Hurt in a Truck Crash in Boca Raton? You Don't Have to Face the Insurance Companies Alone.

Truck accidents in Boca Raton can change a family’s life in an instant. Florida law may allow an injured person, or the family of someone who died, to pursue a claim against the people responsible. This page offers general information about these kinds of cases. It is not legal advice.

Truck Crashes on Boca Raton Roads

Commercial trucks share Boca Raton roads with commuters, school traffic, and emergency vehicles every day. The busiest routes include Interstate 95, the Florida Turnpike, Glades Road, Palmetto Park Road, Federal Highway, and Camino Real. When a tractor-trailer is involved, the effects can reach well past the two vehicles in the crash. Florida’s live traffic incident map shows lane closures as they happen, so one crash can back up an entire area.

A loaded truck is much heavier than a passenger car, and it needs far more distance to stop. Large trucks also have large blind spots, so a driver may not see a car beside or behind the cab. Whether you drive past Mizner Park on the way to work or cut across town on Glades Road, you know how fast traffic can stall. Taking on a trucking company’s insurance team by yourself can feel like merging a loaded semi onto I-95 at rush hour on a bicycle. You don’t have to face that alone.

How Truck Crashes Cause Catastrophic Injuries

Truck crashes often cause catastrophic injuries because of the force involved. Catastrophic injuries are serious, lasting harms that can change how a person lives, works, and cares for family. Common examples include:

• Spinal cord injuries
• Paralysis, including paraplegia and quadriplegia
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Amputations and limb loss
• Severe burns
• Serious back and neck injuries

A crash can also spill diesel fuel, and fire can follow. Burns and chemical exposure are real risks at the scene, so those hazards belong in the picture from the start. Some injuries take days or weeks to show their full effects. A common mistake is waiting to mention symptoms because you feel you can “walk it off.” Tell your doctors about every symptom, and follow the care plan they give you.

Who May Be Responsible After a Truck Crash

More than one party may share responsibility after a truck crash. The driver may be responsible for how he or she drove that day. The trucking company may answer for the driver’s work and for how it hired, trained, and supervised that driver. In some cases, the company that loaded the cargo or maintained the truck may also share fault.

Many families assume only the driver is at fault. They often learn later that company decisions played a part. Federal trucking rules set how drivers work and how trucks are inspected and kept up. Those rules create records that often matter in a claim. Sometimes the vehicle’s design or safety equipment plays a role too. Lawyers often call these crashworthiness cases. Each claim turns on its own facts.

Florida Deadlines and Fault Rules

Florida sets time limits for filing injury lawsuits, and those limits apply to truck cases. The state’s Fla. Stat. § 95.11 sets those limits. Many people wait, hoping the insurance company will do the right thing. Waiting can use up time you cannot get back.

Florida also uses a fault-sharing rule. Under Fla. Stat. § 768.81, a court enters judgment against each party based on that party’s percentage of fault. It does not use joint and several liability, which can make one party pay the whole amount. The same statute says that in a negligence action, a party found greater than 50 percent at fault for his or her own harm may not recover any damages, except in an action for damages for personal injury or wrongful death arising out of medical negligence pursuant to chapter 766.

Crash Reports and the Evidence That Matters

The crash report and the trucking company’s own records are often the most important evidence in a truck case. Florida requires a Florida Traffic Crash Report, Long Form, for crashes that cause death, injury, or complaints of pain. The report must be submitted within 10 days after the investigation is completed. Fla. Stat. § 316.066 also makes these reports available to the parties, their legal representatives, and their insurers. Keep the report number from the responding agency handy.

Trucks also generate data. An electronic logging device automatically records the date, time, truck location, engine hours, vehicle miles, and driver and vehicle identification. 49 CFR 395.26 sets that requirement. Federal hours-of-service rules limit driving time. A driver must take 10 consecutive hours off duty before driving. A driver may not drive after 14 consecutive hours that follow that break. 49 CFR 395.3 sets those limits. Drivers also prepare a written report on each vehicle at the end of the workday, and carriers must keep those reports for three months. 49 CFR 396.11 covers that duty.

Because some records are kept only for set periods, timing matters. Save photos, video, witness names, and medical records. Think carefully before giving a recorded statement to an insurance company. Talk with someone who can explain your rights first.

When a Truck Crash Is Fatal

When a truck crash causes a death, the family may bring a wrongful death claim under Florida law. The Florida Wrongful Death Act is cited as sections 768.16 through 768.26.

Under Fla. Stat. § 768.21, a surviving spouse may recover for loss of the decedent’s companionship and protection, and for mental pain and suffering. Minor children may recover for lost parental companionship, instruction, and guidance. Each parent of a deceased minor child may recover for mental pain and suffering. A survivor who has paid medical or funeral expenses may also recover them.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration tracks traffic deaths in a public database called the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). That data shows traffic deaths are a serious public concern. No statistic can describe one family’s loss, though. Families often have a lot to handle at once. Keep the crash report, bills, funeral receipts, and contact details for responding agencies. Ask for help with insurance paperwork.

Next Steps for Boca Raton Families

The first steps after a truck crash are getting medical care and writing down what you remember. Take these steps while the details are still clear:

• Get medical care, and follow your doctors’ recommendations.
• Track symptoms, missed work, and out-of-pocket costs.
• Write down the time, location, lanes, weather, and any warning signs you noticed.
• Keep names and contact details for drivers, witnesses, and responding officers.
• Save any photos or video you took, and keep copies of every bill and letter.

Be careful what you post online about the crash. Insurers and opposing parties can see public posts. Florida-based CHG Personal Injury Lawyers handles personal injury claims throughout Florida, including truck accident cases. Igor Hernandez is the responsible lawyer for this page.

Talk With CHG About Your Boca Raton Truck Crash

If a truck crash has left you or a loved one with serious injuries or a loss, you may have a claim worth reviewing.

Frequently Asked Questions