Tampa Semi Truck Accident Lawyer

Every year in Florida, more than 28,000 trucks are involved in accidents. Many of those accidents cause serious or fatal injuries. Although passenger vehicles get into accidents more often per mile traveled, accidents involving semis and other large trucks cause more fatalities, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

If you or a loved one have been seriously injured in an accident with a semi truck in Tampa or anywhere in Florida, it’s important that you talk with a knowledgeable attorney as soon as possible. You may be entitled to substantial financial compensation for the expenses and losses your injuries have caused, and having an experienced lawyer advocating for you as soon as possible will help make sure your case is prepared thoroughly and competently.

The Dennis Hernandez Tampa semi truck accident lawyers have the experience and skill you need to identify all the parties responsible for the truck driver’s negligence, prove negligence and fight for and win the substantial settlement or award you deserve for the pain, suffering and losses you have suffered. We have helped hundreds of Florida families get the compensation they need and deserve following a serious accident and welcome the opportunity to put our experience and expertise to work for you.

For a free consultation, call us today at 855-529-3366, or fill out the FREE CASE EVALUATION form on this page. We will discuss your case with you, help you understand your legal rights and advise you on the best course of action. All consultations and legal services are free until we win your case.

What Are Common Types of Semi Truck Accidents in the Tampa Area?

A Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration study on the causes of crashes involving semis and other large trucks found that the injuries in these accidents were often very serious. In about half of the large truck accidents where there were injuries, those injuries were incapacitating or fatal.

In semi truck accidents involving at least two vehicles, the most common types of crashes involve one vehicle rear ending another or one sideswiping another when they are moving in the same direction. Other common types of accidents involving semi trucks include:

Crashes that happen when the semi or the other vehicle is turning
A collision between a semi and another vehicle when they intersect while driving straight ahead
Sideswipes when the semi and other vehicle are going in opposite directions
Head-on collisions

All of these types of accidents involving semis can cause serious, life-threatening injuries. Accident victims often endure severe pain, multiple medical procedures and a lengthy recovery/adjustment period.

The semi truck accident lawyers at Dennis Hernandez understand these difficulties and want to help. If you’ve been involved in a serious truck accident, please do not hesitate to contact us at 855-529-3366, or fill out the FREE CASE EVALUATION form on this page.

What Causes Semi Truck Accidents in the Tampa Area?

Many semi accidents are caused because the semi driver and/or owner were negligent. Common causes of semi accidents caused by driver negligence include driving while drowsy and driving while distracted. Negligence on the part of the owner or operator may cause accidents when the semi’s maintenance or inspections were not carried out correctly. The truck manufacturer can also be negligent if design or manufacturing flaws led to the truck malfunctioning and crashing.

The main causes of semi accidents in Tampa and throughout the U.S. include:

Driving while drowsy
Although there are laws that limit how many hours a truck driver may drive, many still drive long hours, going past the time they become fatigued. If semi drivers start to nod off or fall asleep at the wheel, the results can be catastrophic. Even if drowsy semi drivers manage to stay awake, their lack of sleep can cause accidents because it makes them less alert and impairs their coordination and judgment. According to the CDC, being sleep-deprived impairs drivers in a way that is very similar to being impaired by drinking too much alcohol.
Driving while distracted
Accidents involving all types of vehicles are often caused because one of the drivers is distracted by their phone or something else that takes their attention away from the road. When that distracted driver is driving a semi truck and causes an accident, the chances of serious injury are higher because of the weight and size of the truck. Despite that risk, many semi drivers do use their phones or other devices while they are driving, which endangers them and all the other people near them on the road.
Inadequate maintenance
Some of the most common causes of accidents related to improper maintenance or inspection include defective tires, wheels, or brakes, overloading and insecure loads. Federal law requires that semi trucks be inspected, repaired, and maintained and that records be kept of the work that is done; however, people doing the maintenance and repair work can make mistakes or fail to do necessary tasks. If all the required inspections are not completed, or if repairs or maintenance are not done correctly or not done at all, the negligent party may be held responsible if the condition of the semi causes an accident.

Who Is Responsible for Semi Truck Accidents in the Tampa Area?

