Injured in a truck crash? You deserve answers, not more stress.
At Steinger, Greene & Feiner, our West Palm Beach truck accident lawyers have recovered millions for victims of compensation for victims of semi-truck, tractor-trailer, and commercial vehicle collisions across Florida.
These crashes are devastating and often result in devastating injuries, totaled vehicles, and insurance companies eager to minimize payouts. When their negligence causes your pain, we make sure they pay for it.
You don’t pay unless we win. Get your free case review today. We’re available 24/7.
Why You Need a Truck Accident Lawyer in West Palm Beach
Truck accident cases aren’t like car accidents. They’re bigger, more complex, and often involve multiple companies, insurers, and legal teams. You have limited time to act, and waiting too long can cost you the compensation you’re entitled to.
Our experienced West Palm Beach truck accident lawyers handle every part of your case, from crash investigation to insurer negotiations, while you focus on healing.
We help you by:
- Proving fault: Gathering black box data, witness statements, and accident reports.
- Handling insurers: We know their tactics and don’t let them undervalue your claim.
- Maximizing compensation: Accounting for medical costs, lost wages, and long-term damages.
- Providing peace of mind: You recover while we take care of the legal details.
Common Causes of Truck Accidents
While human error is a factor in almost any type of accident, certain aspects of the trucking industry contribute to increased injury risk, making truck accidents especially dangerous.
Common causes of truck crashes in West Palm Beach include:
Driver Fatigue: The pressure on truck drivers to meet deadlines often leads to extended driving hours, compromising safety despite federal regulations mandating rest breaks.
Distracted Driving: Long hours on the road can lead to attention-diverting activities such as texting, watching media, or daydreaming.
Impaired Driving: The use of substances to combat fatigue, including prescription, over-the-counter, or illicit drugs, can impair decision-making and response times.
Equipment Malfunctions: Inadequate vehicle inspections or failure to address mechanical issues can lead to accidents. In cases of defective equipment, such as components like tires, brakes, and lights, manufacturers may be held liable for the accident.
Speeding and Reckless Driving: Especially given the size and weight of commercial trucks, speeding makes it harder to stop suddenly and increases the risk of accidents.
Common Types of Accidents Involving Trucks: Steinger, Greene & Feiner has decades of experience counseling truck accident victims, so we’ve seen almost every type of accident imaginable, including.
Rear-End Collisions: Often caused by factors such as distracted driving, fatigue, or brake system issues, rear-end collisions are typically intensified by the size and weight of commercial trucks.
Jackknife Accidents: Because they resemble a folding knife, jackknife accidents occur when a trailer folds towards the truck cab, typically due to loss of traction. These can be triggered by adverse weather, improper braking, or sudden maneuvers, posing significant risks on busy highways.
Rollover Incidents: When a truck rolls over, it’s usually due to factors like excessive speed, overloading, or abrupt steering maneuvers. These types of accidents can be potentially catastrophic.
Underride Collisions: Underride collisions occur when smaller vehicles become wedged beneath a truck’s rear or side. Often resulting in severe injuries or fatalities, these accidents can be exacerbated by inadequate truck safety features.
Blind Spot Accidents: Because of their size, trucks have substantial blind spots in which smaller vehicles may not be visible. Blind spot accidents frequently occur during lane changes or turns, particularly when vehicles linger in these areas.
Cargo Spills: A heavy payload that hasn’t been properly secured to its trailer can spill out on the road, having catastrophic consequences for traffic following behind a commercial truck accident.
Types of Truck Accidents We Handle
Our lawyers have seen it all. These are the most common and serious types of truck crashes we help with:
- Rear-end collisions: Often caused by distracted or tired drivers. The truck’s weight makes impact severe.
- Jackknife accidents: The trailer folds toward the cab, usually caused by sudden braking or slippery roads.
- Rollover crashes: Speed, sharp turns, or unbalanced loads can flip a truck entirely.
- Underride collisions: Smaller vehicles slide under a truck’s rear or side, and often catastrophic.
- Blind-spot accidents: Cars hidden beside trucks are struck during lane changes or turns.
- Cargo spills: Unsecured loads scatter debris, causing multi-vehicle pileups.
