Miami-Truck-Accident-Attorneys

Florida Truck Accident Lawyers

You have the right to pursue compensation to protect your health and your future

Florida is a major worldwide tourist destination and business hub. Truck companies are constantly delivering goods to residents, hotels, and businesses. Florida businesses use commercial trucking companies to deliver the goods they make to the rest of Florida and the United States. However, the economic support that trucking brings to Florida also brings serious dangers. The size and mass of commercial trucks can make crashes involving them especially likely to cause catastrophic and fatal injuries. Tractor-trailers, semis, rigs, box trucks, and other commercial trucks cause numerous accidents on I-95, I-75, I-4, Florida’s Turnpike, and other roads throughout Florida. These accidents often change the lives of the victims forever.

At Hickey Law Firm, our truck accident lawyers hold drivers and trucking companies accountable when they place profit above safety. The Best Lawyers in America® recognizes John H. (Jack) Hickey in three areas: Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs, Admiralty and Maritime Law, and Medical Malpractice Law – Plaintiffs. Attorney John H. (Jack) Hickey is double board certified by The Florida Bar in Civil Trial and Admiralty and Maritime Law, distinctions held by few attorneys in Florida. He is also board certified as a Trial Lawyer by the National Board of Trial Advocacy (NBTA).

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Hickey Law Firm results in serious commercial-vehicle cases

At Hickey Law Firm, we’re litigators who aren’t afraid to take your case to trial. Our preparation and focus on getting real results may allow us to reach a strong settlement, but if not, we’ll be ready to go before a judge and jury. While past results can’t predict future case outcomes, we’re proud of the outcomes we’ve secured in many high-stakes vehicle collision cases, including truck accident claims. Some of our notable results include:

  • $8 million: A commercial vehicle caused a rollover accident. 
  • $1.1 million: A van driver was hit by a tow truck.

In the words of our clients

“I cannot give enough praise to Lisa Goodman and her team for all their efforts on my behalf. I was treated with genuine concern for my well being after a serious injury. They communicated promptly during each stage of my claim and were wonderful to work with. I would never hesitate to hire them as legal representation. Thank you.” – Kathleen H.

“Seemed to be working for us around the clock. Understanding and compassionate to our situation. Always willing to go above and beyond to answer all our questions. The whole team was wonderful. So thankful for them.” – Rosemary A.

WAS A LAWYER FOR THE INSURANCE COMPANIES. NOW A LAWYER FOR YOU.

How deadly are truck accidents in Florida?

When trucks collide with other vehicles, the occupants of the smaller vehicles absorb most of the force and impact. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, nationwide in 2023, more than 5,400 people died in crashes involving large trucks, and an estimated 153,000 people suffered injuries in accidents involving these vehicles. Buses were involved in additional fatal and injury-causing crashes that same year. Preliminary 2024 data from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles reported 381,210 codable traffic crashes in the state in 2024. Of that total, 46,651 involved commercial vehicles. Collisions involving commercial vehicles resulted in 315 deaths.

WHEN I MEET THEM I PROUDLY SAY WE REPRESENT THE LEAST, THE LAST, THE LEFT OUT, AND THE LEFT BEHIND IN GETTING JUSTICE. WE REPRESENT YOU WHO HAVE SUFFERED A LIFE CHANGING INJURY.

What should I do in the first 72 hours after a Florida truck accident?

