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Truck accident claims are complex, fact-intensive personal injury cases that require experience, skill, and resources. If you or a loved one was injured in a truck accident in Florida, the attorneys at Kogan & DiSalvo are here to advocate on your behalf. Our Tampa truck accident lawyers have the compassion and understanding these sensitive cases require, and the legal acumen that gets results.
Dangers On Tampa-Area Roads
Streets and highways in Tampa and throughout Hillsborough County are filled with commercial traffic at all times of night and day. From Highway 301 to Big Bend Road, I-75, and US-41, motorists can always expect to encounter large 18-wheelers traveling at top speeds, fully loaded with cargo, and driven by truck drivers on tight deadlines.
If everyone followed traffic laws and trucking regulations, the dangers would be lessened significantly. Unfortunately, negligence on the part of truck drivers, trucking companies, and other parties persists, putting innocent lives at risk on Tampa roads.
How Does Negligence Cause Truck Accidents?
In representing people injured in crashes, we endeavor to uncover the root causes of truck accidents, thus identifying liable parties and giving victims hope for a substantial financial recovery.
Some of the most common ways negligence causes truck accidents in Tampa include:
- Driver error: Professional truck drivers are prone to making the same mistakes as anyone on the road, including errors in braking, steering, and reaction time, or simply failing to notice an oncoming car or pedestrian. What is different in a truck accident case is the sheer mass involved in commercial truck traffic. While accidents involving any vehicle are dangerous, the perils are increased in accidents involving semi-trucks and other large commercial vehicles.
- Driver fatigue: Trucking is a tough business. Drivers often push their bodies beyond their natural limits in order to deliver loads on time, sometimes driving past the point of exhaustion. Tired drivers traveling at high speeds have longer reaction times, poorer vision, and poorer judgment. This is a recipe for disaster on busy Tampa-area roads.
- Errors in loading: Overloaded trucks and unbalanced loads are another danger unique to truck accident litigation. The trucking industry is tightly regulated for a reason. Trucks that carry too much weight are harder to stop and control. Unbalanced loads can cause a truck to tip over or pull the truck into the lane of oncoming traffic.
- Faulty truck maintenance: 18-wheelers must be routinely inspected for defects in their brakes, steering, suspension, and other crucial systems. When operators and the companies they work for fail to inspect trucks and repair existing problems, the driver may be unable to safely operate the vehicle on public roads.
- Faulty lighting: Trucks are required to have adequate illumination, including clearance lights, headlamps, fog lights, brake lights, auxiliary lights, turn signals, reflective (conspicuity) tape, and reflectors. A truck that is not fully outfitted with proper illumination is hard to see at night or during inclement weather.
There are many types of negligence that contribute to truck accidents, in addition to the above-mentioned factors. Whatever the cause of your accident, one of the critical aspects of handling a truck accident claim is identifying evidence of negligence that can be used in court.
Finding The Facts
Our lawyers know how to find facts that point to negligence and wrongdoing on the part of truck drivers, trucking companies, truck component manufacturers, and other parties.
Our Tampa truck accident lawyers scour every available source of evidence to find facts that support our clients’ claims. We may find pivotal evidence in driving logs, vehicle black boxes, and footage from traffic cameras. If eyewitnesses were present, they may provide testimony that helps paint a picture of the scene at the time of the accident.
We employ experts in accident reconstruction, truck maintenance, and other fields who help us analyze accident scene evidence, the condition and maintenance of involved vehicles, and other factors.
Our investigations may lead us far from the accident scene and into the recordkeeping systems of the trucking company itself. If there is evidence of negligent hiring practices, lapses in maintenance, or other types of negligence, it may play a key role in personal injury litigation.
The Importance of Choosing the Right Truck Accident Lawyer
If you have been injured in a truck accident, you have a number of important decisions to make. One of the most critical decisions you face is choosing the right law firm to represent your interests. Is it important which Tampa truck accident lawyer you choose? In a word, yes.
Truck accident cases are complex legal matters that require extensive experience and acute attention to detail. A single missed piece of evidence could mean the difference between a positive outcome and a disappointing one.
In choosing the attorney who represents you in your truck accident claim, ask the following questions:
- Has this attorney handled complex truck accident claims before? This is not the type of case for on-the-job training. Truck accident claims are very complex and the stakes are enormous. If you lose out on compensation you should have received, you could lack the resources you need to pay your medical bills and other expenses arising from your accident.
- Does the law firm have the resources to handle this claim? If you were injured in a truck accident and are seeking compensation, you have an uphill battle facing legal opponents with vast resources at their disposal. You can level the playing field by working with a law firm that has its own resources to fully investigate the facts of the accident and stand up to the tactics the insurance company will use against you.
- Does this law firm have a proven record of success handling personal injury claims? Anyone can claim experience, but results speak for themselves. A law firm with a reputation for favorable verdicts and settlements can give you confidence that your future is in capable hands.
- Will the legal team treat me well, or will it be an intimidating, impersonal process? A truck accident is a tremendous personal crisis in addition to a legal and medical one. You deserve to be treated like a human being, not a case number.
The Tampa personal injury lawyers at Kogan & DiSalvo offer experienced representation, deep resources, compassionate guidance, and a proven record of success. This effective combination has made us one of the premier injury law firms in Florida.
What to Do After a Truck Accident In Tampa
The most important thing to do after any truck or car accident in Tampa is to obtain medical treatment as soon as possible. Another thing you can do to help your legal and financial prospects is to gather as much evidence as you can from the accident scene. Such evidence may include photographs of skid marks, road conditions, and damage to all involved vehicles.
You should also exchange insurance information with other drivers and notify law enforcement authorities, as well as your insurance company.
Get Legal Help When You Need It
The next most important thing you can do after a truck accident in Tampa is to consult with an experienced personal injury lawyer who can help you understand your rights and options.
The Tampa truck accident lawyers at Kogan & DiSalvo are here to discuss your case with you. The consultation is free and you won’t owe us a fee unless we obtain compensation for you—that’s our guarantee.
To arrange your free legal consultation with one of our knowledgeable truck accident lawyers, contact our law offices today.
