St. Petersburg Truck Accident Lawyer

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Were you injured in an accident involving a large truck, semi-truck, or tractor-trailer in St. Petersburg, Florida? You may have legal options to recover compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and your pain and suffering. A St. Petersburg truck accident lawyer at Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers will help you pursue the maximum compensation you deserve. Call us today at (727) 349-1728.

Our legal team has been dedicated to protecting accident victims from bicycle accidents, commercial vehicle crashes, bus incidents, St. Petersburg pedestrian claims, and more since we opened our doors in 1955.

We’ve recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for our clients. Let us put our experience and resources to work for you.

Are you interested in learning more about the benefits of working with our team? Contact our law office today to schedule a free consultation.

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

How Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Can Help After a Truck Accident in St. Petersburg

Truck accident injuries can result in life-altering injuries. It’s critical to seek quality medical care after a truck accident. Unfortunately, that can leave you with a mountain of medical bills–often while you’re injured and unable to work. That makes it especially important to protect your legal rights.

Trucking companies and their insurers have the resources to hire teams of lawyers and crews of investigators. They’ll start investigating the crash immediately. You might even have an insurance settlement on the table already.

Unfortunately, many truck accident victims accept lowball settlements because they need money quickly. Our St. Petersburg personal injury attorneys can make sure you don’t settle for less than you deserve.

Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers is the oldest personal injury firm in Tampa Bay. We’ve recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for accident victims; we’ve done it by not backing down in our fights for fair compensation.

You can expect us to:

Thoroughly investigate the crash
Identify all responsible parties and sources of insurance
Hire expert witnesses and specialists
Negote with the insurance company on your behalf

Once you accept a settlement, you can’t pursue additional compensation at a later date. Our St. Petersburg personal injury attorneys have over 60 years of experience negotiating with insurance companies. We’ll assess the value of your claim before we even sit down at the negotiating table.

Ready to learn more about how we’ll fight to maximize your settlement or verdict? Call for a free consultation today.

How Common Are Truck Accidents in St. Petersburg?

More than 5,000 people died in large truck wrecks across the U.S. in 2019. That’s a 36% increase since 2010.

Florida is no stranger to fatal crashes. In 2019, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles estimated that at least 32,000 people were involved in large truck accidents in the Sunshine State.

What is My St. Petersburg Truck Accident Case Worth?

Determining the value of your truck accident claim can be difficult. Numerous factors can play a role. Of course, the primary factor is the severity of your injuries. The most serious injuries tend to result in the highest settlements.

Additional relevant factors include:

The cost of your medical treatment and property damage
Your prognosis
The impact on your quality of life and career
Your emotional and physical suffering

You’re entitled to compensation for both past and future losses. Hiring a lawyer who has experience successfully handling cases like yours is the best way to make sure you’re getting everything you deserve.

What Types of Damages Are Available to Truck Accident Victims?

Like any car accident victim, truck accident victims are entitled to damages if someone else caused the accident. Florida personal injury laws classify compensatory damages according to whether they represent economic losses or non-economic losses.

Your economic damages may include:

Medical bills
Lost wages
Future medical bills
Lost future earning capacity
Physical therapy and rehabilitation
Long-term care
In-home care
Modifications to your home and vehicle

Non-economic damages provide compensation for:

Pain and suffering
Mental anguish
Diminished quality of life
Anxiety, depression, and PTSD
Permanent physical disability
Disfigurement or scarring
Loss of consortium

Our primary goal is to maximize your compensation award and hold the at-fault parties fully accountable for their actions. That way, you’ll have the financial resources to get back on your feet again.

Can I Recover Damages If I’m Being Blamed for a Truck Accident in Florida?

Multiple parties can be held liable for the same accident under Florida law, including victims who were injured in the crash.

However, you don’t always lose your right to compensation if you’re partly responsible; Florida is a modified comparative fault state with a 51% recovery bar. Under Florida law, you can sue to recover damages from anyone who was even slightly responsible for the accident. However, if you are partly to blame, your damages will be reduced to account for your share of fault. And if you are mostly to blame, you cannot recover compensation.

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

Because of their size and weight, commercial trucks have the ability to cause extreme injuries. Even if you survive the crash, you may be left struggling with a permanent disability.

