and record their statements using your phone. If you are not able to do so, get their contact information so that you (or your lawyer) can contact them later and get a statement or get them to testify if needed.
Get Medical Help
Make sure you get medical help as soon as you can – ideally within 72 hours of the accident. If you fail to do so, the insurance company might accuse you of not trying to mitigate the damages (taking reasonable steps to prevent your injuries from worsening), which can greatly affect your chances of recovering the compensation you are entitled to.
Get Legal Help
Apart from getting medical help, your topmost priority following a truck accident should be to get legal help. If you fail to hire a lawyer right away, important evidence related to your case (the truck’s black box data in particular) might get destroyed, which can make it difficult for your lawyer to build a strong case and establish the at-fault party’s liability.
Stay Away from Social Media
Following the accident, the insurance company’s lawyers and investigators will be monitoring your social media accounts closely, so that they can catch you doing something that can affect your case. To avoid such problems, stay away from social media completely until your case is settled.
Importance of Swift Action in Pace, FL Truck Accident Cases
At Whibbs, Stone, Barnett & Turner, our legal team will get to work immediately after you retain us to represent you. We will send our investigators to the crash site and take immediate steps to preserve the black box data (electronic data recorder or EDR data) from the truck. This can provide us crucial evidence and information about what happened in the moments just before the accident, and help our accident reconstruction specialists to determine how and why your accident and injuries occurred.
You Need an Experienced Pace, FL Truck Accident Attorney on Your Side
Commercial truck accident cases are more complicated than car accident claims and the stakes are much higher. In order to get the settlement you deserve, you need a lawyer with an in-depth understanding of state and federal laws governing the trucking industry.
Depending on the circumstances, your lawyer might have to hire private investigators and work with accident reconstruction experts, medical professionals, vocational experts, and other experts to help with the case. This is why you should retain an attorney who has the knowledge and wherewithal to collect the evidence and get the testimonies needed to strengthen your claim.
Trucking companies will go to any length to reduce or outright deny their liability. You need a lawyer who can go toe to toe with the trucking company, negotiate aggressively, and get you the settlement you deserve.
It is also best to go with a firm that has litigated truck accident cases and successfully recovered compensation for their clients. Your lawyer’s trial experience and their track record are key factors that can give you the leverage you need in settlement negotiations. If the trucking company knows that your lawyer can and will take your case to trial if necessary, they might be willing to agree to a far better settlement amount.
Our Experienced Pace, FL Truck Accident Attorneys will Fight for You
Commercial truck accident claims tend to be more complex than car accident claims and require the expertise of a reputable attorney. At Whibbs, Stone, Barnett & Turner, we have the experience, skills, resources, and commitment to ensure that our clients are in the best possible position to recover maximum compensation.
Call us today at 850-409-4096 or use our convenient online contact form to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with one of our attorneys.