The number one consideration after a severe car accident is medical care. If you or anyone else in the crash sustained injuries, do what you can to get medical help as soon as possible. In cases with severe injuries, which are common when trucks are involved, collecting evidence or determining fault may need to come later. Here is a list of other things to do after an accident:

  • Seek immediate safety: In addition to getting medical care, remember that the scene of a crash can be a dangerous place. Secondary crashes are possible, so you never want to put yourself in a risky position, even if you want to collect evidence or take photos. Try to get to a safe location and don’t take additional risks.
  • Report the crash: Florida law requires that you report any crash that involves injuries, death, or apparent property damage of at least $2,000. Contact the appropriate law-enforcement agency to make sure you satisfy this requirement.
  • Get photos if safe to do so: If you can do so safely, take photographs and video of the vehicles, trailer markings, DOT/MC numbers, plates, skid marks, debris, cargo, road conditions and nearby cameras.
  • Identify witnesses: If anyone saw the crash, get their information. They may be an important witness in your claim, and you will want to have a way to contact them.
  • Keep important records: If you need medical care, keep the records. If you missed work because of your injuries, keep evidence of that lost income. If you paid for towing or storage, save your receipts. Save any insurer communications as well. The more information you save, the better we can assess your case and your claim.

Also, don’t agree to the disposal, repair, sale or destructive inspection of any of the involved vehicles before your legal counsel and potentially evidence experts have a chance to evaluate preservation needs.

The sooner you involve us in your case, the better. Remember that commercial evidence may be overwritten, changed in ordinary business, or only retained for limited periods. You’ll want to make sure that you secure access to that information before it disappears. We may need to intervene to protect evidence that may help us build your case.

How does Hickey Law Firm preserve critical truck-crash evidence?

Truck crashes differ from many other types of accident claims in part because they involve large companies that may have control over much of the evidence you need to build your case. Here are some factors to remember and ways we can help you collect and preserve evidence.

A preservation or spoliation letter

Certain records may disappear over time. Recordings might be set to automatically overwrite, and businesses may get rid of records after a certain period of time. As attorneys, we can send written preservation demands early on, identify potentially relevant evidence and reduce the risk that the evidence gets erased during regular retention cycles. Under Florida law, the loss or destruction of material evidence can, in some cases, support an adverse inference claim. These policies are in place to protect you from losing your ability to file a claim because the other party is in control of the evidence.

Truck Accident

ECM, “black boxes” and other vehicle electronic data

Some commercial vehicles have systems that track events and may record important information related to the vehicle speed, braking, engine or crash-related data. We can help identify which systems existed and work to access that information.

ELD records and supporting documents

Records from truck company logs can help analyze the driver’s driving and on-duty time when the involved driver is subject to the government rules and regulations. For instance, the FMCSA requires motor carriers to retain certain documents and records for six months. Those records could include bills of lading and itineraries, dispatch and trip records, electronic communications, expense records and other potentially relevant information.

Driver qualification, dispatch, cargo and maintenance files

We can also look into driver qualification files, applicable driving-history and road-test records, dispatch materials, bills of lading and cargo documents, inspection and maintenance records, and any relevant drug or alcohol program records. We can review these to determine if any actions or failures on the part of the company – like a failure to maintain the vehicle properly – might have contributed to the crash.

What are common injuries from Florida truck accidents?

Many of the cases our Florida personal injury lawyers handle involve victims with catastrophic injuries, permanent injuries, or serious injuries that take a long time to heal. At Hickey Law Firm, we represent victims (local and out-of-state) who suffer any type of injury, including:

Our Florida truck accident lawyers also represent families when a loved one dies due to the fault of a negligent driver, trucking company, or parts manufacturer. In the case of catastrophic injuries, we can give extra attention to the potential long-term costs like future medical care, rehabilitation, attendant care, life-care planning, home or vehicle modifications, assistive technology, loss of earning capacity and reduced independence. These claims require extra attention and care, possibly with the help of expert witnesses.

What types of truck accident claims does your firm handle?

At Hickey Law Firm, we have the skill and resources to handle all types of Florida truck accident claims, including:

At Hickey Law Firm, our Florida truck accident lawyers also handle accidents caused by defective truck parts such as brakes, fuel systems, and electrical systems.

WHEN THE STAKES ARE HIGH, PEOPLE CHOOSE HICKEY LAW FIRM. ™

What types of commercial trucks operate on Florida roads?

