Were you recently injured in a truck accident in Jupiter, FL? Our experienced Jupiter truck accident lawyers at Shiner Law Group are ready to help fight for your legal rights and get the compensation you deserve. Call us today at (561) 777-7700 to speak with an attorney for a 100% free consultation.
You may be entitled to seek compensation for medical bills, loss of income, pain, and suffering, and more. Contact our Jupiter, FL law offices to discuss the legal options that might be available to you following your truck accident. The next steps are very important. Let Shiner Law Group help you with your truck accident case today.
Were You Injured in a Truck Accident in Jupiter?
Semi-trucks, also known as big rigs, commercial trucks, tractor-trailers and 18-wheelers, deliver goods across the country and are familiar sights on roads and freeways around Jupiter, FL. Due to their massive size and weight, the amount of space they take up on roadways and other factors, they cause severe damages, injuries and death when involved in accidents with passenger vehicles.
If you have been injured in a truck accident because of another party’s negligence, it’s crucial to enlist the help of an experienced Jupiter tractor-trailer accident attorney right away. Shiner Law Group is the name to trust with our clients-first approach and track record of success. Our Jupiter truck accident lawyer team provides the support you need at every stage of the process while aggressively pursuing the compensation you are owed. Contact us today at (561) 777-7700 to schedule a free case review.
Fatal Truck Accident Attorneys Serving Jupiter
Although traffic-related fatalities have been declining for several years, fatalities due to tractor-trailer accidents are trending upward. The percentage of those who died in truck accidents increased by 22% from 2009 to 2015, and nearly 4,000 people died in such accidents in 2019. In 97% of fatal truck accident cases, an occupant of the passenger car is the fatality victim. Whether you’re dealing with serious injuries or wrongful death in the wake of such an incident, the seasoned and knowledgeable Jupiter tractor-trailer accident attorneys of Shiner Law Group are here to help.
Common Causes of Jupiter Truck Accidents
Truck accidents occur in Jupiter for many reasons. Some of the most common causes of Jupiter tractor-trailer accidents include the following:
- Fatigued driving
- Failure of driver to properly plan a safe route
- Inadequate truck maintenance
- Lack of adequate pre-employment screening
- Medically unfit driver
- Driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol
- Lack of awareness of “no-zones,” large blind spots around a semi-truck
- Failure to maintain a safe speed
Types of Truck Accidents in Jupiter, FL
Every tractor-trailer accident is different, but many involve one or more of the following factors:
- Rollover Accident – If a semi-truck is improperly loaded and becomes unbalanced, it can roll over onto other vehicles.
- Carriage Underride or Override Accident – In these accidents, a passenger vehicle may go under the chassis of a semi-truck, or the semi-truck may ride over the top of the passenger vehicle.
- Jackknife Accident – One of the most common types of semi-truck accidents, jackknife accidents occur when a commercial truck comes to a sudden stop, causing the trailer to skid, swing out and form a 90-degree angle with the cab. Oftentimes, the semi-truck then flips or rolls over.
Common Jupiter Tractor-Trailer Accident Injuries
Injuries commonly sustained by victims of semi-truck accidents in Jupiter, FL, include the following:
- Whiplash injuries
- Damage to internal organs
- Disfigurement requiring plastic surgery
- Traumatic brain injuries, or TBIs
- Spinal Cord Injuries, or SCIs
- Joint injuries
- Broken bones and fractures
- Burns
- Wrongful death
Aftermath of Jupiter Tractor-Trailer Accident
Being involved in a semi-truck accident can permanently impact many areas of your life. Therefore, it is crucial to retain the help of an experienced Jupiter tractor-trailer accident lawyer as quickly as possible in the aftermath of such an event.
Some of the most serious injuries that occur due to tractor-trailer accidents in Jupiter include the following:
Back and Neck Injuries
Motor vehicle accidents result in more than 500 cases of quadriplegia – paralysis of all four limbs – per year. Injuries to the lower spinal cord are also common, causing reduced mobility and loss of functionality. Back and neck injuries incurred in tractor-trailer accidents may also involve herniated or bulging disks, whiplash and various types of muscle damage. Such injuries may impede your ability to stand or sit for extended periods, affecting your ability to engage in manual labor or manage simple, day-to-day tasks.
