West Palm Beach Truck Accident Lawyer

When a commercial truck hits a car, the people in the car almost always take the worst of it. And while you are in the hospital, the trucking company is already building its side of the story. You deserve someone doing the same for you.

Truck Accident Lawyer for West Palm Beach and Palm Beach County

Attorney Tomas Robirosa represents truck crash victims in West Palm Beach and across Palm Beach County from our Miami Beach office. We meet by phone, video, WhatsApp or by appointment in Miami Beach. Consultations are free, and we work on contingency, with no fee unless we recover. Atendemos en español.

Truck Routes Through West Palm Beach

West Palm Beach is a crossroads for freight moving up and down the coast and across the state:

• I-95, especially around the Southern Boulevard, Okeechobee Boulevard, Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard and 45th Street exits.
• Florida's Turnpike, with interchanges at Southern Boulevard and Okeechobee Boulevard.
• Southern Boulevard (State Road 80), which the Florida Department of Transportation describes as a major truck corridor for moving freight across the state.
• Okeechobee Boulevard, Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard and US 1 (Dixie Highway), where trucks mix with downtown traffic.

Just north of the city, the Port of Palm Beach in Riviera Beach is one of Florida's busiest container ports, moving millions of tons of cargo a year with direct access to I-95 and the Turnpike. Many of those containers leave the port on trucks.

Who Pays for a Truck Accident?

In a car crash there is usually one driver and one insurer. In a truck crash there can be several:

• The driver, for speeding, distraction, fatigue or impairment
• The motor carrier, for hiring, training, scheduling and supervising the driver, and for maintaining the truck
• The shipper or loader, if cargo was overloaded or poorly secured
• A broker, in some cases, depending on its role
• Maintenance companies and manufacturers, for defective brakes, tires or parts

For-hire interstate carriers must carry at least $750,000 in liability coverage for general freight under federal rules, and more for hazardous loads. Identifying every company involved is how we find all the coverage available for serious injuries.

The Evidence That Wins Truck Cases

Commercial trucks generate records that cars don't. Federal rules generally limit a property-carrying driver to 11 hours of driving after 10 consecutive hours off duty, with no driving past the 14th hour on duty, and most trucks must log those hours on an electronic logging device (ELD). Other key evidence includes the engine control module ("black box") data on speed and braking, dashcam and forward-facing video, dispatch messages, inspection and maintenance files, and the driver's qualification and drug-testing records.

Companies are not required to keep all of this forever, and some of it is overwritten quickly. That is why we send preservation demands right away.

Florida Law You Should Know

• PIP first: if you were in a car, your own PIP generally pays 80% of reasonable medical bills and 60% of lost wages up to $10,000, if you get medical care within 14 days. Serious injuries usually exceed that, so the trucking company's insurance matters.
• Comparative fault: since March 24, 2023, your recovery is reduced by your share of fault, and a person more than 50% at fault generally recovers nothing.
• Deadline: for most crashes after March 24, 2023, Florida generally allows 2 years to file a negligence lawsuit. Every case is different, so speak with an attorney to confirm the deadline that applies to you.

Hospitals and Courts in Palm Beach County

Seriously injured people in the area are often taken to St. Mary's Medical Center on 45th Street in West Palm Beach or Delray Medical Center, both Level I trauma centers. St. Mary's is also a pediatric trauma referral center for injured children.

If a lawsuit is needed, Palm Beach County state-court cases are heard in the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit, whose main courthouse is the Judge Daniel T. K. Hurley Courthouse at 205 North Dixie Highway in downtown West Palm Beach. Some truck cases are filed in federal court instead, and we explain the options before anything is filed.

Steps to Protect Your Claim

1. Get medical care right away and follow up.
2. Photograph the truck, its USDOT number and company name, the scene and your injuries.
3. Collect witness names and numbers.
4. Don't sign anything or give a recorded statement to the trucking company's insurer.
5. Call us so we can start preserving the truck's data.

More information: our truck accident lawyer page, our West Palm Beach personal injury page, and West Palm Beach motorcycle accidents.

Frequently Asked Questions