Several types of trucks operate on Florida roads and highways. These large vehicles may create severe dangers to those in smaller passenger cars. Some categories of trucks include:

  • Semi and tractor-trailers: Large commercial trucks like 18-wheelers pose some of the greatest risks because of their massive size.
  • Box trucks: These are common in urban deliveries, meaning they are often on the road, even in residential areas.
  • Tanker trucks: Trucks carrying liquid or chemical loads can add cargo-specific regulations as well as rollover or slosh risks. Some may also be transporting hazardous materials.
  • Dump trucks and other construction trucks: These can be anywhere, and they often carry heavy loads and unsecured material.
  • Flatbed trucks: These trucks often use tie-downs for securement and may cause protruding load issues.
  • Car haulers: These extremely large trucks carry multi-vehicle loads and may present securement concerns.
  • Delivery vans and last-mile commercial vehicles: While these might not be the largest commercial vehicles, they still present issues because of complex employer, franchise, contracting, and digital-platform relationships that can impact liability.
WAS A LAWYER FOR THE INSURANCE COMPANIES. NOW A LAWYER FOR YOU.

Where do truck crashes happen in Florida?

A truck crash can happen virtually anywhere, but some roads and throughways are more heavily trafficked by large commercial vehicles. For instance, you may see many large vehicles on some of these roadways throughout the greater Florida area:

  • I-95
  • I-4
  • Florida’s Turnpike / SR 821
  • SR 826 Palmetto Expressway
  • SR 836 Dolphin Expressway
  • US 1
  • US 27/Okeechobee Road
  • SR 997/Krome Avenue
  • Airport Expressway
  • Along the PortMiami/Miami River freight network

The PortMiami Tunnel connects the port to MacArthur Causeway and I-395, and trucks are often used in the movement of cargo from ports to other parts of the country.

What causes Florida truck accidents?

Our Florida truck accident lawyers are skilled at showing that your truck accident was caused by the negligence of the driver and others. Common types of negligence include:

  • Driving while distracted (for example, looking at a GPS system, texting while driving, and eating while driving)
  • Driving while intoxicated
  • Speeding, tailgating, improper merging, and other traffic violations
  • Driving while tired
  • Failing to load and secure the cargo safely
  • Failing to manage blind spots
  • Driving too fast for weather or traffic conditions
  • Failing to comply with federal and Florida laws
  • Failing to properly maintain vehicle brakes, tires, steering, coupling systems, lighting and other components

You might not know which of these caused your crash. Our investigation may help uncover causes that were not immediately obvious.

What federal trucking rules can matter after a crash?

Because of their large size and the potential risks they pose, there are certain regulations that apply to many large commercial trucks. Some of these include:

Hours of service

The FMCSA generally limits drivers’ active driving hours to 11 following 10 consecutive hours off duty. It also prohibits driving beyond the 14th consecutive hour after coming on duty, and requires a 30-minute break after eight cumulative hours of driving without a qualifying interruption.

Electronic logging devices

The FMCSA requires that motor carriers retain covered drivers’ ELD data for at least six months.

Driver qualification and drug/alcohol testing

Covered carriers must maintain qualification records, and CDL drivers and employers are subject to specific federal drug and alcohol-testing rules. Evidence of a violation may help build a negligence claim.

Cargo securement and vehicle maintenance

Shifting and falling cargo create severe dangers for others on the road. There are federal securement rules in place to help prevent such incidents.

Who is responsible for a Florida truck accident?

Depending on the facts, more than the truck driver may be legally responsible. At Hickey Law Firm, we identify and pursue the parties whose conduct contributed to the crash and the resulting injuries, including motor carriers and other businesses when the evidence and law support a claim against them. The defendants in Florida truck accident cases include:

The truck driver

The driver may be liable because of their direct negligence. Negligent driver behavior may include unsafe driving, distraction, impairment, fatigue, traffic violations, inspection failures and other types of conduct.

