Johnny Devine PA | Attorney | Personal Injury | Criminal Defense | Landlord-Tenant Law

“I’ve been hurt in an accident involving a large truck, what should I do?”

When you’ve been hurt in an accident with a large truck or semi-truck due to the truck driver’s negligence, it’s time to call your attorney . . . Johnny Devine.

While you can visibly see a large truck, often a negligent or inadvertent truck driver may not see you. Massive trucks — often carrying huge, unstable, or unsecure loads — easily cause serious and life-threatening injuries.

Truck accidents may occur for different reasons, such as: a tired or exhausted truck driver who has been driving long hours, an unsecured load that falls onto the road in front of another driver, a distracted or inadvertent truck driver, a truck driver who changes lanes without first looking or seeing you in his blind spot, bad weather conditions which cause the truck driver to drive recklessly, an unqualified or improperly trained truck driver, plus many other reasons.

In truck accidents, more than one party may be liable. In addition to the truck driver, others such as the trucking company, the company employing the driver, and the shipping company may also be liable. No matter the specifics or details of the accident, Johnny Devine uncovers and digs through all the evidence to discover all the liable parties.

If you’ve been injured in an accident involving a large truck, it can be an overwhelming experience. You may find yourself dealing with many things — like injuries, medical facilities, insurance companies, medical bills, lost time and pay from work, or maybe even an uninsured or underinsured truck driver. Even when there is insurance coverage, often insurance companies fight against you in your claim.

If you’ve been injured in a truck accident, you may be entitled to recover compensation for areas of your life that have been negatively affected by the injury, such as: medical bills, prescriptions, future medical expenses, pain and suffering as well as future pain and suffering, permanent impairment or disability, rehabilitation, chiropractic care, physical therapy, suffered psychological effects such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), loss of income, and loss of earning capacity, to name just a few.

During this critical time, it is important to have an experienced attorney on your side, protecting your rights, and fighting for every dollar of monetary compensation to which you are entitled! Johnny Devine has extensive experience in injury cases involving large trucks in Florida.

Here is some important information and helpful suggestions in case you are injured in an accident involving a large truck:

• If you have been injured, call 911 or immediately seek medical treatment
• Report the accident to law enforcement
• Get the truck driver’s information: name, address, phone number, driver’s license number, insurance company and policy number, and truck information
• Get the truck company’s information: name, address, phone number (often times it appears on the truck itself)
• Get witness information: names, addresses, phone numbers
• Use your camera phone to take pictures of your injuries, damage to your vehicle, damage to the truck, and the scene of the accident.
• Florida is a “no-fault” state. Basically, this means those injured in an auto accident may use the Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage provided through their own auto insurance company to pay medical bills. Your auto insurance provides PIP to pay 80% of your medical costs and 60% of lost wages, up to a maximum payout of $10,000. Also, any medical payments made under your PIP coverage do not have to be repaid if you receive a settlement in your personal injury case (whereas health insurance payments may be required to be repaid out of a settlement). Under Florida law, you must use your PIP coverage before you may use your personal health insurance.
• So, when treating at any medical facility, make certain to inform them you were injured in an auto accident and give them your vehicle insurance card.
• NOTE: Florida enacted strict PIP laws which require injured persons to seek medical treatment within 14 days from the date of the auto accident. Any delays in seeking medical care from insurance-specified licensed medical physicians (i.e. hospital or emergency room physicians, primary care physicians, etc.) can reduce an injured person’s PIP benefits to zero dollars.
• IMPORTANT: Consult with Johnny Devine, P.A. before discussing your case with the truck company or the insurance company.

Remember: whether it’s the truck driver that hit you, the truck company, shipping company, or an insurance company, you can tell them to call your attorney . . . Johnny Devine!