Some common truck accident injuries include:

Brain injuries
Spinal cord injuries
Broken bones
Internal injuries, including bleeding and organ damage
Head and neck injuries
Concussions
Back injuries
Burns
Amputations
Paralysis
Catastrophic injuries
Wrongful death of a loved one

Truck accident victims often incur hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills. Some require medical care over a lifetime. If you were injured, you can rely on our lawyers to fight for every dollar you deserve.

What Causes Most Truck Accidents in St. Petersburg, Florida?

According to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) data, about 87% of all truck accidents are caused by driver error.

Some of the most common causes of truck accidents in St. Petersburg include:

Distracted driving
Fatigued driving
Excessive speeds
Unsafe passing
Illegal lane changes
Illegal or unsafe turns
Running a red light or stop sign
Drunk driving
Misuse of drugs, including prescription drugs
Failure to maintain the vehicle
Inexperienced drivers
Violation of state and federal safety regulations, including rules limiting hours on the road

Problems with the truck itself cause some truck accidents, including:

Defective brakes
Worn tires
Hazardous cargo
Failure to properly secure the cargo
Failure to properly connect the tractor to the trailer
Defective truck parts and safety equipment
Failure to properly screen, train, and supervise truck drivers

Would you like help identifying the cause of your truck accident? Call our St. Petersburg truck accident attorneys for a free case review today.

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

Our lawyers always conduct a full investigation into the accident. At the outset, we’ll review the truck’s black box recording device and evaluate the truck itself to gain insight into what happened.

The vast majority of truck accident cases are based on negligence. Proving negligence means offering proof about:

The responsible party’s legal duty of care
A breach of duty
How the breach caused the accident
The damages you’ve suffered

In some cases, strict liability laws may also apply.

At Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers, we know that things might feel overwhelming right now. We’re here to help. Just call our law firm today to get the legal advice you deserve.

Who is Responsible for Paying Damages After a Truck Accident?

Truck accident cases are complex. Although the truck driver might have caused the accident, someone else might be legally accountable for your damages.

Additional responsible parties in a truck accident case might include:

The truck driver’s employer
The trucking company
A truck leasing company
Maintenance companies
Shipping companies
A company hired to inspect the truck
A company responsible for securing the truck’s cargo
Government agencies
A third-party driver

Our team will work tirelessly to locate the evidence you’ll need to support your personal injury claim, including:

Trucking logs
The driver’s log of hours spent behind the wheel
Inspection and maintenance records
The driver’s commercial driver’s license and training record
Past reports of safety violations
Video footage and photos of the accident scene
The commercial vehicle’s black box recording device, which can provide information about speed and vehicle function at the time of the crash

We have the resources to hire experts and specialists who can strengthen your case. With their insight and our legal expertise, you can count on us to fight for the maximum compensation you deserve.

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

The statute of limitations in personal injury cases was recently changed in the State of Florida. If your accident took place on or after 3/24/2023, you’ll have two years to file a lawsuit. Otherwise, you’ll have four years. However, there are exceptions to these deadlines.

Missing the deadline has serious consequences. You’ll forfeit your right to compensation if you wait too long to take legal action.

Remember, truck accident cases take time. A thorough investigation is critical to identifying everyone who should be held accountable for your injuries. If you or a loved one have been injured, contact Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers as soon as possible to schedule a free case evaluation.

Contact a St. Petersburg Truck Accident Lawyer for a Free Consultation

Our team at Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers is proud to offer top-quality legal representation. If you were injured, call a St. Petersburg truck accident lawyer to schedule your free consultation today.

Our personal injury law firm in St. Petersburg, FL, and the surroundings of Pinellas County also provides:

Truck Accidents Resources:

Recent Truck Accidents Blog Post:

How Much Does a Semi Truck Weigh?

Truck Repair Shop:

Kens Mobile Auto Repair – St Petersburg, FL – 3530 1st Ave N, St. Petersburg, FL 33713
Affordable Auto and Truck Repair – 7121 9th Ave N, St. Petersburg, FL 33710
JD’s mobile truck and trailer repair – 99999 62nd Ave N, St. Petersburg, FL 33702

Hospitals & Health Centers:

Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital – 501 6th Ave S, St. Petersburg, FL 33701
St. Anthony’s Hospital – 1200 7th Ave N, St. Petersburg, FL 33705
Bayfront Health St. Petersburg – 701 6th St S, St. Petersburg, FL 33701

St.Petersburg Truck Accident Review:

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