Truck Accident Lawyer in Homestead, FL
We may never know how dangerous trucks can be until they lead to a catastrophic and fatal accident. Only then do we realize how much damage they can cause. Truck accidents can be attributed to many factors, such as fixed schedules of the truck drivers, fatigued drivers, and malfunctioning brakes. Driving under such conditions is very irresponsible on the side of the truck driver and the employer who should not allow this to happen. Employers can also be held liable for accidents for holding drivers to unrealistic timelines that place drivers and those around them at significant risk. Other parties whose lives are also endangered are pedestrians, motorcyclists, car users, and physical establishments along public roadways.
As per the statistics of the U.S. Department of Transportation and The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 90% of truck accidents are caused by human error, in most cases fatigue. Unfortunately, an astonishing 98% of such truck accidents result in fatalities.
What Are the Risks Involved?
Truck accidents can lead to various forms of injuries and any injury, as insignificant as it may seem at first, can become a problem in the future and hinder you from performing even basic tasks. For this reason, after an accident, it is wise to seek medical care and to then seek legal counsel to determine your likelihood of winning compensation for the physical damages and the financial and emotional costs you have had to bear after a truck accident.
Here are some of the damages you will likely be able to sue for if you’ve been injured in a truck accident:
- Medical bills, both for current as well as future treatment
- Loss of ability to work – If you can no longer carry out day to day tasks because of the injuries you sustained in the accident or if you have to refrain from working as you recover, lost wages are a good basis for a claim for compensation
- Emotional trauma, which can lead to non-monetary damage claims – You may be entitled to compensation for any form of emotional pain and trauma the accident put you through
Why Hire Professional Legal Counsel?
Establishing and proving fault after an accident can be difficult, especially if you have no experience in doing so yourself. Our team of professional truck accident lawyers are local to Homestead, FL and can assist you through the process and handle your case from beginning to end. Even if you are at fault, we will explore other options open to you, for instance, accident liability and punitive damages, as permitted under Florida law.
It is also important to lawyer up because the truck company that you are suing for compensation will also have expert legal representation to mitigate the risk and fault assigned to the trucking company or any of its drivers. Even if the law requires that you be compensated, these lawyers will work tirelessly to reduce the damages you receive. Going against them on your own with no legal knowledge can be risky, and you might end up getting very little compensation, if any at all. You may even find fault placed squarely on your own shoulders, as someone who isn’t represented by a professional is an easy target for these companies to assign blame to.
Establishing Liability
As part of the process of establishing liability, we will carry out an extensive investigation and determine who is to be held responsible for the accident. For instance, in a truck accident, some of the responsible parties may include:
- The driver – We will investigate whether or not the driver was driving under the influence, if the driver was texting and driving, if the driver was reckless or negligent, or if the act or acts that caused the accident was or were deliberate
- The truck company – Trucks, since they are usually used for commercial purposes, are often driven by drivers who are not the owners. The owners of the truck can be held responsible if it can be established that unrealistic timelines or deadlines or the hiring of an inexperienced or unqualified driver were partially to blame for the accident
- Those responsible for road construction or repairs – The National Motor Vehicle Crash Causation Survey concluded that 2% of all road accidents result from the environment, and that poor road conditions account for 50% of these accidents. However small a percentage this is, it is still a cause, and if your lawyer can prove that the accident occurred due to faults in the construction of the road, then the constructors can be held liable
Are You a Victim? Contact Us Today
There is no need to face the challenges and stresses of filing a case and handling insurance negotiations, evidence collection, meeting statutes of limitation, and handling courtroom proceedings for a truck accident on your own. With experts in this field just a call away, we will stand by you and help seek the damages to which you are entitled. Call now at 305-928-2909.