Delray Beach Truck Accident Lawyer

A loaded tractor-trailer can weigh many times more than a passenger car, so truck crashes often cause the most serious injuries we see. They are also more complicated than ordinary car accidents, because the trucking company, its insurer and sometimes other businesses may share responsibility. If you were hurt in a truck accident in Delray Beach, this page explains what to know.

Where Truck Crashes Happen in Delray Beach

• Interstate 95 I-95 crosses Delray Beach with interchanges at Linton Boulevard (Exit 51) and Atlantic Avenue (Exit 52). Heavy truck traffic, sudden slowdowns and lane changes near the ramps cause rear-end and sideswipe crashes.
• Florida's Turnpike West of the city, the Turnpike's Atlantic Avenue interchange (Exit 81) brings long-haul trucks onto local roads.
• Atlantic Avenue and U.S. 1 downtown Delivery trucks stopping for restaurants and shops, wide right turns and narrow lanes create dangers for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians.
• Congress Avenue, Military Trail and Linton Boulevard These busy corridors carry box trucks, construction trucks and service vehicles throughout the day.
• Railroad crossings The Florida East Coast Railway main line runs through downtown, and traffic, including trucks, can back up at the crossings.

Who Can Be Responsible for a Truck Crash

In a truck case, the driver is rarely the only party to look at. Depending on the facts, responsibility may extend to:

• The trucking company Employers can be responsible for their drivers and for their own hiring, training, scheduling and maintenance decisions.
• The owner of the truck or trailer Sometimes the tractor, the trailer and the driver all belong to different companies.
• The company that loaded the cargo Overloaded or badly secured cargo can cause rollovers and spills.
• Maintenance and parts companies Brake, tire and lighting failures may point to a repair shop or a manufacturer.

Commercial trucks are also subject to safety rules on driver hours, inspections and maintenance. Driver logs, electronic data and maintenance records can show whether those rules were followed, but they need to be requested before they are lost.

What to Do After a Truck Accident in Delray Beach

1. Call 911 and get medical care. Delray Medical Center on Linton Boulevard is a Level I trauma center.
2. Photograph the truck. Capture the company name, the USDOT number on the door, the license plates, the trailer and the damage.
3. Get witness names. Truck crashes often happen fast, and independent witnesses are valuable.
4. Get the crash report. The Delray Beach Police Department handles crashes on city streets. Crashes on I-95 or the Turnpike may be handled by a different agency.
5. Do not talk to the trucking company's insurer before you get advice. Trucking companies often send their own investigators quickly.
6. Call a lawyer early so the evidence can be preserved.

Insurance and Compensation After a Truck Crash

If you were in a car, your own PIP coverage generally pays a share of your medical bills and lost wages first. When injuries are serious, you may be able to bring a claim against the truck driver and the companies behind the truck for medical expenses, future care, lost income, pain and suffering and other losses. Commercial trucks usually carry larger insurance policies than personal cars, but those claims are handled by experienced adjusters and defense lawyers.

Florida's modified comparative fault rule applies: your recovery is reduced by any share of fault assigned to you, and if you are found more than 50% at fault, you generally cannot recover.

Read more about truck accident claims in Florida, or go back to our Delray Beach car accident and personal injury page.

A Bilingual Truck Accident Lawyer in Delray Beach

Tomas Robirosa serves Delray Beach and all of Palm Beach County. He moves quickly to preserve evidence, identifies every company and insurance policy involved, and explains each step to you directly, in Spanish or English.

The consultation is free, and we work on a contingency basis: no fee unless we recover. Call (305) 600-0529.

Frequently Asked Questions