A Truck Accident Attorney in Tampa, FL, Who Understands the Full Scale of What You're Facing
A collision with a commercial truck rarely looks like an ordinary car accident. The size and weight difference alone can mean catastrophic injuries, and the investigation behind a truck accident claim is often far more complex than a typical crash between two passenger vehicles. A Tampa truck accident lawyer can help you understand exactly what happened and who may be responsible.
At Ligori & Ligori, Injury Lawyers, we've recovered more than $123 million for injured clients, backed by over 145 years of combined legal experience. We bring that same depth of experience to investigating the layers of responsibility a serious truck accident claim often involves.
Contact us out today for a free consultation with a truck accident attorney in Tampa, FL. There's no cost and no pressure, just a conversation about what happened, what parties may be liable for the harm you suffered, and what your options may be.
Real Results for Our Truck Accident Victims
A truck accident can change your life. So can the outcome of your injury claim. Getting the recovery you need means having the resources to face the physical, financial, and emotional challenges caused by your injuries, ranging from short-term impacts to lifelong consequences.
Our team at Ligori & Ligori, Injury Lawyers has secured multiple high-value recoveries for clients injured in truck accidents throughout Florida. Here's an example of what determined investigation and preparation can achieve.
While our client was riding his bicycle in a bike lane, a delivery truck struck him from behind, causing serious injuries to his pelvis and lower back. The insurance company's initial offer was just $15,000. We secured a $600,000 settlement to help him move forward.
Every truck accident case is different, but what's consistent across every claim we handle is our commitment to pursuing the full recovery our clients need. We don’t accept lowball settlements.
The Many Types of Trucks Involved in Serious Accidents in Florida
When people think of a truck accident, they often picture an 18-wheeler on the highway, but serious truck accidents involve a much wider range of vehicles. Our firm pursues liability against all relevant parties in accident cases that involve the following types of trucks:
- Delivery and utility vehicles: Delivery vans, contractor trucks, and utility vehicles like plumbing or electrical service trucks are common sights on Tampa roads and can cause serious harm in a collision.
- Moving and box trucks: Moving trucks and box trucks, often larger than they appear, can cause significant damage given their size and the way they're loaded.
- Construction and waste vehicles: Dump trucks, cement mixers, and garbage or waste collection trucks are frequently on the road during business hours and can pose serious risks due to their size, blind spots, and cargo.
- Tractor-trailers and heavy freight: Semi-trucks, tanker trucks, refrigerated trucks, and large flatbeds represent some of the heaviest vehicles on Florida roads, and accidents involving them are often the most catastrophic.
Whatever type of truck was involved in your accident, understanding the vehicle and the rules that governed its operation is often the first step toward understanding your claim. Working with an experienced truck accident attorney in Tampa, FL, means having guidance tailored to the specific facts of your case and how laws at both the state and federal levels apply to your situation.
Not Every Truck Accident Involves the Same Rules
The type of truck involved in your accident directly affects which laws and regulations apply. That distinction matters for how your claim gets built.
A personal pickup truck or SUV used for non-commercial purposes is generally governed by the same rules as any other passenger vehicle accident.
Commercial trucks can be subject to different safety requirements depending on their weight, use, cargo, and whether they operate in interstate or intrastate commerce. Vehicles over 10,000 pounds may be subject to federal motor-carrier safety requirements or Florida's corresponding commercial-vehicle rules, even when the driver does not need a CDL.
A CDL is generally required for vehicles or combinations meeting the applicable 26,001-pound threshold, vehicles designed to transport 16 or more people (including the driver), and vehicles carrying hazardous materials that require placarding. Depending on the operation involved, additional rules may govern driver hours, drug and alcohol testing, vehicle maintenance, and insurance or financial responsibility.
Due to their size, CDL truck accidents carry a particularly high risk of leaving victims with devastating, potentially catastrophic injuries.
Common Causes of Truck Accidents in and Around Tampa, FL
Truck accidents often result from a driver's negligence, though the specific circumstances vary widely.
- Driver fatigue: Long hours on the road can impair a driver's reaction time as severely as alcohol, particularly when hours-of-service rules aren't properly followed.
- Distracted driving: A truck driver's attention diverted for even a moment, whether by a phone, dispatch communications, or something else, can cause a serious accident, given how much distance a large truck needs to stop safely.
- Speeding trucks: Excessive speed reduces a truck driver's ability to react and dramatically increases the severity of a resulting collision.
- Overloaded trucks or improperly loaded cargo: Cargo that exceeds weight limits or isn't properly secured can affect a truck's handling and stopping distance, or become a hazard in its own right.
- Improper turns and unsafe lane changes: Wide turns and blind spots unique to large trucks can lead to serious collisions when a driver doesn't account for them properly.
- Poor vehicle maintenance: Worn brakes, tire failures, and other mechanical issues that go unaddressed can directly cause or contribute to a serious accident.
Every factor in a truck accident carries its own considerations. A thorough investigation conducted by an experienced Tampa truck accident lawyer can uncover the full picture of what happened.
Truck Accident Investigations Are More Complex Than Car Accidents
A truck accident claim often involves more than just the driver who caused your collision.
Depending on the circumstances, multiple parties may bear some responsibility for your accident, including:
- The truck driver
- The trucking company that employed the driver
- The owner of the truck, if different from the employer
- A maintenance contractor responsible for keeping the vehicle in safe condition
- A company responsible for loading its cargo
Identifying every liable party is often essential to reaching every available source of insurance coverage.
At Ligori & Ligori, Injury Lawyers, we investigate every angle of a truck accident claim. We analyze maintenance and inspection records, driver qualification files, and, where applicable, black box or electronic control module data that can reveal what happened in the moments before the crash. This kind of investigation takes real resources, and we're prepared to invest them into building your case thoroughly.
