Did you or a loved one sustain injuries in an accident involving a large commercial truck in Stuart, FL? You may be entitled to compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and suffering. Contact an experienced Stuart truck accident lawyer at Kibbey Wagner Injury & Car Accident Lawyers, today at (772) 444-7000. We can help you fight to maximize your financial recovery.
Since we were founded in 2014, we’ve recovered over $200 million to help our injured clients move forward with their lives. You can count on us to do everything possible to recover the maximum compensation you deserve.
We know that life can be difficult after a serious accident. We’re here to handle the details. Contact our law firm in Stuart, FL, to schedule a free consultation today.
How Kibbey Wagner Injury & Car Accident Lawyers Can Help After a Truck Accident in Stuart, FL
Truck accident claims can be much more complex than ordinary auto accident cases. The trucking company will start investigating the crash immediately. Their insurance companies and defense lawyers will invest significant resources to reduce their own liability.
As the victim, that makes it much more difficult to prove your case. An experienced Stuart personal injury lawyer at Kibbey Wagner Injury & Car Accident Lawyers can help you level the playing field. We have over 80 years of experience between us. We’ve earned a “superb” Avvo rating for our exceptional client service. We’ve also been rated by Super Lawyers, Rising Stars, and the National Trial Lawyers.
We can help maximize the value of your settlement or verdict by:
- Conducting an immediate investigation into the accident
- Working with respected experts to prove causation and establish liability
- Calculate the true value of your personal injury claim
- Standing up for you if the insurance company claims you were partly at fault
- Handle all negotiations with the insurance companies and defense lawyers
You’re probably feeling overwhelmed right now. You can count on our lawyers to stand by your side every step of the way. While you focus on your medical care, we’ll be fighting to protect your legal interests.
Are you ready to learn more? Call to schedule a free initial consultation with our skilled personal injury attorneys today.
How Common Are Truck Accidents in Stuart?
Trucking is an important industry in the U.S. Truck drivers are responsible for transporting the goods we all need around the country. Unfortunately, accidents involving semi-trucks, big rigs, and tractor-trailers have the potential to be devastating.
According to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) reports, 5,237 fatal truck accidents occurred across the United States in a single year. About 119,000 additional truck accidents caused reportable injuries.
Florida is ranked as one of the top ten states for serious truck accidents. Over a ten-year period, the FMCSA reported 2,291 fatal truck accidents in the state of Florida alone.
What is My Stuart Truck Accident Case Worth?
It’s important to understand how much your personal injury case is worth before taking any insurance settlement. Once you accept a settlement, you forfeit your right to seek additional compensation.
In other words, you only have one chance to recover the full compensation you deserve.
That said, every personal injury claim is different. Depending on your injuries and how they will impact yourself and your life and other factors, are key to determining the value of your case. Our Stuart truck accident attorneys at Kibbey Wagner Injury & Car Accident Lawyers will carefully evaluate the facts and demand every dollar you deserve.
Factors that tend to be most relevant in assessing the value of these cases include:
- The type and severity of your injuries
- Your recovery prospects and whether you’ll suffer any permanent disability
- Your lost wages while you get better
- How the injury will affect your future career prospects and lifestyle
- Your physical and emotional suffering
- Whether you share any blame for the crash
- The strength of your negligence case
A serious injury can affect every aspect of your life. Don’t trust just anyone with your case. Instead, call our experienced attorneys to find out what your case is worth.
What Types of Damages Are Available to Truck Accident Victims?
In a successful truck accident case, the victim is entitled to compensation to account for both economic and non-economic losses.
Examples of your financial losses, or economic damages, may include:
- Past and future medical expenses
- Lost wages and income, including lost future earning capacity
- Nursing care
- Physical therapy
- Rehabilitation
- Property damage
Your non-financial losses, called non-economic damages, may include:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress and mental anguish
- Diminished quality of life
- Physical disfigurement and scarring
- Anxiety, depression, and PTSD
- Loss of consortium or damage to relationships with a spouse or partner
Some Florida courts may also be inclined to award punitive damages, which punish the defendant for intentional or malicious acts.
Steps to Take After a Truck Accident
What you do immediately after a truck accident can heavily impact your case for compensation down the line. Here are a few quick tips on what to do and not to do after the collision:
- Remain at the scene. It is important to remain at the scene and to ensure that you and everyone else involved with the accident are okay. Fleeing the scene could greatly hurt your case later on.
- Alert the proper authorities. This usually entails calling 911, and this is generally required by law. This will help make sure everyone is safe and will also create evidence that you can use to prove your case down the line.
- Receive medical attention. Whether or not you have an apparent injury, receiving medical attention is a good idea. This can create evidence for your case and can make sure that no health condition goes undetected.
- Do not accept blame. Accepting blame will almost certainly hurt your case. Be sure not to make statements of fault to anyone.
You can also contact a personal injury attorney after the accident. An attorney can give you advice in real-time on how you should proceed immediately after your collision.
Can I Recover Damages If I’m Being Blamed for a Truck Accident in Florida?
It’s possible that you could be blamed for causing the truck accident. Even if you are, you don’t lose your right to compensation unless you were mostly at fault for the wreck.
Under the comparative fault laws in Florida, your compensation can be reduced to account for your percentage of fault if you are partially to blame.
Is shared fault an issue in your case? You don’t have to accept the insurance company’s allegations at face value. Instead, call our lawyers for help fighting back.
