Pursuing a civil lawsuit could recover financial compensation after a commercial truck accident. These collisions are common along major highways like US-98. The aftermath of them often results in life-altering injuries. Financial compensation from a civil suit could cover the consequences of a truck crash in Panama City.
Commercial trucking companies and their insurance carriers typically have the assets necessary to pay most injury claims. Unfortunately, that means the legal process will be challenging, as these companies often aggressively fight back against paying any claims.
But, at GED Lawyers, we have a history of winning. Our Panama City truck accident lawyers could help you navigate the claims process and secure fair compensation from these companies. Contact us today for a free consultation with our experienced Panama City personal injury lawyers.
What Is Your Panama City, FL Truck Accident Case Worth?
There is not a blanket dollar amount that applies to every truck accident injury case. The facts of each truck accident case differ dramatically, which can result in very different monetary settlements. To understand what your case is worth, it helps to know the types of economic and non-economic damages that might be available to you.
A truck accident attorney could help you understand the fair compensation you might be entitled to recover. They could evaluate your case to determine any strengths and weaknesses. No accident attorney can promise you a favorable outcome, but you could get an idea of what to expect from your first insurance company settlement offer:
Lost Income
Being injured in a truck accident often means a long recovery. During this recovery period, you could be too hurt to return to work. Your inability to work could cost you paychecks and lead to direct financial strain. If you suffer from permanent injuries or a disability, it could be possible to recover past wages and also compensation for income you are likely to miss out on in the form of reduced earning potential.
Medical Expenses
Your medical care should be your top priority following a truck accident. Unfortunately, medical attention is typically costly. Emergency services at HCA Florida Gulf Coast, transportation by ambulance, surgeries, medications, rehabilitation, and possibly more can leave you and your family with exorbitant medical bills. If you are not covered by insurance, you could be paying for medical treatment on your own. A personal injury lawsuit could allow you to recover these medical costs.
Pain and Suffering
The pain and emotional distress you sustained in your truck accident is subjective and hard to quantify. That does not mean you should not be compensated. After all, your physical pain would not have occurred were it not for the negligence of the at-fault party. Our firm could establish the value of your pain and suffering.
Property Damage
Large commercial trucks often do considerable damage to the vehicles they collide with. This is especially true in cases where they crash into smaller passenger vehicles. The impact of a truck collision can damage or destroy the other vehicles involved. For that reason, you could be entitled to damages based on the cost of replacing or repairing your vehicle. You can also seek compensation for lost personal effects, such as cell phones, clothes, and other property.
Florida’s High Number of Uninsured Motorists
What happens if you were injured by an uninsured or underinsured motorist? In Florida, it’s important to carry uninsured motorist coverage. There is a high number of drivers in the state who do not have adequate coverage. In fact, 15.9% of drivers on our roads do not carry insurance, according to a 2022 report from the Insurance information Institute (III).
Wrongful Death Damages in a Panama City Truck Accident
Unfortunately, commercial truck accidents can cause severe injuries that prove fatal. We’ve seen the devastation families experience when this happens to a beloved relative. Our legal team is there every step of the way to help them take action if they decide to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the negligent party.
During a free initial consultation, our Panama City wrongful death lawyer will explain how these lawsuits work under Florida law and which family members qualify to benefit from a wrongful death claim against the responsible party. If your family can recover compensatory damages under this action, the compensation can cover the decedent’s:
- Medical expenses
- Funeral expenses and burial costs
- Lost household income (lost income, benefits, and other earnings)
- Mental pain and suffering
Wrongful death damages can also include the loss of the decedent’s support and services and the loss of their companionship and protection. When our law firm handles your case, our personal injury attorneys will consider every loss and its negative impact when seeking compensation for you.
Follow Your Doctors Orders to Protect Your Health and Claim
After any injury in an accident, you go to the emergency room or see your doctor as soon as possible. Your doctors can run a full diagnostic test on you to identify any injuries that may be obscured. They can get you started on a treatment program, and you should follow it completely. Do not skip any appointments or sessions.
Following your doctor’s orders ensures your chances of a healthy recovery, but it also protects your right to compensation. If you wait to see a doctor or skip any part of your treatment, the insurance companies could claim you were not as hurt as you claimed to be.
Call GED Lawyers today for your free initial consultation.
What Are the Benefits of Hiring a Panama City Truck Accident Lawyer?
The benefits of working with legal counsel after a truck accident are numerous. Personal injury cases are rarely simple, especially when seeking justice on your own. The guidance of an attorney could help you avoid legal pitfalls, delays, and inadequate settlements. Some of the ways an attorney could help include:
Investigating Your Crash
The first part of any successful injury case is to evaluate every aspect of the truck crash. This includes determining how the accident occurred and who was at fault. The investigation might start with a review of a police report and your medical records, but it could also expand to include reviewing video of the accident or interviewing witnesses.
