South Florida Truck Accidents

FL Truck Wreck & Accident Injury Lawyers Attorneys

Fort Lauderdale | Miami | Tampa | West Palm Beach

It takes but a split second for your life to change. A leisurely drive results in a violent outcome when a truck collides with your car. At Gordon & Elias, L.L.P., we recognize the shock and trauma our Florida clients feel, not to mention their serious injuries. We provide them with compassionate advocacy and an aggressive approach in holding responsible parties accountable. When an auto is involved with a truck in an accident, one outcome is for sure: the auto loses. If you do not select Gordon & Elias as your truck accident lawyers, you could lose twice. Hiring dedicated truck accident attorneys may mean the difference of receiving tens of thousands of dollars or millions of dollars. Simply put, if you hire just any lawyers and not a truck accident law firm, you may be making a serious mistake.

You do not have to retain a firm in Florida if the accident occurs in Florida. You need to retain a firm that specializes in truck accidents. Often times, firms from other states, such as ours, are retained because of their experience and knowledge. Many times, though the injured auto occupants may live in Florida, the truck company is from a state other than Florida. You need truck accident attorneys that do the following:

1. Answer the phone when you make that first call
2. Send out an investigator to obtain photos and make measurements and, if forensic work is necessary, send out a trucking accident reconstructionist
3. File any necessary equitable relief, e.g., writs of sequestration, pleadings to protect the truck from any repairs that would alter the evidence
4. Get you to Board Certified Physicians to make sure that you receive the best medical care possible for your injuries
5. File your suit as soon as possible and aggressively fight for your rights taking depositions, sending out discovery and building your legal case
6. Where ethically permitted, advancing you monies, interest free, to pay for necessary expenses since your income is stopped due to an inability to work
7. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, treating you like family instead of just a client. We know full well what a severe disabling and permanent injury, or worse yet, the death of a loved family member means to you. We find that some law firms around the country have lost their way and often times forget that they are representing a person, not just a paper file. We pledge to you that you will always be able to call us and ask whatever you want and get a full explanation. Please do not misunderstand, we like to make money just like the next guy but, we know that if we work hard and do a good job, always with compassion for our client, the money will follow.

If you have been injured in semi wreck caused by a tire blowout occurring in Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Tampa, West Palm Beach, or anywhere throughout Southern Florida, contact us toll free at 800-773-6770.

When the Most Simple of Precautions are Ignored

When a driver gets behind the wheel of an 18-wheel truck, they are obligated to exercise the highest standards of safety. That means that they must get enough sleep, take enough breaks, and carry a load that is manageable while they drive. Falling short of any or all of those mandates makes them a danger, and anyone near them a potential truck crash victim.

Holding Drivers and Trucking Companies Accountable for Trucking Accidents

Truck drivers work long hours and are often pressured by their employer to complete their tasks by any means necessary. That results in shortcuts that amount to negligence. Drivers are required to adhere to regulations involving time on the road, number of breaks, and weight of the load they carry. Under the law, a trucking company can be held liable for the negligence of its drivers.

Experience and Resources to Mediate or Litigate Your Trucking Accident Claim

We use experience and thorough legal knowledge, coupled with vast resources, to build your tractor-trailer crash injury claim based on the facts. Expertise comes from our network of trucking industry experts and accident reconstructionists. From there, we seek the best resolution, through negotiation, mediation or litigation.

Catastrophic Injuries When Safety Was Not a Priority

Before getting into the truck cab, a driver is required to perform a pre-trip inspection so that when a truck driver before the driver turns the ignition key, they are doing so with the notion that everything is safe. The pre-trip inspection is to detect problems before the rig gets on the street. There have to be periodic brake checks, including caliper settings, hydraulic, pneumatic and air brakes, adequate sleep and rest time in accordance with federal laws, and a trailer load that is properly secured, loaded and manageable. If they fall short, each and every car they pass is at risk of an accident. Every driver could suffer injury or death. These requirements apply to all interstate drivers and the failure to do any of these things often results in negligent driving and is often the cause of a truck accident resulting in serious injury. It does not matter what kind of truck as these requirements apply to:

• Tanker Trucks - Oilfield Trucks- Pipe Haulers- Chemical Trucks and other trucks with trailers carrying hazardous materials
• Slow Moving - Log Trucks, Garbage Trucks, Dump Trucks, Cement Trucks, Gravel Trucks and Construction Zone Trucks entering and exiting a highway construction zone, Wide-Load Convoys, Bulldozers, Farm Equipment and slow moving Paving Equipment
• Freight Liners, UPS, DHL, Fed-Ex, U-Haul, Mayflower and other van lines
• Shuttle Bus, Casino Bus, Vacation Bus, Tour Bus, Greyhound Buses
• Most all other 18-wheeler, Big-Rig, Flatbeds, Tractor/Trailer combinations

Commercial Trucks Not Large In Size But With A Large Insurance Policy

The difference in size of cash settlements in commercial truck cases are potentially much larger than auto to auto accidents generally for one reason: the size of the insurance policy. You know that your personal auto policy is sometimes as low as the Florida state mandatory minimum limits. When there is a commercial vehicle, such as a company van, company pick-up, tow trucks, etc., the policies of insurance coverage are usually much larger and you can be fairly and fully compensated when the driver is negligent.

When a Truck Crash Changes Your Life

At Gordon & Elias, L.L.P., we represent Florida residents on a contingency basis when they are injured in a trucking accident caused by:

• Rear-End, Head-On Crashes and Jackknives
• Poor Maintenance, including Tires and Brakes
• Driver Fatigue
• Unsecured Loads
• Aggressive Driving
• DWI / Drug Use
• Lack of Reflectors and Poor Visibility
• Dangerous Roads

Contact us if you have been injured in a trucking accident while driving on I-75, I-275, I-4, I-95, I-595, Hwy 1, Hwy 41, Hwy 441, Hwy 27 or Hwy 98.

We Have A National Network of Competent Truck Accident Lawyers

At times, we need a local Florida law firm to assist us perform various functions. In light of this, we have already put in place an arrangement with Florida-based competent counsel that we have already vetted and that we can call on in a moment's notice and at no additional fee charge to you.

The Experience You Need From a Nationwide Personal Injury Firm

Yes, our practice of truck accident litigation spans the country, but that does not mean we take a cookie-cutter approach to your case. Each case is different and each client has individual needs. We attend to all the details and put our network of experts to work in establishing where negligence occurred and what you are entitled to now and in the future.

Contact Us

For more information or to schedule an appointment with an experienced personal injury lawyer regarding a tractor-trailer accident, please contact us.

Insider Knowledge

As truck accicent lawyers with knowlegde of the truck routes, we are setting forth the locations that see its unfair share of catastrophic injuries. Miami - Dade truck routes are mainly on I-95, the Florida Turnpike and Krome Avenue. For a detailed analysis of the truck routes where trucking accidents occur in Miami - Dade, click here. If you have suffered a truck accident on any of these roadways, call us to help.