The motor carrier or driver’s employer

In these claims, there can be potential for vicarious liability for an employee acting within the scope of employment. In other words, an employer can, in the right circumstances, be responsible for their employee’s negligence. Other times, an employer might be directly negligent due to their hiring, retention, supervision, or maintenance of their vehicles.

The freight broker

A freight broker may have a duty to exercise reasonable care in selecting carriers. They may be liable when evidence indicates they were negligent in their choice of a carrier.

The shipper, retailer or customer

Potential direct liability may apply for the shipper, retailer, or customer in cases where they selected, controlled, loaded, represented or otherwise controlled relevant steps in the chain.

A logistics or digital freight platform

If one of these entities acted as broker, carrier, employer, agent, dispatcher or technology platform, they may share liability.

Maintenance, leasing, loading and equipment companies

Maintenance and repair contractors may face liability for negligent work, while loaders could be at fault for their failure to properly secure cargo. Manufacturers and sellers may face product-related claims if their parts failed, causing an accident.

Government entities

Government-roadway theories require careful analysis because of sovereign immunity (protection from certain claims against governments). A government entity responsible for a roadway may be a potential defendant in limited circumstances, but they are subject to Florida’s sovereign-immunity and notice rules.

Alcohol vendors

Florida also permits alcohol-vendor liability only in the narrow circumstances stated in section 768.125, such as willfully and unlawfully furnishing alcohol to an underage person or knowingly serving a person habitually addicted to alcohol.

Our truck accident attorneys understand what precautions drivers, trucking companies, and the trucking industry need to take to ensure truck accidents don’t happen on Florida roads. We also understand the federal and Florida laws that regulate driving trucks. These rules can govern issues such as hours of service, driver qualifications, drug and alcohol testing, vehicle maintenance, and cargo securement.

Related information on truck accidents in Florida:

When can a freight broker be liable for a truck crash?

A 2026 Supreme Court decision (Montgomery v. Caribe Transport II) found that it is possible to hold a freight broker liable in a truck crash, but the circumstances when this applies are specific.

Negligent selection of an unsafe motor carrier

Here, a plaintiff must establish the elements of negligence, including duty, breach, causation and damages as defined under state law. Evidence to support such a claim may include the broker’s knowledge or what the broker should have known from carrier records, prior performance or other information.

How does Florida comparative fault affect a truck accident claim?

If you were partly at fault for the accident that caused your injuries, you may be concerned that you won’t have a claim. However, in Florida, you may still have a case under the state’s 51% modified-comparative-negligence rule. The law allows you to recover damages as long as you are 50% or less at fault for the accident that led to your injuries. However, your recovery will be reduced based on your share of fault. If you are 40% at fault, for instance, you could recover 60% of your damages.

How much insurance may be available after a commercial truck crash?

Commercial-truck cases can involve multiple layers of coverage. With more parties involved and potentially corporate defendants, there are sometimes larger coverage amounts available for those who are injured. Trucking companies often must maintain greater insurance minimums because of their size or the type of cargo they carry. It’s important to have an attorney review your case to identify all potential coverage.

How much is my Florida truck accident claim worth?

Truck accidents change lives. Many victims of Florida truck accidents live with a lifetime of pain; they can no longer do the work they did before the accident, and require very expensive medical care. At Hickey Law Firm, our personal injury lawyers pay attention to all the small details and all your future expenses, so the claim can document the full extent of the losses the evidence supports. We prepare detailed demand letters, requesting that the insurance companies pay compensation for all your current and future damages. Damages in a truck crash may fall into the following categories:

Economic damages

In general, your economic damages are those that relate to your actual financial losses – both your past losses as well as projected future ones resulting from your injuries. You may collect compensation for your:

  • Past and future medical and nursing care
  • Rehabilitation costs
  • Lost earnings
  • Loss of earning capacity
  • Property damage
  • Future care and support that is reasonably supported by evidence

In catastrophic injury claims, you should determine long-term needs like attendant care, equipment and home and vehicle modifications. We can help calculate those numbers with the assistance of experts like life-care planners.

