Injuries from Truck & Bus Accidents

Not surprisingly, bodily injuries that result from commercial trucking and bus accidents many times are much more serious than those injuries sustained in a car accident. Furthermore, fatalities are almost twice as likely in truck accident cases than auto accident cases. As such, you need experienced civil trial attorneys to assist you with your trucking accident case.

Common injuries that result from trucking accidents include:

• >> Broken or fractured bones
• >> Serious Back Injuries
• >> Fractured or crushed vertebrae
• >> Fracture ribs
• >> Collapsed lung
• >> Traumatic brain injuries
• >> Severe Burns
• >> Amputations
• >> Paralysis
• >> Death

Who is Liable in a Trucking Accident?

As previously discussed, trucking accidents are complex, including determining who is at fault for causing the accident. The persons or parties that are typically involved in trucking accident cases include:

• >> Driver
• >> Trucking Company
• >> Manufacturer

If the driver of the truck or bus was not using reasonable care when driving the truck or bus, the driver (and usually his employer, the trucking or transportation company) may be held liable. Other driver liability in a trucking accident case may include drinking and driving, using drugs, or good old fashioned careless driving, like distracted driving, speeding, following too close, or running a red light.

The trucking company may also be liable for the accident if it hired a driver with a poor driving history, or if it used unsafe practices or methods for training or employing their drivers. Examples of negligent policies may include requiring its drivers to have a phone at easy access or to drive for periods of time that are too long to be considered safe. Failure to properly maintain the truck is another area where the trucking company may be negligent in a trucking accident case.

A manufacturer may also be liable in a trucking accident if the truck or its parts were manufactured negligently or incorrectly.

What types of Damages Are Available in a Trucking Accident Case?

As is true with auto accident and motorcycle accident cases, PIP (personal injury protection) covers initial medical, travel, and lost wages in a trucking accident case.

Once the PIP limits are exceeded, a trucking or bus accident victim may sue and attempt to recover the following as damages in their case:

• >> Pain and suffering
• >> Loss of consortium
• >> Medical expenses above PIP limits
• >> Examples of extra medical damages include ambulance services, hospital bills, doctor or specialist visits, surgery, scans, and prescription drugs (including pain maintenance)
• >> Lost wages
• >> Future loss of earning potential
• >> Rehabilitation costs (i.e., physical therapy, prosthetics, etc.)
• >> Long term care for serious, permanent injuries
• >> Home and automobile modification due to permanent disability or disfigurement
• >> Wrongful death

How Can the Parties Who Caused Me Harm Avoid Liability?

In Florida, negligence cases involve a concept called “comparative negligence.” Comparative Negligence is a legal concept that means fault is divided up between the parties to an accident based upon their relative degrees of fault. For example, if each person were about equally at fault (i.e., it is not obvious who or what caused the accident) then comparative negligence might require the negligence to be divided up 50% to each party. In such case, if there were $1,000,000.00 in damages, the other party might be responsible for $500,000.00.

As you might suspect, comparative negligence provides defendants with a tool to shift blame back to you, the person who has been harmed. Examples of comparative negligence in a trucking or bus accident context might include an allegation (and eventually proof) that you were texting while the accident took place, were driving recklessly or were speeding yourself. To make matters more complicated, if there are more than two parties involved in a truck accident, then the blame shifting becomes even more complicated and more prevalent.

In the end, the injury attorneys at LeavenLaw are skilled and experienced in dealing with comparative negligence defenses and, in many circumstances, have been able to successfully remove such defenses through summary judgment, making the case a bit more simple, a bit more streamlined, and in the end, more successful for you, our trucking or bus accident victim. LeavenLaw will work tirelessly to insure you are compensated as much as possible for the trucking accident damages that you have sustained.

LeavenLaw Trucking & Bus Accident Results

LeavenLaw civil trial attorneys have extensive experiences investigating, filing, negotiating, settling and, if need be, litigating accident and serious bodily injury cases, including bus and truck accident cases that result in permanent injury or even death.

Contact a St. Petersburg Truck Accident Lawyer

LeavenLaw’s truck and bus accident attorneys offer you a free consultation to discuss the details of your potential case. After your initial consultation, if LeavenLaw decides to take your case (and you feel comfortable with LeavenLaw as your trucking accident attorney) you will not have to pay any up-front attorney fees or costs. Instead, LeavenLaw handles all truck and bus accident cases on a contingency-fee basis, meaning we will deduct our attorneys’ fees and costs from any eventual settlement or judgment we obtain on your behalf against the parties that caused you harm. If we do not prevail, you owe us nothing. Ever.

Again, truck and bus accidents typically cause serious injuries and unfortunately can be life-altering in the types and amounts of damages that they can cause. If you have been injured in a truck accident, contact the AV-rated personal injury attorneys at LeavenLaw (in St. Petersburg) at (727) 327-3328 or (statewide) 1-855-LeavenLaw (532-8365). Alternatively, you can always submit an inquiry online to schedule a free consultation to discuss your trucking accident case. If needed, one of LeavenLaw’s trucking accident attorneys can come to you to discuss your case. We will look forward to talking to you soon.

St. Petersburg Trucking Accident Office
LeavenLaw
3900 First Street North, #100
St. Petersburg, FL 33703

Contact us at (727) 327-3328 to discuss your trucking accident case today! Or email us through our online contact form!