If you were hit by a semi-truck, delivery van, or even a company car, your life can change in seconds. Medical bills start piling up. You may be unable to work. Insurance adjusters start calling before you’ve even had a chance to catch your breath. We know exactly how overwhelming that feels, and we know how to fight back.
At Steinger, Greene & Feiner, we’ve stood up to some of the biggest trucking companies and insurers in Florida. Our only goal: to make sure you’re not left paying the price for someone else’s negligence.
Call us today for a free case review. You don’t pay us unless we win for you.
What Counts as a Commercial Motor Vehicle Accident?
A lot of people think “commercial accident” means only semi-trucks. The truth is, it’s much broader. Any vehicle owned by a business or used for work can fall into this category. That includes tractor-trailers, box trucks, delivery vans, buses, utility vehicles, construction trucks, and even company cars used by employees on the clock.
No matter what type of commercial vehicle caused your crash, the common thread is this: there’s usually a company with deeper pockets and bigger insurance policies standing behind the driver. That’s good news for your recovery, but only if you have an experienced accident lawyer who knows how to hold them accountable, because commercial accidents are much different from regular car crashes.
Why Commercial Vehicle Accidents Are Different
The involvement of a company as a liable party, along with its insurance coverage, and the fact that commercial accidents often involve large vehicles, can lead to serious consequences.
Bigger Vehicles, Bigger Risks
When a crash involves a commercial vehicle, whether it’s a commercial truck accident, a crash with a charter bus, or a delivery van, the stakes are much higher. These vehicles weigh far more than passenger cars and take much longer to stop. That size and weight often translate into catastrophic injuries for anyone caught in their path.
More Parties Involved
A regular car accident usually means dealing with one driver and one insurance company. A commercial accident is different. Now you may be up against the driver, the company that owns the vehicle, contractors that maintained it, and multiple insurers. Each one has lawyers and adjusters working to limit what they owe.
Corporate Resources Against You
The second a crash happens, many companies send investigators and adjusters straight to the scene. Their goal isn’t to help, but to gather information that protects the business. They may pressure you to sign papers or make statements that can hurt your claim later.
Higher Insurance Coverage at Stake
Commercial vehicles are required to carry higher levels of insurance because of the damage they can cause. While that means there’s often more money available to cover your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering, it also means insurers fight harder to protect it.
Why Quick Action Matters
Every commercial accident case starts with one advantage for the other side: speed. The company’s team gets to work immediately. If you wait to get help, crucial evidence like driver logs, black box data, and surveillance footage can be lost.
At Steinger, Greene & Feiner, our commercial accident attorneys know how these companies operate, and we’ve been beating them at their own game for decades.
Common Causes of Commercial Vehicle Accidents in Florida
These accidents happen for many of the same reasons as car crashes, but the consequences are often more severe. Fatigued drivers pushed past safe hours, distracted or impaired driving, overloaded cargo, poor vehicle maintenance, and aggressive driving in heavy Florida traffic are some of the leading causes.
Add in Florida-specific risks like congestion on I-95 and I-4, constant tourism traffic, and evacuation traffic during hurricane season, and it’s no surprise that commercial crashes are a serious problem here.
Injuries and the Impact on Victims
Victims of commercial vehicle accidents often suffer spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, broken bones, amputations, and in the worst cases, wrongful death. These injuries don’t just affect your health, but your ability to work, support your family, and live your life the way you did before the crash.
We know what’s at stake for you and your family, and we know how to build the strongest case to get the resources you need to move forward from all liable parties.
Who’s Really Responsible After a Commercial Vehicle Accident?
In commercial vehicle cases, there’s often more than one party at fault, and more than one insurance policy involved. Identifying everyone who played a role in your crash is one of the most important steps in getting the full compensation you deserve.
The Driver’s Responsibility
If a commercial driver causes a crash, they can be held personally liable. But in most cases, the driver isn’t the only one who bears responsibility.
Employer and Company Liability
Under Florida’s vicarious liability law, employers can be held accountable if the driver was working at the time of the crash. That opens the door to the company’s larger insurance coverage. Sometimes, companies are also directly negligent — hiring unsafe drivers, skipping inspections, or pressuring workers to drive too many hours.
Other Parties May Share the Blame
Commercial accidents often involve more than just the driver and the company. A maintenance contractor who missed a critical repair, a cargo loader who failed to secure freight, or even a manufacturer who produced faulty brakes could all bear responsibility.
Florida’s Comparative Negligence Rule
Even if the other side tries to argue that you were partly at fault, Florida law allows you to recover damages as long as you are not more than 50% responsible. Your compensation is simply reduced by your percentage of fault.
Sorting out liability in a commercial accident isn’t simple. Multiple parties, multiple insurers, and aggressive defense teams make these cases a fight from day one. We’ve been taking on corporate insurers for decades, and we know how to win. We track down every responsible party and put the full weight of the law on your side.
Florida Laws and Deadlines
The Clock Is Ticking on Your Claim
Florida law gives you only two years from the date of a commercial vehicle accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. That may sound like plenty of time, but the reality is evidence fades quickly. Witnesses forget details, vehicles get repaired, and records can disappear. Waiting too long can cost you the chance to recover anything at all.
Florida’s Insurance Rules
Every Florida driver is required to carry Personal Injury Protection (PIP). This coverage pays part of your medical bills and lost wages, no matter who caused the crash. But when a commercial vehicle is involved, things usually go far beyond PIP. Businesses that put trucks, vans, and buses on the road are required to carry much higher liability insurance.
