The “trailer” portion of a tractor-trailer is connected to the cab by a freely rotating “kingpin,” which allows the truck to make sharp turns more easily and simplifies the process of swapping trailers between different cabs. The main downside of this design, though, is that it leads to the truck’s cab and trailer each having their own separate momentum from each other. This means that if the truck loses traction while moving and goes into a skid, the trailer may kick out to the side of or even all the way in front of the cab.
When trucks “jackknife” like this, they often collide with multiple other vehicles at high speed before coming to a stop, potentially causing catastrophic harm to dozens of other people at once. If you have been injured in a jackknife truck accident in Pace caused by the negligence of a truck driver or trucking company, a qualified truck accident lawyer from Emmanuel Sheppard & Condon is prepared to help you demand fair financial restitution.
Seeking Compensation for Past and Future Losses
Any collision between a regular commuter car and a semi-truck weighing up to 80,000 pounds is likely to result in serious injuries for the people inside the smaller vehicle—not to mention extensive property damage and various forms of psychological harm. Because of this, it is especially important while filing suit over a jackknife truck crash in Pace to account not just for damages that have already occurred by the time the civil case process begins, but also for damages that you can expect to experience because of your crash in the years and decades to come.
While every case is unique and no two plaintiffs will need compensation for precisely the same things, compensable losses that often factor into claims of this nature include:
- Costs of emergency medical treatment
- Expected costs of long-term medical treatment, including things like physical therapy, assistive equipment, and in-home care
- Lost work income, benefits, or long-term earning capacity
- Vehicle repair/replacement costs and other forms of personal property damage/loss
- Physical pain and discomfort
- Emotional anguish and suffering
- Lost overall quality of life and other effects of permanent disfigurement/disability
Your attorney can go into more specific detail about what damages you may need to incorporate into your lawsuit or settlement demand during a private initial meeting.
Getting Around Legal Obstacles to Recovery
Even if you suffer irreversible and debilitating harm from a jackknife truck collision in Pace, you only have a limited amount of time under Florida state law to file suit over your wreck. More specifically, Florida Statutes § 95.11(4) gives most people a maximum of two years to begin the personal injury litigation process, or up to four years if your crash happened before March 24, 2023.
Another procedural roadblock worth knowing about is the “modified comparative fault” system codified in FL Stat. § 768.81, which allows courts to reduce the total compensation available to someone found to hold a portion of fault for causing their injuries through their own negligent conduct. For claims arising after March 24, 2023, a court can also prohibit recovery altogether for someone who holds more than 50 percent of the total fault for their accident, even if someone else was also negligent.
Contact a Pace Attorney for Help After a Jackknife Truck Accident
A jackknifing tractor-trailer is one of the most dangerous things anyone can encounter on any type of roadway. Unfortunately, there is not much you can do in the moment to avoid getting caught up in a wreck caused by a jackknifing truck, and as you are likely aware, a wreck of this nature can cause uniquely severe injuries and losses.
Fortunately, you have assistance available from the team of professionals at Emmanuel Sheppard & Condon. We have years of experience helping people like you get the financial recovery they deserve following jackknife truck accidents in Pace. Call today to schedule a confidential consultation.