If you were seriously injured in an accident with a semi, or if a family member was fatally injured, you may be entitled to receive financial compensation for your expenses and losses caused by your injuries. If the semi driver or another person or company was negligent and caused or contributed to the accident, Florida law gives you the right to pursue a claim against the negligent party to hold them partially or totally responsible for all the damages you have suffered.

A Dennis Hernandez Tampa semi truck accident lawyer has the experience, knowledge, and resources to investigate the accident thoroughly and identify all negligent parties. Unlike a crash that involves two cars, finding out who is at fault and, therefore, legally responsible for an accident involving a semi is more complex because the negligent party(ies) could any of these:

The driver of the semi
The trucking company that owns the semi
The manufacturer of the semi or the truck’s parts, such as the brakes
Whoever is responsible for repairing and maintaining the semi
The owner of the cargo the semi was carrying

The experienced Dennis Hernandez truck accident lawyers will investigate your accident thoroughly and identify all culpable parties. We are committed to helping our injured clients get the full, fair compensation they deserve for all the damages they have suffered.

What Kind of Compensation May Be Available from a Tampa Semi Truck Accident Lawsuit?

There are two different types of compensation available to people injured because of a semi truck accident: economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages compensate you for specific monetary costs associated with your truck accident injuries, including:

Current Medical Expenses: This may include emergency room care, hospital care, diagnostic procedures, surgery, rehabilitative care, assistive devices, medications and office visits with medical professionals.
Future Medical Expenses: This should compensate you for the extended health care you may need in the future because of your accident injuries.
Lost Income: You may be able to receive compensation for the wages you lost between the time of injury and the conclusion of the lawsuit.
Diminished Earning Capacity: If you can demonstrate that your ability to earn a living has been negatively impacted by your accident injuries, you may be able to receive compensation for your decreased earning capacity.

Non-economic damages compensate you and/or your family for non-financial, intangible losses experienced because of the accident injuries. These damages include:

Physical Pain and Suffering: This includes compensation for the physical pain suffered due to the injuries from the crash. The type of injuries you sustained, the amount of pain you suffered, and the amount of time you are expected to suffer are all taken into consideration when determining the amount of compensation you deserve.
Disfigurement or scarring: If you are permanently disfigured or scarred because of your truck accident injuries, you should be compensated for enduring this permanent change.
Mental Anguish: This includes compensation for the emotional pain you suffer because of the truck accident. Depression, stress, grief and other types of emotional pain and suffering caused by the accident will be taken into consideration when calculating the amount of compensation you should obtain.
Loss of Consortium: This is compensation given to a spouse, parents, and minor children for loss of their injured love one’s services, assistance, guidance and companionship.

If you lost a loved one in a semi truck accident, you may be able to file a wrongful death lawsuit to seek compensation for the loss of your loved one’s affection, companionship, and support and for medical and funeral expenses.

The experienced Dennis Hernandez Tampa truck accident lawyers will assess all of the economic and non-economic damages you have suffered and fight for the full, fair compensation you deserve. We will not settle for anything less or back down from fighting for a fair award in court.

How an Experienced and Dedicated Tampa Semi Truck Accident Lawyer Can Help You

Every Dennis Hernandez truck accident lawyer is dedicated to helping victims of semi accidents achieve justice and get the compensation they need for their injuries. As your lawyers, we will thoroughly investigate the accident to identify all at-fault parties and amass the evidence necessary to convincingly demonstrate negligence on their part. The trucking company and their insurance company will immediately investigate the scene of the accident and try to collect evidence to fight your claim, but we will stay ahead of them, examining every detail of the accident, interviewing witnesses, examining the vehicles and scene of the accident, reading accident reports and analyzing medical records. We will consult with experts and try to ensure that important evidence is not lost or destroyed.

We will negotiate aggressively with insurance companies for a settlement that will compensate you fully and fairly for all the damages you suffered and be well prepared to win in court if we have to go to trial to achieve justice for you. You can be assured that we will be by your side every step of the way, fighting for your right to the full compensation you deserve. At Dennis Hernandez, we never back down!

For a free consultation, call us today at 855-529-3366, or fill out the FREE CASE EVALUATION form on this page. All consultations, advice and legal services are free until we WIN YOUR CASE.