Even on a sandbar like Miramar Beach, there are still plenty of commercial trucks and tractor-trailers making deliveries to local businesses. Unfortunately, not all truck drivers operate these vehicles with proper care and consideration. That sometimes leads to traffic accidents with uniquely devastating results for anyone who gets caught up in the collision.
If negligence by a trucker, their employer, or anyone else affiliated with the vehicle led to you getting seriously hurt, you may have a right to pursue financial compensation with help from a qualified personal injury attorney. No matter how your wreck happened or what kind of losses you are dealing with, guidance from a Miramar Beach truck accident lawyer could prove essential to getting a positive case result.
Just like everyone else who drives a motor vehicle on public roads, commercial truck drivers in Florida have a legal obligation to act reasonably and responsibly behind the wheel at all times. This is also known as a “duty of care.” Accordingly, any trucker who causes an accident by breaking a traffic law, driving recklessly, or losing concentration at exactly the wrong moment could be considered legally negligent just as another driver would be. That person or entity can be held liable for the effects of any serious injuries that result from the incident.
However, filing suit against a single truck driver is rarely the best course of action after a serious wreck, given how severe the damages are. Fortunately, it is often possible— to name a negligent truck driver’s employer as a defendant in a truck accident claim. This is due to the doctrine of respondeat superior which allows companies to be held vicariously liable for negligence committed by people they employ.
Alternatively, some truck accidents stem from the negligence of people who are only indirectly involved in the wreck itself. This might include suppliers who failed to secure a truck cargo’s properly before transit, a mechanic who did not identify and replace a defective truck component, or even another driver whose irresponsible conduct forced a trucker into an unavoidable crash. Support from a seasoned Miramar Beach truck accident attorney can simplify the process of figuring out who bears the blame for a specific incident and taking appropriate legal action against them.
A comprehensive settlement demand or lawsuit based on a truck crash should account for both past and expected future losses, including:
Prior to March 24, 2023, the law allowed most people just four years after initially getting hurt to begin any lawsuit they intend to file over that personal injury. If a crash occurred after this date, the statute of limitations is just two years. For clarification on the filing deadline for a specific incident, it is important to contact a Miramar Beach truck accident lawyer as soon as possible.
Even without any cargo, the average tractor-trailer dwarfs the average commuter car in both size and weight. This means that collisions between these two types of vehicles usually have severe consequences for people in the smaller cars involved. You may be at a loss for how to proceed as your medical bills start piling up.
The Emmanuel Sheppard & Condon team is your resource for all of your legal needs after a crash. Reach out to us and learn how you can fight for compensation.