Truck Accident Lawyer Serving Royal Palm Beach

Royal Palm Beach is a charming village nestled between Lake Worth and Boynton Beach, Florida with a growing population of over 34,140 residents that call the village home. Many of the residents use major highways such as 441 and the Florida Turnpike to commute to and from neighboring cities. A recent article by WPTV named the intersections at Okeechobee and 441 and Royal Palm Beach Blvd and Southern Blvd some of the most dangerous in Palm Beach County.

If and when you find yourself driving on the highways in Lantana, you’re bound to see many commercial 18-wheeler trucks either riding alongside or passing you. For some, this might be a brief moment of concern since their very size may dwarf your vehicle. In addition to this, you can get a sense of the weight and power of these trucks as they rumble past you. For a moment, you may even have an image of all that size and power being controlled by a single individual sitting in the driver’s seat. Then, as quickly as they appeared, they may pass you by and you forget about them. However, this is not always the case. Unfortunately, where there are a large number of trucks, there are also a large number of truck accidents as well. You can get a sense of this by looking over the statistics for vehicle accidents in this state. Here, about 10% of fatalities associated with driving on the road, may be attributed to accidents involving large trucks!

Needless to say, truck accidents are caused by a wide variety of reasons. Some of these accidents may be due to poor weather, faulty road conditions and some are caused by the negligent actions of others. If you or a loved one are injured in a truck accident due to the negligence of another, then you should contact a truck accident lawyer serving Royal Palm for legal guidance.

Truck accidents, like any other type of vehicle accidents may result from any number of reasons. When the accident was caused through the fault of another, in many cases, serious injuries and fatalities could have been avoided if the proper attention was paid to certain fundamental procedures that are involved with safe trucking practices. Listed here are some of the more common situations that regularly result in commercial vehicle accidents:

Truck Driver Error - Truck drivers may often drive recklessly. At times they will drive drowsy to reach mileage goals set by their companies and may be operating their truck while under the influence of alcohol or drugs or driving while distracted. Other common errors include:

• Lack of truck driving experience
• Overloading trucks
• Operating oversized trucks on narrow roads
• Failure to see other vehicles due to the truck’s large blind spot
• Disregarding traffic laws
• Driving for too long without taking a break
• Failure to monitor the driving hours of the truck driver
• Not keep the tractor and/or trailer in a safe, working condition
• Hiring an unqualified or unfit truck driver
• Failure to properly supervise the truck driver
• Failure to properly train the truck driver
• Selecting an unqualified or truck company

Failure To Properly Maintain Trucks - Commercial trucks tend to spend much more time on the road than the average vehicle. Because of this fact, it’s extremely important that they receive their scheduled inspections and have their worn parts replaced immediately. For example, brakes and tires are critical to the safe driving of any vehicle. This is especially true when you consider the size and speed of a commercial truck. A worn part that unexpectedly fails may cause a driver to suddenly lose control of their truck.

Overloaded Trucks and Improperly Loaded Cargo – There is a good reason why there are federal standards when it comes to loading trucks. It’s a fact that some trucking companies will regularly try to load a truck past its legal weight limit in order to increase profits. But the fact of the matter is that a truck that is overloaded or improperly loaded may cause the driver to lose control of their truck when trying to make an emergency maneuver or if they happen to run into bad weather conditions.

Trucking companies that are trying to increase revenue by overloading their truck is a serious problem that occurs all too often. Even with all the programs that have been enacted to keep overloaded trucks off the road, this is still an existing issue.

Federal commercial truck weight limits can be found at: The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

For example:

Semi Trailers – The maximum weight that a semi is allowed to carry is:

• 20,000 lb (9,100 kg) on a single axle
• 34,000 lb (15,000 kg) on a tandem
• 80,000 lb (36,000 kg) total for any vehicle or combination
• The maximum weight, per axel, is 20,000 pounds with the axels spaced no less than 40 inches apart and no more than 96 inches apart. Its maximum width is 8.5 ft (2.6 m) and no maximum height.

U.S. Semitruck – The maximum weight (with full trailer) is 80,000 pounds that is distributed over 18 wheels. (23 U.S.C. 127).

Trucks must also be equipped with a rear-end underride protection device according to 49 C.F.R. s. 393.86

It is equipped with a substantial rear-end underride protection device meeting the requirements of 49 C.F.R. s. 393.86, “Rear End Protection.”

