Clearwater Truck Accident Lawyer

Were you injured in a truck accident in Clearwater, Florida? These accidents can be catastrophic and life-threatening. The truck driver or trucking company might owe you compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more. Our Clearwater truck accident lawyers can help you recover what they owe you. 

Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers has 66 years of experience helping injured clients like yourself recover life-changing compensation. We’ve recovered hundreds of millions to date for cases involving Clearwater commercial vehicle accidents, taxi accidents, motorcycle accidents, catastrophic injuries, and more.

Contact our Clearwater law office today at (727) 796-8282 to schedule your free consultation to discuss how we can help you.

How Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help After a Truck Accident in Clearwater

How Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Can Help After a Truck Accident in Clearwater

After an accident with a large truck, the trucking company or their insurer might challenge your personal injury claim. They may minimize your injuries, undervalue your damages, or even blame you for your injuries. If you hire our Clearwater personal injury lawyers, they know they won’t get away with these old tricks.

Our team at Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers have been recognized as “Super Lawyers,” “Rising Stars,” and “Top Lawyers” by industry-leading rating services. Insurers and defense attorneys know this, which is why they’d prefer you to choose another law firm.

We strengthen your case and the value of your claim by:

  • Providing award-winning legal advice at every stage your claim
  • Investigating your accident to gather evidence
  • Calculating your damages down to the last penny
  • Bringing in leading experts 
  • Negotiating with insurance companies for a fair settlement that compensates you fully
  • Taking the at-fault parties to trial if they don’t play ball

You need to focus on your recovery now. We’ll take care of your claim or lawsuit. Contact our Clearwater personal injury attorneys today for a free case evaluation.

How Common Are Truck Accidents in Clearwater, FL?

Truck accidents are a common sight on Florida Roads. In 2019, over 30 people were killed in fatal truck accidents, according to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Another 2,207 people face injuries ranging from possible to incapacitating. Unfortunately, a recent study indicates that fatal accidents are on the rise in Pinellas County.

Truck accidents that don’t result in death can nevertheless leave their victims with significant injuries. Experts believe the spike in accident rates is a result of a combination of factors, including low gas prices and a rising population.

What is My Truck Accident Case Worth?

Every accident with a truck is somewhat unique. Unfortunately, we cannot estimate the value of your case without an investigation into the facts.

Various factors influence how much your truck accident case will be worth, including:

  • The severity of your injuries
  • The extent of your medical costs and lost wages
  • Whether you suffered a permanent impairment
  • Whether you contributed to the accident

It’s not uncommon for truck accident settlement amounts to be higher than most car accident settlement amounts. Because large truck accidents can be particularly devastating, victims often collect more than they would have had their accidents involved smaller vehicles.

What Kind of Damages Are Available to Accident Victims?

The damages available to accident victims generally fall into two categories: economic damages and non-economic damages.

Economic damages refer to your financial losses after a truck accident; they compensate for: 

  • Medical expenses, including future anticipated medical costs
  • Lost wages
  • Diminished earning capacity
  • Property Damage
  • Incidental Expenses
  • And more

These damages can typically be verified with documentation like receipts, bills, and pay stubs. Future damages may require expert testimony.

Not every loss after a truck accident will be monetary. Non-economic damages compensate you for non-financial harms, such as:

  • Pain and suffering
  • Emotional distress
  • PTSD, anxiety, or depression
  • Disfigurement or scarring
  • Loss of enjoyment of life

Survivors of a fatal accident victim can pursue damages through a wrongful death claim.

Our Clearwater accident lawyers will apply specialized methods to determine the extent of your damages. We’ll even bring in Tampa Bay’s top experts to help us if necessary. Our goal is to leave nothing on the table and get you every penny you deserve.

Can I Recover Compensation if I’m Being Blamed for a Truck Accident in Florida?

The at-fault party’s insurer may try to blame you for an accident to get out of paying your claim. However, Florida is a “modified comparative negligence” state with a 51% bar to recovery; you can recover damages even if you are up to 50% at fault for your accident. 

However, your damages will be reduced to account for your percentage of responsibility. For example, if you have $80,000 in damages but are 50% at fault, you can only recover $40,000 (50%). But if you were 51% or more at fault instead, you would be barred from recovering any compensation.

Trucking companies and their insurers use this rule as a sword to cut down the value of your injury claim. For every percentage of fault they shift to you, they pay less. Our Clearwater truck accident attorneys will challenge this underhanded tactic and maximize your award.

We’ll Fight to Recover Compensation for All Your Truck Accident Injuries

An accident involving a large commercial truck has the potential to cause major injuries. The larger the vehicles, the greater the danger. Some trucks weigh up to 80,000lbs.

Injuries you might sustain in a Clearwater truck accident include:

There’s a good chance you’ll be left with several types of injuries if you’re harmed in a truck accident. Our Clearwater truck accident lawyers will account for all your injuries when determining how much your claim is worth.

What Causes Most Truck Accidents in Clearwater, Florida?

Some of the causes of Clearwater truck accidents overlap with common causes of other auto accidents. They include speeding, intoxicated driving, aggressive driving, distracted driving, and failing to obey the speed limit or traffic signals.

However, in the case of truck accidents, drowsy driving is very often a major contributing factor. Although laws regulate how many hours a trucker can drive before resting, many truckers report feeling they need to skip sleep in order to make deliveries on time.

Large commercial trucks are also much more difficult to operate than cars—sometimes truckers simply lose control of their vehicles. 

However, truck drivers aren’t the only ones responsible for truck accidents. The following parties could also be liable for your accident:

  • Trucking Company
  • Truck or part manufacturer
  • Company who provides maintenance services to the truck
  • Company who loads the truck
  • Government entities

It may not be immediately apparent who is at-fault or why after a Clearwater truck accident. We’re prepared to help you identify the parties responsible for compensating you by conducting a thorough investigation.

How Do I Prove Negligence After a Truck Accident in Florida?

To justify seeking compensation, you must show that your accident occurred because someone was negligent and caused your injuries.

Legally speaking you’ll have to prove the four elements of negligence:

  • Duty. The at-fault party owed you a duty of care.
  • Breach. They breached their duty.
  • Causation. The party caused your injuries.
  • Damages. You suffered damages.

Our legal team will gather evidence showing negligence, including:

  • Dash cam or traffic cam footage
  • Police reports and citations
  • Truck maintenance records
  • Driver logs
  • Black box data
  • Information about the trucking company’s hiring practices
  • Eyewitness testimony
  • And more

Every case is different. That’s why we tailor our approach to the circumstances, using all methods necessary to prove negligence.

How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit After a Truck Accident in Florida?

Barring an exception (to which there are many), you have either two or four years from the date of your accident to file a lawsuit in Florida. Two years is your deadline if your crash took place on or after 3/24/2023, and it is four years if your accident happened before that date. If the accident was fatal, you’d only have two years to file your wrongful death claim. These time limits are known as statutes of limitation. If you miss the deadline, you won’t be able to pursue the compensation you deserve.

You should not delay your personal injury claim. Your attorney needs time to locate evidence while it still exists and eyewitness testimony while it is still fresh. Our law office will make sure you meet all relevant filing deadlines. Contact us today to learn how we can help.

Contact Our Clearwater Truck Accident Lawyers for a Free Consultation

Although a truck accident can impact your life dramatically, help is available. Our Clearwater truck accident lawyers are ready to fight for you. We’ve been fighting for injury victims in Clearwater for over six decades.

Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers can help you get the money you deserve after your accident. Call us or contact us today online to schedule your free consultation.

Our Clearwater, FL personal injury law firm also provides: