Were you injured in a truck accident in Lakeland, FL? In the aftermath of a truck accident, understanding what to do next is crucial, but not easy to figure out alone. To recover compensation for your accident, one option you may have is to begin a personal injury claim with the help of our Lakeland truck accident lawyers.
At Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers, we provide the legal guidance victims deserve after suffering losses in one of these accidents. We have over 119 years of combined experience and have recovered tens of millions of dollars on behalf of our clients.
Contact or call our law office at (863) 251-6196 to schedule a free consultation.
How Winters & Yonker Can Help After A FedEx Or UPS Truck Accident In Lakeland, FL
If your injuries are severe, you may be able to step outside Florida’s no-fault system and pursue a claim directly against the at-fault party. At Winters & Yonker, our Lakeland truck accident attorneys can help you take on that fight for fair compensation by way of the following services:
- Investigating how the truck accident occurred
- Gathering pertinent evidence
- Establishing liability
- Calculating both your economic and non-economic damages
- Negotiating with insurance companies
- Representing you in trial, as necessary
Commercial truck accidents in Lakeland, Florida, often result in serious injuries. Both FedEx and UPS trucks are significantly bulkier than regular passenger vehicles, which means that you could face everything from broken bones to brain injuries given the force exerted by these vehicles upon impact.
Contact our law office to schedule a free consultation with our Lakeland personal injury lawyers.
What Causes FedEx And UPS Truck Accidents In Florida?
Driver errors are the most frequent cause of commercial truck collisions in Lakeland. Truckers are often distracted trying to find the addresses for their deliveries, leading them to take their eyes off the road. They may miss stop signs or not spot a pedestrian until it’s too late.
There’s also the problem of staying on schedule. If they’re running behind on their deliveries, truckers may speed, which is a concern throughout the state for drivers of all vehicles, considering that speeding played a role in over 16,000 accidents in 2023. A speeding truck will need more time to come to a stop, too, which makes accidents even more likely.
Another issue is fatigue. Commercial truck drivers work notably lengthy shifts, and despite strict driving hour limits that they must not surpass, some companies encourage them to make more deliveries by bending the rules. Exhausted drivers remain on the roads, and they’re likely to be unable to react appropriately to hazards.
Outside of driver behavior or error, though, trucks themselves could be the problem. They must be inspected to ensure they’re roadworthy, and if that doesn’t occur, serious crashes can result from a malfunction.
Liability In FedEx And UPS Truck Accidents
If you’re able to step outside of Florida’s no-fault laws because you meet the injury threshold, you will need to demonstrate that the other party was responsible for the crash. However, doing so is not simple, as there may be more than one party to blame.
In the majority of cases, the driver will be responsible. If they were distracted, speeding, intoxicated, or in any other way behaving negligently, you can file a claim against them. Their employers, however, may also share some (perhaps even all) of the responsibility. One vital factor here is whether the driver is a FedEx/UPS employee or an independent contractor.
In the former case, the doctrine of vicarious liability allows you to pursue a claim against the company they work for. An employer is responsible for any negligent actions their employee takes that fall within the scope of their work. In the latter case, the trucker is not officially an employee, which means you will not be able to file a claim against FedEx or UPS.
Mechanics can be liable, too, primarily in situations where they fail to catch issues with the truck that another professional would have noticed. And lastly, if a malfunctioning part caused the crash, the truck’s manufacturer could be to blame as well.
Contact Our Lakeland Truck Accident Lawyers To Schedule A Free Consultation
Though filing a claim in the aftermath of a commercial truck accident is essential, you should never attempt to go through the process on your own. With 119 years of combined experience and tens of millions of dollars recovered, our Lakeland truck accident attorneys have a proven track record of success.
Reach out to Winters and Yonker today to arrange a free consultation.