We’ll Fight to Recover Compensation for All of Your Truck Accident Injuries
Our lawyers at Kibbey Wagner Injury & Car Accident Lawyers know that a truck accident can dramatically affect you. In addition to severe injuries, you may be unable to work and provide for your family. Occupants in smaller passenger vehicles often suffer the most severe injuries. Because of their large size, truck drivers are well-protected in a wreck.
Our lawyers often represent clients in truck crashes involving:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Amputations
- Severe burns
- Broken bones
- Nerve damage
- Crushing injuries
- Internal organ damage
- Whiplash
- Soft tissue damage
- Head and neck injuries
- Concussions
- Seat belt or airbag injuries
- Back injuries
- Paralysis, including quadriplegia and paraplegia
- Catastrophic injuries
- Wrongful death of a loved one
Our lawyers will fight to recover fair compensation for your physical injuries. We also know that not every injury can be seen–and we’ll make sure your settlement accounts for any psychological and emotional damage you’ve suffered.
What Causes Most Truck Accidents in Stuart, Florida?
Many factors can cause a truck accident. Most often, serious truck wrecks occur because of negligent driving. Truck drivers are under serious pressure to deliver their cargo on time. They often abuse drugs or violate FMCSA hours-of-service rules to meet their deadlines.
Overall, some of the most common causes of truck accidents involve:
- Distracted driving
- Speeding
- Fatigued driving
- Drug or alcohol use
- Failure to account for longer stopping distance
- Unsafe passing
- Dangerous left-hand turns
- Failure to yield the right-of-way
- Tailgating
- Aggressive driving
- Dangerous lane changes
- Other traffic violations
- Failure to properly secure the truck cargo
- Violation of state and federal regulations
Truck accidents can also happen because of failure to maintain the vehicle itself. Worn brakes, bald tires, and problems with the steering mechanism can also cause an accident.
Who Can Be Held Liable for My Truck Accident?
Negligence is a failure to exercise reasonable caution under the circumstances. It’s the legal basis for most motor vehicle accident claims.
Unlike most car accidents, multiple parties often share responsibility for a large truck crash. Even if the collision occurred because of the truck driver’s negligence, someone else might be liable.
Examples of who can be potentially responsible:
- The truck driver
- Trucking companies
- Maintenance and inspection companies
- Companies responsible for the truck cargo
- Manufacturers of defective vehicle parts
- Third-party drivers
- Government agencies
- Employers of negligent third parties
How Do I Prove Negligence After a Truck Accident in Florida?
Our lawyers will conduct a comprehensive investigation to find out who caused your accident.
We may even work with accident reconstruction specialists to uncover the cause of the collision.
Examples of the types of evidence that can be used to prove negligence include:
- Police reports
- Evidence from the truck’s black box recording device
- Eyewitness statements
- The driver’s hours-of-service log
- The company’s inspection and maintenance records
- The driver’s safety record and commercial drivers’ license (CDL) information
- Cell phone records
- Toxicology reports
- Video footage from the truck’s dashcam
Every case is different. You can count on our lawyers to dig deep to locate all parties who are accountable for your accident. All you have to do is call our law offices in Stuart to schedule a free case review.
Trucking Industry Regulation
The trucking industry is highly regulated, especially at the federal level. The primary agency of note is the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). This agency puts for rules that all truckers must follow, including hours of service, the types of cargo they can carry, and how they can carry it, among many others.
Truckers must also follow local and state regulations, which can become complicated if the trucker is crossing state lines (as most do). Sometimes, local and state regulations can be in conflict with the federal regulations, complicating things even more.
The trucking industry is intended to be highly regulated, and there are many ways in which a trucker can fail to comply with the laundry list of regulations currently in place. Fortunately, the Stuart personal injury lawyers with Kibbey Wagner Injury & Car Accident Lawyers, know these regulations as well as anyone. Give us a call if you’re unsure of whether a regulation applies to your case.
How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit After a Truck Accident in Florida?
Under Florida state law, you have two years to file a personal injury lawsuit based on negligence. The two-year clock starts to run on the date of your accident.
Some accidents may result in a different deadline. After the deadline has passed, you’ll lose your right to seek compensation entirely.
Contact a Stuart Truck Accident Lawyer for a Free Consultation
If you sustained injuries or lost a loved one in a truck accident, our lawyers at Kibbey Wagner Injury & Car Accident Lawyers, are here to help. Our legal team puts their individual attention to injury victims and their families, we’ll provide you exceptional legal assistance to protect your rights and get you the compensation you deserve and need.
Contact us today to schedule a free consultation with an experienced Stuart truck accident attorney.
Our personal injury law firm in Stuart, FL also provides:
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- Car Accident Lawyer in Stuart, FL
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- Medical Malpractice Attorney in Stuart, FL
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- Premises Liability Lawyer in Stuart
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- Slip and Fall Accident Lawyer in Stuart, FL
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Stuart Truck Accident Client Review
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Stuart Physical Therapists
- Action Physical Therapy – 111 SE Osceola St Suite 200, Stuart, FL 34994, United States
- Bryan L. Graham, MPT – 840 SE Osceola St, Stuart, FL 34994, United States
- Oceanside Physical Therapy, Inc. – 931 SE Ocean Blvd Suite A, Stuart, FL 34994, United States
- Fernando PT Services – 421 SE Osceola St Suite C Suite C, Stuart, FL 34994, United States
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