Jay M. Fisher P.A.

Jay M. Fisher, P.A.
875 Concourse Parkway South
Suite 195
Maitland, Florida 32751
Telephone: 407-628-3015
Fax: 407-628-3909
Email: jmfpa@jaymfisherpa.com

Personal Injury

Trucking Accidents

A serious truck accident can impact the lives of those involved in the accident, as well as the lives of their family members and loved ones. Every 16 minutes, a person is killed or injured in the U.S. in an accident involving 18-wheelers, tractor-trailers, or semi-trucks. Because of their size and weight, trucks can cause enormous damage when they are involved in an accident. Florida ranks third in the number of fatalities caused by truck accidents in the U.S. This kind of accident in particular can be devastating, and it is important to protect your rights and seek recovery from the parties that are responsible.

Who is liable?

There are many factors that come into play when determining liability in a truck accident. In Florida, collisions between semi trucks and other motorists usually occur because the truck driver was fatigued and/or pushed to meet unrealistic and unsafe schedules.

In most cases, a truck accident will involve an employer who owns the truck and an employee driver. The employer is legally responsible for any damages caused by the careless operation of the vehicle. In addition, there is a body of law in Florida that allows an injured person to hold the employer responsible for negligent hiring, negligent retention, and negligent supervision of an employee driver.

When a trucking company hires someone to drive a truck, they have a duty to make certain that person is not a bad driver with a history of accidents and tickets, or potentially a drunk driver or drug user. The employer can be liable not only for compensatory damages, which include economic losses and intangible losses such as pain and suffering, but also punitive damages if the driver did something that was grossly negligent.

What to do if you are involved in a trucking accident:

Get Medical Attention.
	This is extremely important, because some injuries may not be immediately apparent at the time of the accident. Seeking medical attention will give you a better idea of the extent of your injuries.
Contact the Authorities.
	The authorities will not only help to organize the situation, but they will also write a report. This is useful in determining who was at-fault for the accident and will be helpful in supporting your claim.
Obtain Contact Information.
	•	Be sure to obtain the name, address, and phone number of the truck driver involved in the accident as well as any witnesses to the accident.
	•	Write down the driver’s license number of the truck driver and the license plate numbers of the truck
	•	Also, write down registration information from the truck and any names or contact information affiliated with the company that owns the truck.
	•	Obtain Insurance company contact information and policy numbers from the truck.
	•	Gather the names of the authorities that responded to the scene.
Make a note of the following information
	•	Location of the accident and any road conditions that could have caused the accident.
	•	How the accident occurred.
	•	All injuries that were announced at the scene.
	•	Damage to the vehicles and if you have a camera, take photos of all damaged vehicles and the scene of the accident.
	•	Whether the person appeared to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol or overly exhausted.
	•	Whether someone admitted fault for the accident. While it is important to always note if someone else admits fault, NEVER admit fault of your own.

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Please contact the office of Jay M. Fisher, P.A. today regarding your legal rights.