Fort Walton Beach Truck Accident Lawyer

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2019, 678 fatal vehicle crashes in Florida involved a large truck. That’s almost two per day statewide.

Nationwide, 538,000 large trucks were involved in accidents in 2019. That’s over 1,400 collisions per day across the nation involving big rigs. Of those, 5,005 resulted in fatalities. Another 159,000 caused injuries.

Each case will be a little different based on the specific facts involved. When you hire the right attorney, you’re more likely to win your case. One study found that you could get as much as 3.5 times more money than if you try to handle the case yourself.

Some factors that affect the value of your case include:

• The nature of your injuries
• Value of lost wages due to your injuries, including future wages and the financial effect on your family
• Your prognosis and whether you’re expected to fully recover
• Whether you were at fault for the accident



These are just a few general examples. You can rest assured that we want you to get the full compensation that you’re due. Contact us as soon as possible after your accident so that we have adequate time to investigate every avenue for recovery.

If someone else is responsible for your accident, they need to pay for the consequences.

Damages are typically divided into two categories:

• Economic: to make you financially whole
• Non-economic: to compensate you for intangible losses

Economic damages can include:

• Medical expenses
• Lost wages (past and future)
• Cost to repair or replace damaged property
• Rehabilitation

Non-economic damages are often referred to generally as “pain and suffering” and can cover:

• Mental anguish
• Inconvenience
• Disability
• Disfigurement

We frequently hire experts to assist in calculating damages. Expert reports help not only get an accurate and fair number, but they also add authority to the calculation for damages. Such reports can be convincing even in the early stages of litigation and can help with settlement demands.

Yes. Because Florida is a “no-fault” state, you’ll at least get something from your own insurance company.

If you pursue additional compensation because your insurance doesn’t cover all of your losses, you’ll still be able to recover some compensation as long as you are not mostly at fault for the accident. Under the state’s modified comparative fault statute, your compensation will be reduced by the percentage of fault assigned to you.

Insurance companies (especially ones backing big trucking companies) will try to get away with paying as little as possible. They think they can just put all the blame on you and not have to pay anything.

Having the right attorney can make all the difference in the amount of compensation you receive for your accident claim. We’ll fight back aggressively against any allegations of blame. Even if you were somewhat to blame, you shouldn’t give up any more compensation than is fair.

Crashes involving commercial trucks can be devastating due to the size, weight, and speed involved. Many of these accidents happen on freeways at high speeds and involve multiple vehicles. It’s not uncommon to see more serious injuries than in a typical car accident.

Some common injuries we see are:

• Brain injury
• Spinal cord injury
• Whiplash
• Broken bones
• Concussion
• Airbag injuries
• Amputations
• Paralysis
• Wrongful death
• And more

Whether it’s a minor injury that might heal in a few weeks or a catastrophic injury that causes you a lifetime of suffering, you shouldn’t have to foot the bill.

Semi-trucks are hard to maneuver because they are big and heavy. It takes them longer to stop, and they can’t dodge obstacles quickly.

Some common causes of truck accidents are:

• Excessive speed
• Fatigued truck drivers
• Drunk driving
• Unsafe lane changes
• Poorly trained drivers
• Improper truck maintenance
• Failure to properly load cargo
• Rear-end collisions
• Distracted driving

These complex cases frequently involve multiple parties. The truck driver, the trucking company, the owner of the cargo may all be different entities. We’ll examine every aspect of your accident to determine who did what so that at-fault parties can be held responsible.

Most semi-truck crashes are caused by carelessness. So most cases will be based on negligence, a legal theory that imposes liability on someone for failing to act cautiously.



To prove negligence, you’ll need to prove each of its four elements:

• Duty
• Breach
• Causation
• Damages

The legal standard for negligence is a preponderance of the evidence. This means you’ll have to prove that it was more likely than not that the defendant’s actions caused your injuries.

Evidence to prove your case could include:

• Eyewitness testimony
• Maintenance reports
• Video footage from traffic cams
• Deposition testimony
• Police or accident reports

We dive into the evidence to build your best case. That means supporting your demand for damages as well as refuting unfair allegations of blame against you.

This will depend on the facts of your case. Florida requires drivers to carry Personal Injury Protection (“PIP”) coverage. After a crash, you’ll be required to turn to your own provider for benefits first.

If your damages exceed your policy limits or if the provider just won’t pay, you might be able to file a lawsuit or submit a claim with the at-fault party’s insurance provider. We can help you fight at this stage, even before a lawsuit is filed.



If your PIP doesn’t cover your injuries (very likely in a trucking accident), then we’ll pursue the at-fault parties for your full compensation.

Liable parties could include:

• Truck driver
• Truck owner
• Property owner
• Owner of the cargo
• Company that loaded the cargo
• Dock security
• Maintenance company

Basically, any party in the chain of events that caused your injury could potentially shoulder some responsibility.

If you’re filing a lawsuit based on injuries you sustained, then you’ll have two years. If you are pursuing damages for the loss of a loved one, you’ll also have two years to file a wrongful death lawsuit.

Trucking cases are complex and could be subject to other deadlines than the ones listed here. We highly recommend contacting an experienced Fort Walton Beach trucking accident attorney as soon as possible after your crash. It takes time to perform an initial investigation. You’ll be in a better position to get the maximum compensation if your legal team has a jump on your case.