Traumatic Brain Injuries
Victims of semi-truck accidents often experience violent blows to the head resulting in traumatic brain injuries, also known as TBIs. Sometimes, the force of the impact alone can cause the brain to slam into the skull, causing TBIs.
Common symptoms of TBIs include the following:
- Personality changes
- Loss of short-term memory
- Gaps in long-term memory
- Loss of focus or concentration
- Loss of emotional regulation, including mood swings
- Headaches
- Vertigo
- Ringing in the ears
- Extreme emotional reactions
- Tunnel vision
Broken Bones
Victims of tractor-trailer accidents often have multiple broken bones and fractures, which cause extreme pain and trauma. Such injuries can impede your ability to care for yourself and prevent you from returning to work for an extended period. Surgery is often required, and long-term physical therapy may be needed to restore functionality. Our Jupiter tractor-trailer accident lawyers can help you receive compensation for such injuries.
Amputation
During a semi-truck accident, limbs are sometimes lacerated or torn from the body. Other times, crushing damage to the limbs may impede blood flow, resulting in dead tissue and, in many cases, amputation. Victims often require prosthetic devices, which can cost anywhere from $5,000 to $50,000. Due to wear and tear, they usually need to be replaced every few years.
Burns
You may also sustain burns from a tractor-trailer accident. Sometimes, they happen when your car catches on fire. Other times, you may be thrown from the car and then dragged over the pavement, incurring friction burns. If the semi-truck is carrying hazardous materials, chemical burns may also occur. Burns cause significant pain and scarring, and they also come with a high risk of infection and other complications.
Types of Damages You May Collect Following a Semi-Truck Accident in Jupiter
The skilled Jupiter truck accident lawyers of Shiner Law Group investigate truck accident claims for our clients, ensuring that they receive all of the damages that they are entitled to by law. Types of damages commonly collected after a tractor-trailer accident include the following:
- Medical expenses
- Lost income
- Pain and suffering
- Diminished earning capacity
- Property loss
- Loss of enjoyment
- Loss of consortium
- Punitive damages in cases of extraordinarily reckless or malicious behavior
- Emotional distress
Obtaining Compensation After a Jupiter Semi-Truck Accident
Like anyone who has been injured in a Jupiter truck accident, you probably have lots of questions. What kind of compensation – and how much of it – can you collect? Who pays for the damages? These and other questions are best answered and handled by experienced Jupiter truck accident attorneys like the ones at Shiner Law Group.
Your personal injury lawyer will need in-depth information about the medical expenses you have incurred due to the accident, including the following:
- Emergency room and ambulance
- Surgeries and other procedures
- Hospitalization
- Long-term care
- In-home care
- Durable medical equipment
- Physical, occupational and psychological therapy
- Modifications to the home, including widening doorways and installing ramps
Your Jupiter tractor-trailer accident lawyer will also need information regarding any loss of income you’ve experienced due to your injuries. You may be unable to return to work for an extended period, and your employer may encourage you to wait until you’re fully recovered due to concerns about decreased performance and potential liability. Your ability to resume your regular work schedule may also be impacted by ongoing therapies, appointments and procedures related to your injuries.
Finally, you may be entitled to compensation for the pain and suffering you’ve experienced following a Jupiter tractor-trailer accident. Such issues may include adjusting to new limitations on your life and general emotional anguish caused by your injuries.
Contact a Jupiter Semmi-Truck Accident Attorney
Semi-trucks weigh up to 80,000 pounds and outweigh passenger vehicles by 25 times or more. Therefore, they bring a significant threat of catastrophic injuries and wrongful death when involved in accidents on Jupiter roadways. It is essential to contact an experienced truck accident lawyer as quickly as possible after being injured in such an accident. Shiner Law Group can help, so contact us right away at (561) 777-7700.
Reasons to Hire a Jupiter Truck Accident Attorney
Truck companies have enormous resources at their disposal to fight back against truck accident claims. Some of the top reasons to hire an experienced Jupiter tractor-trailer accident lawyer after being injured in such an incident include the following:
- Manipulation of Evidence – Truck drivers are required to maintain logbooks of their activities. Unfortunately, such logbooks are often manipulated, altered, or destroyed following tractor-trailer accidents. The personal injury lawyers of Shiner Law Group use aggressive discovery process techniques to counteract such manipulation, gathering evidence like lodging receipts, GPS data, tire purchase orders and fuel receipts to uncover inconsistencies.
