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Semi Truck Accident Lawsuits in Florida: Our Guide through a Complicated Process

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Chances are, if you’re reading this, you’ve been thrown into a situation you never imagined you’d face: the aftermath of a semi truck accident. Tractor trailer litigation is a world filled with complexities and significant hurdles, but always remember – you don’t have to face it alone, or wonder whether the Orlando trucking accident law firm you’ve hired is taking your case seriously. We provide comprehensive, convenient, efficient, rapid & free consultations to anyone seriously injured in a trucking accident.

Semi Truck Accident Lawsuits in Florida: A Comprehensive Guide

At Tina Willis Law, we specialize in Florida semi truck accident litigation, with the highest levels of dedication. Over the years, we’ve stood by our clients who’ve suffered severe injuries or lost loved ones in these catastrophic accidents. We’ve tirelessly fought for them, achieving record-setting verdicts and settlements, and countless industry (legal) awards, by aggressively investigating accidents, uncovering all liable parties, utilizing aggressive and meticulous litigation strategies, and leveraging our deep knowledge of trucking regulations and Florida laws. And we’re prepared to do the same for you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yt_rjinn37I

Identifying the Liable Parties in A Florida Semi Truck Accident

The first step in any semi truck accident case is figuring out “who’s at fault?”. Unlike car accidents, where it’s typically one driver or the other, semi truck accidents can be a whole different ball game. It might be the driver, the trucking company, the manufacturer of the vehicle, or even the mechanic who was supposed to keep the truck in good working order. We use extensive techniques refined over many years of practice, to identify ALL of the responsible parties, determine who has what likely degree of responsibility, and money, then hold them accountable accordingly.

Gathering the Evidence in Orlando Tractor Trailer Accidents

Evidence is the backbone of any lawsuit, but it’s especially critical in a semi truck accident case. Given the sheer size of 18 wheelers (or other commercial trucks), as well as the number of potential parties involved (and documents or witnesses they might have), evidence can be easily lost or destroyed. That’s why we employ accident reconstruction experts, pore over GPS data, black box data, maintenance records, and then whatever we uncover through lengthy written and verbal requests called discovery. We’re like creative detectives, searching for every piece of the puzzle to complete the whole picture. And there is a lot of creativity involved, like an artist. This requires time and skill. So please do not make the mistake of assuming that a high volume, major billboard law firm with a less experienced lawyer is going to provide the same quality service, creativity, and attention to detail; they will not.

Navigating the Trucking Regulations Maze

Federal and Florida state trucking regulations govern various aspects of the trucking industry, from how long a driver can be on the road to the specifics of vehicle maintenance. Together, trucking regulations and related, interpretive judicial opinions comprise literally thousands and thousands of indexed pages of potentially relevant law. We know have a deep knowledge of these regulations, and we leverage our knowledge to build the strongest possible case possible for you.

For example, trucking accident drivers can only be on the road for a certain number of hours each day. And they have to keep a log. That sounds pretty simple. But there are a lot of shady things they can do to conceal the truth about their working hours. We have experience uncovering attempts to hide the real facts — which requires reviewing other evidence that we are entitled to receive from the defendant, per the regulations.

There are countless other trucking accident regulations, which may or may not have any bearing on the value of your case. But we have the knowledge and the experience to make sure that we discover anything relevant and use it (or try to minimize it), to your benefit.

Taking on the Insurance Companies in Big Rig Cases

Next up is dealing with insurance companies. They’ve worked hard for many years to master the art of minimizing claims, but we’re extremely aggressive and skilled in countering their tactics. We are not intimidated and we don’t back down. We routinely encourage our clients to decline unreasonable offers, and continue pushing hard, or going to trial, unless and until they have offered what we believe is an excellent settlement based on the unique facts of your case. We use our own experience, together with data from other published case verdicts and settlements, and conversations with our colleagues, to determine the value of any particular case. We put a lot of time and effort into this research, and those conversations. We are unique in having relationships with other outstanding injury lawyers throughout the state, and we regularly compare notes, to help our clients. We never, ever take settlement amounts lightly. We want our clients always to recover the maximum value for their cases.

Calculating Your Damages After A Florida Tractor Trailer Crash

Finally, there’s the task of accurately quantifying your damages. We don’t just account for your medical bills, but also factor in lost income, pain and suffering, and the toll it takes on your life. We collaborate with medical experts, economists, and other professionals to ensure that every loss is accounted for. This also sounds simple but is a huge part of the time we devote to every case. Depending on the severity of your injuries, this involves some combination of the following:

  • gathering all of your medical records, and getting opinions on future medical expenses;
  • speaking to you, and possibly your family members, to learn the full impact the case has had on all aspects of your life, including your work, hobbies, mental and physical capabilities, etc. In short, we spend the time to learn your story, which includes your pain and suffering, and how your life has changed;
  • reviewing your income over time, and possibly consulting an economist (in the most severe injury cases) regarding likely lost future income;
  • receipts from you, for any new expense you have incurred as a result of your accident (for example, a babysitter, when you didn’t need one before your accident);
  • we may employ video evidence, or expert testimony (like expert physicians), again depending on the case. This type of evidence is expensive, and is a cost that we pay in advance, but must ultimately be repaid by our clients. So we only generate this type of evidence when we know that it will increase the value of the case enough to justify the cost.
Best Orlando Florida semi truck accident lawyer

Now Is The Best Time To Call

Taking on a semi truck accident lawsuit can feel like scaling a mountain, but remember, we want to become your dedicated, exceptional team. We’re here to guide you every step of the way, using our expertise to fight for the justice and compensation you deserve. So, let’s get started. The best time to call is always now, as critical evidence can be lost through delay, or with the wrong law firm (seriously — many times we receive calls when it is too late to correct errors made by delay or other law firms). Reach out to us at 407-803-2139 or through our contact form. Your initial consultation is always free.

Suggested Additional Reading

Case Story After Our Client Fired A Billboard Law Firm

Car Or Truck Case Accident Values: Factors Considered in Florida

Day In The Life Videos: Compelling Proof In The Most Serious Injury Cases

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About the Author:

Tina Willis is a serious injury, accident & death lawyer, based in Orlando, Florida, although she accepts cases throughout the states of Florida and Georgia. Ms. Willis has won many prestigious industry awards, best personal injury & car accident lawyer awards, and recovered multi-millions for her clients. She was formerly a law professor, and graduated second in her law school class back in 1997. She formerly worked for some of the largest defense firms in the country, often on multi-million dollar cases. She used to represent large corporations & insurance companies, so she knows their playbook. We are very focused on the highest quality client service, and maximizing the value of every case we handle. We vigorously prosecute serious injury and death cases caused by auto accidents, semi-truck accidents, slip and fall accidents, products & premises liability cases, as well as medical malpractice.
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