National statistics, for large truck and bus accidents have reported:

• About 59% of the deaths involving commercial trucks have occurred on major roadways that were not part of any interstate or freeway system. Also, 9% have occurred on smaller roadways.
• Truck accidents occur most frequently during the hours between 6 a.m. - 3 p.m., when 47% have been documented. Also, during those times, 47% of fatalities have also been reported.
• About 16% of commercial truck accidents happen on the weekend (Saturday and Sunday).

An employer may be held responsible for its employees’ actions, as long as the employees acted in the scope of their employment. This means a trucking company or another large corporation can potentially be held liable for the injuries you sustained in a South Florida commercial truck accident.

Occasionally, truck accidents occur because of negligent actions on the part of a truck maintenance company, truck manufacturer, parts manufacturer, or even a tire company. Our experienced attorneys can try to help determine who is liable for your injuries, and pursue a claim for compensation based on the liable party’s insurance policy.

If you decide to file a lawsuit for your truck accident, it’s important to understand that there is a statute of limitations. In a negligence case, you will have just 2 years from the time of the accident in order to file your lawsuit. If you fail to file your lawsuit within the two years, your case will likely be dismissed. There are some exceptions to this, but these are quite rare. In addition, if the accident victim has been killed, then the victim’s estate will only have 2 years from the date of death in order to file. You can find the specific information here: Florida Statute section 95.11(3)(a). If you have any questions, speak to an experienced personal injury lawyer for assistance.

The damages that a truck accident victim may be able claim will fall under 2 categories. These are:

• Economic damages – These include; medical expenses, lost income from being out of work and property that may include a damaged motor vehicle.
• Non-economic damages – This includes; pain & suffering, loss of consortium and any other item that doesn’t fall under the heading of a financial loss.

Damages include:

• Past and future medical expenses
• Physical therapy and rehabilitation
• Lost wages and future lost wages
• Lost of earning capacity
• Mental anguish
• Loss of Consortium - losing a spouse, parent or child
• Pain and Suffering
• Repair or replacement of your vehicle
• Other accident-related expenses

If you or a loved one are injured in a truck accident, here are some suggestions on what you may choose to do:

The very first thing would be to contact the Police Department and Emergency Medical Services and report what has happened. Then you should exchange information with the other driver (while remaining calm and not placing any blame).

This information should consist of the following: driver’s full name, contact information, driver’s license number, a clear description of what vehicle they were driving, their license plate number and their insurance information. You should take a number of photos of the accident scene and the vehicles involved – but without getting in the way of the investigating officer. Get the contact information of any witnesses as well.

Afterwards, you should go straight to the hospital or to your own doctor. Undergo a complete medical examination. It is possible that your injuries will not show up until a day or so after the initial crash. Keep all medical bills and doctor’s reports in one single file in your home.

Avoid posting any information about the accident on social media. Avoid speaking to the other insurance company and do not accept any money or sign any documents without first speaking to an experienced personal injury attorney.

Above all, if you sustain injuries in a truck accident, you should immediately contact an experienced truck accident attorney for advice on how to proceed with your claim. The initial consultation is completely free – so you will have nothing to lose. Let the attorneys at Frankl Kominsky handle the insurance company, so you have time to recover.

Deaths and injuries from a Royal Palm Beach truck accident can be the result of reckless behavior, which may occur in Royal Palm Beach at any given time. In addition, it’s important to understand that while high speeds are often a factor, there are also many times when this isn’t the situation. There have been a number of cases in which a very low speed truck crash has resulted in severe injuries. If you or a loved one become injured in a truck accident, it is advised that you seek medical care and the advice of a truck accident personal injury attorney serving Royal Palm Beach.

Seek the advice of a personal injury truck accident attorney serving Royal Palm Beach, who may assist in pursuing the care and compensation that you rightfully deserve. Therefore, if you or a loved one are involved in a Royal Palm Beach truck accident, contact a personal injury attorney.

Discuss your case with a Truck Accident Personal Injury Attorney Serving Royal Palm Beach Today! Turn to Frankl Kominsky for comprehensive legal guidance with 75 Million Recovered in Accident & Injury Settlements, 40+ Years Combined Legal Experience, and over 6,000 clients and families represented. Call 561-800-8000 or use our Contact Form to set up a free consultation.