In 2016 alone, nearly 670,000 people were involved in auto accidents in Florida, the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles reports. Many of those crashes involved large commercial vehicles such as tractor-trailer combinations. Nationally, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration reports that 4,564 fatal truck crashes occurred during the same year. Here in Lutz and surrounding areas in Florida, truck traffic continues to increase rapidly and expose drivers to the risk of a crash. Learn more about personal injury law and filing a claim from our Lutz truck accident lawyers below.
Lutz Truck Accident Guide
Lutz Truck Accident Attorney
If you are hurt in a Lutz truck crash, you need legal help right away. You should act quickly to protect your rights and ensure you are able to pursue compensation for your injuries. An experienced accident lawyer from Holliday Karatinos Law Firm, PLLC, can help you to understand your options and make sense of your injuries.
With more than 50 years of collective legal experience, our truck accident attorneys routinely handle cases against large national trucking companies and their negligent drivers. With us, you get the small firm experience you want with the refined skills and resources you need to get the job done. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation.
How Can a Lawyer Help You After a Truck Accident?
Over the years, we have seen a lot of changes in the trucking and insurance industries. Our attorneys remain up-to-date and knowledgeable about the tactics and strategies that these companies use to try to avoid responsibility for their actions. You can count on Holliday Karatinos Law Firm to fight for your rights. Here’s how we do it:
- We get started fast. You can’t sit around waiting for information after a truck crash. One of our truck accident lawyers in Lutz can immediately start investigating before the trucking company has a chance to start hiding evidence.
- We gather evidence. Trucking companies will begin to brief the driver, interview witnesses and even schedule repairs for the truck involved in a crash. All of these things work to conceal evidence and make your case harder to prove. Here are some things we can do right away to preserve and gather evidence:
- Collect crash scene photos
- Inspect trucks inside and out
- Review GPS data
- Obtain data from the truck’s electronic data recorder (“black box”)
- Review logbooks
- Check cell phone records
- Obtain driver toxicology results
- Take statements from witnesses.
3. We consult with knowledgeable experts. In addition to our own training and experience, we regularly rely on highly-skilled experts who assist with crash reconstructions and engineering evidence. This can help prove your case by showing why and how a particular crash happened (such as a rollover or jackknife).
4. We take a comprehensive approach. From start to finish, we focus on making sure you are taken care of. We will work to make sure your medical bills get paid, your liens are resolved, and you and your family are back on the path to recovery. It all starts with a free consultation with a skilled and highly experienced truck accident attorney.
What Are Common Causes of Truck Accidents?
If you have ever driven down U.S. Highway 41 or I-75 in and around Lutz and North Tampa these days, you know there is a lot of traffic. Population growth and rapidly expanding industry is bringing a lot of truck traffic to the region as well. Many truck crashes are completely preventable, but careless or lazy drivers often cause these senseless accidents. In many cases, crashes are due to:
- Drunk or drug-impaired driving
- Fatigue
- Ignoring the need for a pre-trip or post-trip inspection
- Not checking the load or adjusting tie-downs and straps
- Being too lazy to get the load weighed or re-adjusted
- Defective truck parts
- Poorly maintained brakes and other equipment on a truck or trailer.
In a lot of cases, a violation of state and federal trucking regulations underlies the crash. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) governs how trucking companies operate. These are very complex regulations that require an in-depth understanding of how they work in the real world. They often involve things like:
- How many hours a driver can work and drive in a given day
- How long breaks must be
- Rules against cell phone use or texting and operating a vehicle
- Rules for performing pre-trip and post-trip inspections
- Rules for proper maintenance and record-keeping
- Laws that dictate how a driver must log time and mileage
- Rules for carrying hazardous materials (HAZMAT) and placard use
- Weight and size restrictions.
Who Can Be Held Responsible for a Lutz Semi-Truck Crash?
Because truck accidents commonly involve large national corporations, it is not always clear from the start who actually owns and controls the truck, the trailer or the freight. So, there can be a lot of potential defendants, including:
- Truck driver
- Trucking company
- Leasing company that owns a truck
- Mechanics
- Freight/shipping brokers
- Warehouse companies
- Freight loaders (aka “lumpers”).
No matter who caused your injuries, you can count on Holliday Karatinos Law Firm to protect your interests in order to seek maximum compensation.
What Compensation Can You Recover in a Truck Accident Lawsuit?
Compensation will vary from case to case. Everyone’s situation is unique. In general, victims of truck accidents suffer significant injuries. We are resolved to pursue full compensation for our clients. In many cases, you can receive payment for:
- Medical expenses
- Lost income/wages
- Pain and suffering
- Disfigurement
- Loss of your normal enjoyment of life
- Emotional distress.
If you have lost a loved one in the crash, you and your family may also be entitled to payment for:
- Funeral costs
- Burial expenses
- Final medical bills
- Loss of financial and emotional support.
From 2006 to 2017, our attorneys collected a remarkable $95 million for our clients. If you have been injured in a truck crash, let us help you, too.
Our Truck Accident Attorneys Will Fight for You
At Holliday Karatinos Law Firm, we never charge our clients big upfront costs and attorney fees. Instead, we work solely on a contingency basis. This means that we get paid only if we are able to recover compensation for your injuries. So, you risk nothing. Contact our Lutz personal injury attorneys to learn more and schedule your own free case consultation today.
