Whether your commercial vehicle accident in New Port Richey, Florida, involves an 18-wheeler, a bus, a construction truck, or a flatbed, the consequences can impact every aspect of your life. Fortunately, compensation may be available through an insurance claim or lawsuit. Contact us online or call Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers at (727) 910-5060. Our New Port Richey commercial vehicle accident lawyers can help you pursue a substantial monetary award for your medical expenses, lost income, and other crash-related damages.
Since 2001, Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers has been trusted by victims and families after life-changing commercial vehicle accidents in New Port Richey and the greater Tampa Bay area. As award-winning trial attorneys, our Florida litigators have forced insurance companies, trucking services, government agencies, and other tough adversaries to pay tens of millions in monetary awards.
Put a team with 119+ years of combined experience in your corner. Call our law office in New Port Richey, FL, to get started by scheduling your free consultation now.
How Our New Port Richey Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help After an Accident Involving a Commercial Vehicle
Commercial vehicles tend to be a lot larger and heavier than other vehicles on the road. As a result, they can do considerable damage in a collision with a passenger vehicle, bicyclist, motorcyclist, or pedestrians. Don’t struggle with the costs on your own. Turn to our New Port Richey personal injury lawyers for help.
We’ll:
- Carefully evaluate and investigate the circumstances of your commercial vehicle accident
- Determine the owner of the rig and the employment status of the driver
- Identify all available insurance policies and benefits
- Review dash cam footage, black box data, photographs, vehicle inspection and maintenance records, driver logs, accident reports, driver communication records, and other evidence
- Locate and interview witnesses with information about your commercial vehicle accident
- Determine if the driver or operator of the commercial vehicle violated any state or federal safety regulations
- Consult with experts and specialists as we build and value your claim for damages
- Aggressively pursue a maximum settlement for you during negotiations
- Represent your best interests at trial in Pasco County, FL, if necessary
When you choose Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers, you benefit from a team of top-rated New Port Richey personal injury attorneys. Working with our legal team can provide a huge advantage as you fight for compensation, but you don’t have to take our word for it. Client testimonials and reviews offer insight into the considerable benefits of hiring our New Port Richey personal injury law firm.
Call our law office in New Port Richey to learn more about how we can help. We work on contingency, so there’s no cost unless we win or settle your commercial vehicle accident case.
Decades of Experience Handling All Types of Commercial Vehicle Accident Cases in New Port Richey, FL
Broadly speaking, a commercial vehicle is any vehicle used (or designed to be used) for a commercial purpose – like hauling goods or transporting passengers.
However, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), commercial vehicles are more strictly defined.
A vehicle is defined as a commercial vehicle if it:
- Has a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) or gross vehicle weight (GVW) of at least 10,001 pounds,
- Is designed to transport more than 15 passengers (including the driver),
- Is designed to transport 8 or more passengers for compensation (including the driver), or
- Is designed to transport hazardous materials in amounts requiring signage on the exterior.
Many vehicles – from trucks to buses to construction vehicles – can be classified as commercial vehicles.
At Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers, we aggressively advocate for clients injured in accidents involving commercial vehicles, including:
- 18-wheelers
- Tractor-trailers
- Semi-trucks
- Flatbeds
- Public buses
- Private buses
- School buses
- Tow trucks
- Cargo vans
- Dump trucks
- Tanker trucks
- Minibuses
- Delivery vehicles
- Garbage trucks
- Cement trucks
- Box trucks
- Pickup trucks
- Minivans
- Light duty trucks
For more than two decades, our skilled commercial vehicle accident attorneys in New Port Richey have helped victims change the course of their lives. Through hard work and determination, we’ve forced fair negotiations and won millions on their behalves. Call us to find out how we might be able to help you after your commercial vehicle accident, too.
How Are Commercial Vehicle Accidents and Car Accidents Different?
Cases involving commercial vehicle accidents are markedly different from cases involving traditional car accidents.
Here’s why:
Injuries Can Be More Catastrophic
Victims of commercial vehicle accidents tend to report catastrophic injuries, including:
- Burns
- Complete or partial amputation
- Spinal cord injury
- Paralysis
- Nerve damage
- Broken bones
- Traumatic brain injury
The sheer force of impact can also cause many commercial vehicle accidents to be fatal, as well.
State and Federal Safety Regulations Apply
Commercial vehicles are subject to regulations established by the State of Florida and the FMCSA. Among other things, these regulations mandate regular and thorough inspections, limit hours of service behind the wheel, and require extensive logs and bookkeeping regarding all aspects of vehicle operation and service.