- Trucking Industry Customs and Practices – Our Jupiter truck accident attorneys handle claims for tractor-trailer accident victims all the time, and they work closely with experts who have specialized knowledge regarding the industry. As a result, they have a keen understanding of underhanded practices employed by the industry, including “cooking the books” and maintaining dual sets of logbooks.
- Spoliation of Evidence – All too often, trucking companies purposely put trucks that have been involved in accidents back into service right away to obscure various types of evidence. Commercial trucks are equipped with electronic control modules, ECMs, or event data records, EDRs, which work similarly to the “black boxes” on commercial airplanes. These devices record key metrics like sudden braking, speeding and location. Shiner Law Group’s personal injury attorneys send “spoliation letters” to trucking firms to ward off such practices, advising them that the black box and truck are the subject of litigation and must be maintained in their post-accident condition. We’ll even file for restraining orders if necessary to prevent the destruction of crucial evidence in your case.
- Multiple Parties and Insurance Companies – Semi-truck accidents often involve multiple vehicles, which can complicate matters considerably for plaintiffs. Often, parties beyond the driver and their trucking company may be involved too, including truck manufacturers, truck component manufacturers, independent maintenance firms and shippers. In turn, multiple insurance companies may become involved as well.
Post Tractor-Trailer Accident Issues
Many factors can affect a victim’s ability to prove liability in a truck-accident incident, so it’s essential to line up qualified legal representation from a talented Jupiter tractor-trailer accident attorney right away. Some of the things that can come into play during this type of case include the following:
- Trucking Industry Regulations – Many state and federal laws apply to the trucking industry. Hours of service rules, or HOS rules, limit how much time drivers may operate semi-trucks at a stretch. Despite this, commercial carriers often encourage drivers to bend the rules to meet unrealistic delivery schedules, resulting in fatigued drivers who are unsafe behind the wheel.
- Trucking Industry Litigation Resources – Trucking companies litigate massive numbers of claims every year and therefore understand such litigation well. They typically have huge war chests and vast armies of experts to fight accident claims. Some firms even have emergency response teams they can deploy in a matter of minutes to develop liability defenses right away. The best way to mitigate these considerable obstacles is by hiring an experienced truck accident lawyer at Shiner Law Group.
- Inspections and Maintenance – Truck drivers must perform pre and post trip inspections to ensure optimal truck safety on the road. Unfortunately, these steps and various types of crucial routine maintenance fall by the wayside, exposing innocent victims to catastrophic injuries and even wrongful death.
- Drug and Alcohol Testing – Strict laws are on the books to reduce the risk of impaired driving by semi-truck drivers. New hires must undergo drug and alcohol screening, and drivers remain subject to random screenings throughout their employment. Such screening is also mandatory following an accident. Unfortunately, many carriers disregard these requirements.
- Truck Size and Weight – Semi-truck drivers must comply with maximum length and weight regulations when operating their vehicles. Operating a tractor-trailer that exceeds such restrictions can cause excessive wear and tear on brakes and tires or cause drivers to lose control.
- Driver Fitness – Trucking companies are required to screen drivers for medical fitness regularly. When they allow drivers with medical conditions like sleep apnea to keep operating semi-trucks, they may be held liable in the event of an accident.
- Securing Cargo Properly – Operators of 18-wheelers and other semi-trucks must adhere to strict federal standards regarding how cargo is secured during transport. When they flout these standards, shifting loads may cause drivers to lose control – or cargo may fall into the road or onto other vehicles, causing major accidents.
Speak With A Jupiter Truck Accident Lawyer Near Me
If you have been injured in a tractor-trailer accident or have a loved one who died due to such an incident, it’s vital to take steps to protect your rights as soon as possible. The best way to do that is by hiring a Jupiter truck accident attorney. Shiner Law Group employs a clients-first approach, guiding victims of semi-truck accidents through the process and aggressively pursuing the maximum compensation for them from start to finish. Contact us today at (561) 777-7700 to schedule a free online consultation.