Non-economic damages

The law acknowledges that not all losses are financial. You may be able to recover significant compensation for your pain and suffering, disability and physical impairment, disfigurement, mental anguish, inconvenience and loss of capacity for enjoyment of life.

Wrongful-death damages

Florida wrongful-death damages may include support and services, medical and funeral expenses, lost accumulations and qualifying survivor losses.

What affects value

The value of your claim will depend on many factors, including the severity or permanence of your injuries, causation, comparative fault, your future needs, the impact on your earning ability, available evidence, liable defendants and the insurance and assets of the defendants.

What is the Florida truck accident claim process?

The truck claim process involves several steps. While it may vary depending on different factors, it may proceed through the following stages:

1. Investigation and preservation

We can start the investigation process by collecting evidence from the scene and vehicle inspections, and by collecting carrier, broker, and shipper records. Our team may also issue preservation demands to secure electronic and business records.

2. Evidence development

We work to collect medical proof of your injuries, gather formal witness statements, enlist the help of experts when needed, document your lost earnings, and analyze trucking records, carrier history and insurance information.

3. Liability analysis

We look into who is legally liable by performing an analysis of driver negligence, vicarious liability, negligent hiring or selection, improper maintenance, cargo loading errors, or product defects. Our team may work to determine comparative fault and look into whether there are any government or third-party issues.

4. Demand and negotiation

Once we have adequate supporting evidence and documentation, we can present a demand and start the negotiation process.

5. Litigation and trial preparation

If the case does not resolve because the offers are too low, we can file suit within the applicable deadline and litigate your case. In such circumstances, we would go through the discovery process and take depositions (formal interviews under oath) of witnesses, parties, and experts. In these cases, we prepare for trial, but there is always a chance your case will settle before we actually go before a judge and jury.

When should I file my truck accident claim?

Florida law generally provides a two-year statute of limitations period for negligence actions and a two-year period for wrongful-death actions. The date the period begins to run, possible exceptions, and special procedures for certain defendants can affect the actual deadline in a particular case. For instance, if a government defendant is involved, there are often special pre-suit notice requirements. The best course of action is to speak with our highly respected Florida truck accident lawyers now. Even without strict looming time limits on claims, evidence starts to disappear, making it more challenging to build a strong case. The sooner we’re involved, the better.

What does it cost to hire Hickey Law Firm?

At Hickey Law Firm, we offer a free initial case evaluation. If we represent you in your case, we will use a contingency fee agreement. Under this arrangement, we only recover attorney fees if we successfully resolve your case. During your initial, no-obligation consultation, we can discuss how this works in detail, and we can explain any potential litigation-related expenses that could relate to your case.

Do you have a truck accident lawyer near me?

Hickey Law Firm meets with clients and families at our Miami, Florida office located at 12150 SW 128th Ct, Suite 225. We serve those injured by truck accidents in Jacksonville, Miami, Tampa, Orlando, Port St. Lucie, and beyond.

We meet truck accident victims who cannot come to our office at their homes and other convenient locations.

Speak with Hickey Law Firm in Florida today

When people need a lawyer for life-changing injuries, they choose Hickey Law Firm. We are quality over quantity. We don’t have hundreds of lawyers; we have a few. We don’t have thousands of clients; we have a good number. We don’t advertise on TV. We get interviewed on TV … and in magazines, on RADIO, IN newspapers, and by online media. And we are not for everybody. We are for you, the honest person who was seriously injured. Assert your rights. Contact our experienced Florida truck accident lawyers today. You pay no attorney’s fee unless we recover compensation for you. To schedule a free consultation, call now or complete our contact form. We represent truck accident victims and their families throughout Florida and across America.

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Hickey Law Firm – Call us today.