North Miami Beach Truck Accident Lawyer

A truck crash is not just a bigger car crash: there may be a trucking company, federal safety rules, electronic driving records and several insurance policies. If you are looking for a North Miami Beach truck accident lawyer, this page explains, in plain words, how these claims generally work. It is general information, not legal advice; every case is different.

Where Truck Crashes Happen in North Miami Beach

North Miami Beach is a city of about 46,200 people in northeastern Miami-Dade County (U.S. Census Bureau, July 2025 estimate), with North Miami to the southeast, Miami Gardens to the west and Aventura to the northeast. Stores, restaurants and apartment buildings along its main roads take deliveries all day.

• Interstate 95 I-95 runs along the city's northwest border, with access from Exit 12. Sudden slowdowns near the ramps can turn into rear-end crashes when a loaded truck can't stop in time.
• NE 167th Street and NE 163rd Street (State Road 826) The city's main commercial road runs past the Mall at 163rd Street, across the Florida East Coast Railway tracks and on to Biscayne Boulevard and Sunny Isles Beach. Delivery trucks turning into plazas and loading zones are part of daily traffic.
• Biscayne Boulevard (U.S. 1) U.S. 1 runs through the east side of the city, about 11 miles north of downtown Miami. Trucks making wide right turns and box trucks double-parked for deliveries can catch drivers, cyclists and pedestrians by surprise.
• West Dixie Highway (State Road 909) State Road 909 ends at NE 163rd Street in North Miami Beach, feeding more traffic into that corridor.

Semi-Trucks, Delivery Trucks and Garbage Trucks

The type of truck often decides who is responsible and which insurance applies. We see claims involving:

• Semi-trucks and 18-wheelers Jackknifes, underride crashes and rear-end collisions with loaded tractor-trailers on I-95 are some of the most serious. For a North Miami Beach semi-truck accident lawyer, the federal rules below usually matter most.
• Delivery and box trucks Package vans and box trucks stop and park where cars don't, often under time pressure. The driver may work for a delivery company or a contractor, which affects who pays.
• Garbage and recycling trucks Garbage trucks back up and stop often on residential streets and behind businesses. Some are run by a government body, which brings special notice rules.
• Dump trucks and construction trucks Trucks hauling dirt, gravel and debris to building sites can lose their loads or have brake problems when they are overloaded or poorly maintained.

Federal Trucking Rules, in Plain Words

Most large commercial trucks that cross state lines must follow rules set by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). When a trucking company or driver breaks these rules, that can be strong evidence of negligence.

• Hours of service Under the FMCSA's hours-of-service rules, a property-carrying driver generally may drive up to 11 hours after 10 hours off duty, may not drive past the 14th hour after coming on duty, must take a 30-minute break after 8 hours of driving, and may not drive after 60 or 70 hours on duty in 7 or 8 days. Tired drivers react late.
• Electronic logging devices (ELDs) Most drivers who must keep records of their duty hours do it with an ELD. Those records can show whether the driver was over the limits.
• Insurance minimums For-hire carriers hauling general freight across state lines in trucks of 10,001 pounds or more generally must carry at least $750,000 in liability coverage, much more than a typical car policy.

Who Can Be Responsible for a Truck Crash

In a car crash there is usually one driver and one insurance company on the other side. In a truck crash there may be several. Depending on the facts, a North Miami Beach truck accident attorney may look at:

• The driver Speeding, distraction, fatigue, unsafe lane changes or impairment.
• The motor carrier The company that employs the driver or operates the truck may be responsible for the driver's conduct, and for its own choices about hiring, training, scheduling and supervision.
• The freight broker A broker that arranged the load may face questions about the carrier it chose.
• The shipper or loader Cargo that is overloaded, unbalanced or poorly secured can shift or fall.
• Maintenance companies and manufacturers Worn brakes, bad tires and defective parts can point to a repair shop, a leasing company or a parts maker.

Black-Box and ELD Data: Act Quickly

Many trucks carry electronic systems that can record speed, braking and other data around the time of a crash, along with the ELD's driving records, GPS and dispatch messages. Trucking companies also keep maintenance and driver files. Not all of it is kept forever.

That is why it helps to act early. A lawyer can send the trucking company a written request to preserve the truck, its data and its records before they are lost, overwritten or repaired. In North Miami Beach, it can also help to ask nearby businesses on NE 163rd Street or Biscayne Boulevard to save security video, which is often recorded over within days.

What to Do After a Truck Crash in North Miami Beach

1. Call 911 and get medical care right away. Some injuries show up later.
2. Get the crash report. The North Miami Beach Police Department is the city's police agency. Crashes on I-95 are often handled by the Florida Highway Patrol. Ask the officer how to get the report.
3. Photograph everything. The truck, its company name, USDOT number and plate, the trailer, the cargo, the road, skid marks and your injuries.
4. Get names. The driver's name and employer, and witnesses' phone numbers.
5. Use your PIP and see a doctor. Florida's PIP law generally requires initial medical treatment within 14 days of the crash to use your PIP benefits.
6. Don't talk to the trucking company's insurer first. Don't give a recorded statement or sign anything before getting advice.

Comparative Fault, Insurance and Deadlines

Your own PIP coverage generally pays a share of your medical bills and lost wages first, no matter who caused the crash. After a serious truck crash, you may also have a claim against the driver, the carrier and others for the rest of your medical care, lost income and pain and suffering.

Florida follows a modified comparative negligence rule. In general, if you are found more than 50% at fault you cannot recover damages, and if you are 50% or less at fault your recovery is reduced by your share. Trucking insurers often say the car cut in front of the truck.

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

How We Help After a Truck Crash in North Miami Beach

Tomas Robirosa serves North Miami Beach and all of Miami-Dade County, and you can speak with him directly in Spanish or English, by phone, by video or in person. We move quickly to preserve the truck's data and records, identify every company involved, deal with their insurers and, if needed, file suit. North Miami Beach is in Miami-Dade County, which makes up Florida's Eleventh Judicial Circuit, so a lawsuit is usually filed there.

We work on a contingency basis: no fee unless we recover. Call (305) 600-0529 for a free consultation.

Frequently Asked Questions