When a commercial vehicle is involved in an accident, it’s important to work with an attorney who has in-depth working knowledge and understanding of applicable state and federal laws.
Liability Can Extend to Multiple Parties
Commercial vehicles tend to be driven by one person but owned and operated by another. This can create complications when it comes to establishing liability for an accident. If the driver is an employee, the owner/operator of the commercial rig can be vicariously liable for the driver’s negligence and, in turn, the resulting damages.
Other potentially liable parties might include the commercial vehicle manufacturer, vehicle mechanics and maintenance crews, vehicle inspectors, and negligent third parties.
A thorough investigation will be required to determine ownership, understand fleet operations, and ultimately identify how and why the accident happened.
What Causes Most Commercial Vehicle Accidents in New Port Richey?
Some of the most common causes of commercial vehicle accidents in New Port Richey, FL, include:
- Driver distraction
- Driver fatigue
- Driver inexperience
- Speeding
- Braking errors
- Wide turns
- Failing to yield the right of way
- Merging errors
- Negligent hiring and training
- Vehicle malfunctions and defects
- Unsafe cargo loads
- Road defects
The primary cause of most commercial vehicle crashes is negligence. In other words, someone – the commercial vehicle driver, the business or company that operates the vehicle, or another motorist – fails to act reasonably. Their mistakes or lapses of judgment cause an injury or wrongful death.
Our commercial vehicle accident attorneys in New Port Richey will carefully evaluate the details of your crash and work to pinpoint every possible cause. Once we know why the accident happened, we can pursue compensation from all liable parties.
What Damages Can Be Awarded in a New Port Richey Commercial Vehicle Accident Case?
Florida provides the opportunity for commercial vehicle accident victims to pursue compensatory damages through an insurance claim or lawsuit.
Compensatory damages include money for financial losses (economic damages) and more difficult-to-value trauma (non-economic damages).
Examples include:
- Amounts paid for current medical care, including hospitalization, surgery, and medication
- Future medical expenses, including rehabilitation and therapy
- Disability
- Lost wages and earnings
- Reduced earning capacity
- Property damage
- Out-of-pocket costs
- Nursing care
- Funeral costs
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of consortium
- Embarrassment
- Disfigurement
- Emotional distress
In limited cases, punitive damages can also be awarded. Pursuant to Florida state law, a jury must find clear and convincing evidence that the defendant acted intentionally or with gross negligence.
Can Shared Fault Hurt My Florida Commercial Vehicle Accident Settlement?
Yes, getting blamed for a commercial vehicle accident in New Port Richey can affect your ability to recover compensation.
Florida has a system of modified comparative negligence with a 51 percent bar.
Damages are prohibited when you are assigned 51 percent or more liability for a crash, and they are reduced when you are assigned 50 percent or less responsibility for a crash.
Let’s say you’re injured in a commercial vehicle accident in New Port Richey and suffer damages worth $200,000. You’re assigned half of the blame for the accident. As a result, your maximum settlement or jury award will be limited to $100,000.
Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers will help you when you’re blamed for a commercial vehicle accident in Florida. We will demand hard evidence and work to limit how much – if any – liability is assigned to you. The less liability you share, the more money you can potentially get when your case is resolved.
What’s the Time Limit for Filing a Florida Commercial Vehicle Accident Lawsuit?
Florida’s two-year statute of limitations applies to most commercial vehicle accident lawsuits.
This is true for cases involving both personal injury and wrongful death.
Two years might seem like a long time, but it will fly by before you know it. If you let the deadline pass, you’ll lose the ability to take legal action and demand the financial accountability you deserve.
Contact our qualified New Port Richey personal injury attorneys today for help confirming the deadline for your particular case – there are exceptions in some instances.
Schedule a Free Consultation With an Experienced New Port Richey Commercial Vehicle Accident Lawyer
Call Winters & Yonker Personal Injury Lawyers if you’ve recently been injured or lost a close family member in a commercial vehicle accident in New Port Richey, Florida.
We can help you stand up to the owner of the commercial vehicle, the negligent driver, an insurance company, and anyone else who attempts to stand between you and the compensation you deserve.
Our New Port Richey commercial vehicle accident lawyers have over 119 years of experience, and we’re ready to fight for you. Contact our law office to schedule a free consultation now.