Federal Safety Standards for Commercial Drivers
Truck and bus drivers also have to follow strict federal rules from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). These rules limit the number of hours a driver can be on the road, require regular vehicle inspections, and mandate proper record-keeping. If a company or driver breaks those rules, that violation can become powerful evidence in your case.
Commercial vehicle accidents sit at the intersection of Florida law and federal regulations. Insurance adjusters know how complicated the rules are, and they’ll use that to their advantage. Our job is to use the same laws, deadlines, insurance requirements, and federal safety standards as tools to level the playing field for you.
What to Do After a Commercial Vehicle Accident in Florida
- Call 911 and get medical care now.
A police report and immediate treatment help your health and your case. Commercial insurers look for gaps in care, but don’t give them one. - Capture the “commercial” details.
If it’s safe, photograph the company name/logo, USDOT/MC numbers, tractor and trailer plates, trailer ID, placards, and any bill of lading or cargo markings in plain sight, and any other details of the accident scene. These details help us identify all liable companies and insurers. - Get the right info (beyond license and insurance).
Ask for the driver’s employer, dispatch info, unit numbers, and the name of any third-party carrier, shipper, or broker involved. Note who shows up (company rep, adjuster) and what they say. Do not sign anything. - Protect your evidence.
Save clothing, car seats, car seats for kids (if involved), and keep your vehicle unaltered until we advise. If you or a witness had dashcam footage, download and back it up. - Do not give a recorded statement.
Commercial insurers may call quickly, and sometimes multiple insurers will. Politely decline and refer them to your lawyer. One wrong word can be used to minimize your claim. - Call us early so we can preserve data.
We send preservation letters and get the ball rolling before crucial evidence disappears.
Not sure what to do next? Call us. Our car accident lawyers walk you through every step, protect your rights, and start building your case the same day. Free consultation. No fee unless we win.
How We Can Help for Commercial Crashes
When you’re up against a big company after a crash, you need more than just a lawyer—you need a team that knows how to fight back fast and hit where it counts. That’s where we come in.
1) Lock down the evidence—fast.
When accidents involving business vehicles happen, commercial carriers deploy “rapid response” teams right away. We counter by sending preservation (spoliation) letters on day one to stop the company from deleting ELD/driver logs, GPS/telematics, dashcam video, black-box (ECM) data, maintenance files, and HR records. We move quickly so nothing “goes missing.”
2) Get boots on the ground.
We secure the scene photos, skid measurements, debris fields, and nearby surveillance footage (gas stations, traffic cams). If the vehicles still exist, we arrange independent inspections and document cab, trailer, DOT/MC numbers, placards, billboard branding, and any visible defects.
3) Pull the driver’s paper trail.
Whether it’s a truck accident case, a delivery car accident, or any other type, we obtain the Driver Qualification File (DQF), training certificates, prior violations, medical examiner certificates, past crashes/citations, and post-crash drug/alcohol test results when applicable. If the company cuts corners, we’ll find it.
4) Audit hours-of-service and fatigue.
We analyze ELD/HOS data for violations, route planning pressure, and unrealistic dispatch windows. Fatigued or over-hours drivers are a major liability trigger in commercial cases.
5) Expose corporate failures.
Beyond vicarious liability, we build direct negligence claims: negligent hiring/retention, poor supervision, skipped maintenance, unsafe policies, and pressure to meet quotas that push drivers to speed or skip rest breaks.
6) Trace every responsible party.
Commercial cases often involve multiple defendants: motor carrier, truck owner, trailer owner, broker/shipper, cargo loader, maintenance vendor, and sometimes a parts manufacturer. We map the corporate web so the full insurance stack is on the table.
7) Reconstruct what really happened.
Our accident reconstruction experts model speed, angles, stopping distances, and visibility. We match that with black-box data, vehicle damage profiles, and witness testimony to build a clear, credible timeline.
8) Prove the medical and financial impact.
We coordinate your treatment path, document prognosis and future care, calculate lost wages and loss of earning capacity, and capture how the injuries changed your daily life. We make the damages undeniable.
9) Negotiate hard—then try it if we must.
We present a trial-ready demand backed by evidence and experts. If corporate insurers won’t pay full value, we file suit and take them to court. They know we’ll show up prepared.
We handle every aspects of the commercial accident claim so you are updated on it but can focus on healing and our clients testimonials are the best proof of that.
Client Testimonials
Areas We Serve
When you’re hurt in a commercial vehicle crash, you shouldn’t have to travel far to get the help you need. That’s why we’ve built a network of offices across Florida
- Miami
- West Palm Beach
- Coral Gables
- Fort Lauderdale
- Fort Myers
- Jacksonville
- Tampa
- Okeechobee
- Orlando
- Port St. Lucie
- St. Petersburg
No matter where in Florida your accident happened, we’re ready to stand by your side.
Why Choose Steinger, Greene & Feiner?
We’ve been fighting for accident victims across Florida since 1997. With over $2 billion recovered for clients, a team available 24/7, and a track record of going toe-to-toe with the biggest insurance companies in the country, we know how to win.
We don’t just bring legal expertise. We bring dedication. Our team answers your calls, keep you updated, and fights for maximum compensation every step of the way. And you don’t pay us a dime unless we win for you.
Call Us Today
Don’t let trucking companies or corporate insurers push you into a lowball settlement. You have rights, and we’re here to protect them. Call us today for a free, no-obligation case review.
Your fight is our fight — and we don’t stop until justice is served.