Who May Be Liable in a Truck Accident
Truck accidents often involve multiple responsible parties, which means a shared responsibility.
Our accident attorneys identify and hold all liable parties accountable, such as:
- Truck Driver: Responsible for negligence, errors, or regulatory violations.
- Trucking Company: Liability often extends to trucking companies through the doctrine of respondeat superior, which holds employers accountable for their drivers’ negligence.
- Shipping Company: May be at fault for improper cargo loading or imposing unreasonable deadlines.
- Broker: Can be held responsible for non-compliance with federal regulations or providing false information.
- Truck Manufacturer: Liable for faulty parts or failure to address known issues.
- Third-Party Drivers: May share responsibility if involved in the accident.
Other potentially liable parties include:
- Truck Owner (responsible for maintenance)
- Highway Designers
Truck drivers, carriers, freight companies, or manufacturers may each breach their duty of care, which is the legal obligation to act as a reasonably prudent party would under the circumstances.
To prove negligence, your attorney must establish four key elements:
- Duty of Care: Every driver or company must operate safely and follow regulations.
- Breach of Duty: A failure, such as violating hours-of-service limits or neglecting maintenance.
- Injury: You were physically harmed because of the crash.
- Damages: You suffered measurable losses like medical bills or lost wages.
Examples of breaches include driving beyond regulated hours, overloading trailers beyond weight limits, or skipping essential brake and tire maintenance.
And even if the injured party is partially at fault, they may still be eligible for a case in Florida.
Legal Complexities and Deadlines in Florida Truck Accident Cases
Truck accident cases are rarely straightforward. Multiple parties may share liability, and each one is governed by different state and federal regulations.
- Negligence
Proving negligence or a failure to act with a reasonable duty of care resulting in harm, is the key to achieving favorable outcomes in claims. If a lawyer can prove negligence, it will significantly increase the outcomes of your personal injury claim and the compensation amount you receive.
- Vicarious Liability
Vicarious liability refers to holding someone responsible for the fault of a third party. For example, if you caused a truck wreck, your employer may bear some of the liability on your behalf.
- Federal and State Regulations
Florida’s trucking regulations and federal laws add further complexity, defining everything from driver hours of service to vehicle maintenance and cargo safety. Our West Palm Beach truck accident lawyers interpret and leverage these rules to strengthen your claim.
Florida law gives you two years from the date of the accident (or death, in wrongful death cases) to file a lawsuit. Acting quickly matters not just to meet deadlines but to preserve key evidence. Your attorney’s assistance can make all the difference in proving fault and maximizing compensation.
Compensation for Truck Accident Victims
Compensation for truck crash victims generally covers two types of damages: economic and non-economic.
- Economic damages compensate you for the financial losses incurred, things as medical bills, lost wages, property damage, and any other out-of-pocket expenses related to the accident.
- Non-economic damages, on the other hand, help you recover compensation for intangible losses related to pain and suffering, mental anguish, and permanent disabilities or impairments caused by the accident involving a truck.
In the worst cases, you or someone you love may have been involved in a fatal accident. Consult with a compassionate personal injury lawyer to pursue a wrongful death claim and receive compensation for your ultimate loss. In certain cases, truck accident victims can also claim punitive damages. Punitive damages don’t seek compensation for losses but instead are awarded to discourage future wrongdoing by the defendant. In order to qualify for punitive damages, your lawyer must provide convincing evidence of the defendant’s gross, willful misconduct. The maximum amount of punitive damages permitted by Florida law is $500,000 or 3x your compensatory damages, whichever amount is greater.
Additionally, because of Florida’s comparative negligence laws, compensation may be prorated based on the percentage of fault assigned to each party. For instance, if the injured party is found 20% responsible, their compensation would be reduced accordingly.
Our truck accident injury lawyers know first-hand the tactics that insurance companies use to minimize payouts and maximize their profits, and compete with them successfully.
Steps in a Truck Accident Claim
The truck wreck attorneys at Steinger, Greene & Feiner take a holistic approach when counseling on trucking accident law in West Palm Beach. We handle your case from start to finish:
- Free consultation: The accident claim process starts with a free consultation in which we take time to learn about you and the circumstances of your case.