Filing Your Case on Time
You have a limited window of time to file your truck accident lawsuit in the Bay County courthouse. If you do not file before the deadline runs out, the court could prevent you from ever pursuing monetary compensation through the courts for your injuries.
Your attorney can help you comply with the statute of limitations, which, in Florida, is generally two years, according to Florida Statutes § 95.11. If you are filing a wrongful death lawsuit, you generally have two years under the same statute. If your lawsuit relates to uninsured motorist coverage, you have five years to file.
Unforeseen circumstances can shorten that timeline, so it is best not to delay.
Negotiating a Settlement
Securing settlement offers for compensatory damages is one of the most important tasks an attorney can do in a truck accident case. An attorney at our law firm could advise you on whether an offer is worth accepting or whether you should take your case to court.
Litigating Your Case
While settlements are the ultimate goal of many injury victims, and most cases do settle out of court, legal action could be necessary to secure a favorable outcome in your case. Your attorney could file a lawsuit that complies with all the legal requirements and deadlines under state law. They could also help you navigate the legal system while preparing you for trial should your case come to that.
Types of Truck Accidents That Can Occur in Panama City, FL
Not all truck accidents are the same, which is why our law firm gives each case the personal attention it deserves. Although the nature of these collisions can differ dramatically, they all share the potential for severe bodily harm. Any time a commercial truck strikes a passenger vehicle, the accident victims involved could face life-altering or even fatal injuries.
In addition to standard collisions like rear-end accidents, some types of collisions are unique to truck accidents. Some examples include the following:
Right-Hook Accidents
Commercial vehicles need a wide berth when making a right turn. Often, they must first turn left several degrees before turning right to complete the turn. This can be dangerous on multi-lane roads, especially when there are other vehicles to the right of the truck. A right-hook accident involves a truck striking another vehicle in the parallel lane while turning right.
Underride Accidents
Underride accidents are uncommon, but the outcome can be severe when they do occur. This type of truck accident happens when a smaller passenger vehicle is trapped beneath the trailer of a commercial truck. This type of accident can happen when a truck changes lanes without signaling.
Jackknife Accidents
Jackknife accidents earn their name from the shape the vehicle takes during the collision. In this type of auto accident, the truck and trailer fold in on themselves, appearing from above like a folding knife. This type of accident is especially dangerous as the truck could slide sideways, causing vehicle damage across multiple lanes of traffic.
We Can Investigate and Determine What Caused the Truck Accident
Determining the liable party or parties in a truck accident requires a close examination of the accident scene, the circumstances surrounding the collision, the parties involved, and more. Our personal injury lawyer in the Panama City area can examine a wide range of evidence when investigating your case. This evidence can include:
- The truck driver’s licenses, training, and employment records
- The truck driver’s logbooks (to see if any violations of federal hours-of-service regulations occurred)
- The truck’s inspection and maintenance records
- The truck’s dashcam footage or electronic data recorder (black box) information
- Citations for driving or cargo violations
- Results from alcohol and drug tests
All these pieces of evidence in trucking accidents are time-sensitive, so it’s important that we get to work right away to file legal action to preserve them. Our truck accident attorneys in Panama City will collect as much evidence as possible to build your case.
Common Reasons Truck Accidents Happen in Panama City, FL
As noted earlier, each truck accident case is different. However, many collisions occur for common reasons. Driver error is a significant factor in many of them, which include:
- Speeding: Operating vehicles above the posted speed limit can spell danger. Even if a truck driver is going at normal speeds, they can still end up in an accident if their reaction time is slow and they can’t break their speed in time to avoid hitting someone or something. Going too fast on a busy road or a dangerous road or in bad weather can also cause crashes.
- Distracted driving: Many drivers, including commercial truck drivers, can engage in distracted driving behaviors that take their minds off driving. They can get distracted by using a cell phone or eating a meal while behind the wheel. They may even daydream or think about other things while navigating a large, heavy truck. This behavior can result in an unfortunate accident.
- Driver fatigue: Truck drivers log long hours on the road as they haul their cargo to their destinations. They don’t always get adequate rest to help them make these long drives. Sometimes, it’s because they have a sleep disorder, such as sleep apnea, or are driving at times that can induce drowsy driving.
- Mechanical problems: Failing to take care of a truck’s parts can have grave consequences on the road. Braking failures, tire blowouts, and other mechanical failures can cause accidents.
You Could Recover Truck Accident Compensation After a Truck Accident in Panama City, FL
Your truck accident injury case is important, and you deserve legal counsel who understands what fair financial recovery means to you. The truck accident legal team at GED Lawyers is ready to help you fight for the maximum compensation possible in your case. To learn how a Panama City truck accident lawyer could help, call for a free consultation today.