- Investigation: Next, we conduct a thorough investigation, gathering key evidence like police and medical reports, photos/videos, eyewitness statements, expert testimony, and interviews with your family. We also secure black box data, driver logbooks, GPS records, and maintenance or inspection reports to prove negligence and liability. If necessary, we subpoena evidence such as surveillance footage or onboard telematics to prove a breach in duty of care.
- Negotiation: This supporting evidence will later be used as leverage during negotiations with your insurance company.
- Litigation: Depending on the outcome of those negotiations, as well as other circumstances of your case, we will advise if you should file a lawsuit to prove your offender’s negligence in court where we will represent on your behalf.
- Resolution: You receive the compensation you deserve, and we only get paid when you do.
Our attorneys may pursue multiple simultaneous claims when different parties share liability, such as the driver, carrier, or parts manufacturer, to maximize your total recovery. And we have your back at every step of our legal process, from trial preparation to representation in court.
Why Choose Our Law Firm
If you’ve been injured in a truck accident in West Palm Beach, you don’t have to face the legal system or your recovery process alone. We provide:
- No fees unless we win. You pay nothing out of pocket.
- Over $2 billion recovered for clients across Florida.
- Local experience. We know the Palm Beach courts, insurers, and trucking regulations.
- 24/7 availability. We’re always here when you need us.
- Trusted by clients. Over 900 five-star reviews in West Palm Beach.
And our clients’ reviews are the best proof of that:
Client Testimonials
1645 Palm Beach Lakes Blvd #900, West Palm Beach
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I had a great experience with this law firm . Concetta Camacho is a fantastic lawyer and very compassionate. I felt like she was actually listening to me and what i was going through unlike other lawyers i have dealt with that treat you … More like another paper on the desk. Marrissa Carrier was my point of contact and ALWAYS answered my texts and calls within minutes. Having someone respond with adequate time is so important to me. Great communication on her part. I am very grateful to have found them. They ensured the BEST possible turnout for my case. Cannot recommend them enough -
Allison Davis was amazing from the beginning to end. She was quick , answered every question & put it in dummy terms for me to understand. She was friendly made sure I fully understood even when I wasn’t sure & got upset she took … More her time with me. There’s never been a moment when I called she didn’t answer except one time & she called back within 30 mins. Made this a quick , easy & understanding process. Highly recommend. Very grateful for Allison & the entire team through this process I spoke to multiple people but Allison was the most on top of everything & Claudia was just as great.Gavin was just as amazing. The entire team will always refer them.
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Steinger green and Feiner have been amazing. From the very start – they have been thorough and very detailed and extremely supportive and helpful. Brooke Grogan, the attorney on my case, has been the absolute best. Utmost customer service … More and extremely responsive and detailed. I highly recommend.
Speak with a West Palm Beach Truck Accident Attorney Today
At Steinger, Greene & Feiner, our team of experienced semi-truck and commercial truck accident attorneys are skilled in handling these and other cases. We’ll help you get started on the road to recovery by taking the stress and uncertainty out of your healing process.
We relieve you of the burden that comes with navigating complex legal processes and insurance negotiations. While insurance companies add insult to your injuries with questionable strategies aimed at minimizing payouts, we’re your advocate for maximum compensation.
With decades of experience on our side, we’re by your side. Visit us at our office at the address: 1645 Palm Beach Lakes Blvd, Suite #900, West Palm Beach. Or call now for your free consultation, or contact us via the online form
FAQ
The most common types of accidents involving truck include rear-end collisions, jackknife accidents, and rollover incidents, with rear-end collisions being particularly prevalent due to factors like distracted driving, fatigue, or brake system issues.
A truck crash lawyer handles case evaluation, evidence gathering, negotiation with insurance companies, and represents the victim in court to maximize compensation for injuries and damages.
Consult a lawyer as soon as possible after an accident to ensure evidence is preserved, legal deadlines are met, and your rights are protected throughout the claims process.
Settlement amounts vary widely depending on the severity of injuries, liability, and damages involved, but can range from tens of thousands to millions of dollars, especially in cases involving severe injuries or fatalities.