When an 80,000-Pound Truck Changes Everything, We Fight for What Comes Next

Florida Truck Accident Catastrophic Injury Attorneys (Miami, Orlando, Tampa & Jacksonville)

Did a large-truck crash leave you or a loved one with permanent, life-changing injuries? Or did it take a life? A Florida truck accident catastrophic injury attorney can help.

We find out what happened. We identify who is responsible. And we pursue the full cost of your losses. At CHG Personal Injury Lawyers, this is what we do every day. Getting started is free.

A crash with an 80,000-pound commercial truck is not a fender-bender. The physics are brutal. This page explains what we do. It explains why these cases differ from ordinary car crashes. And it shows how to get a free case review in English or Spanish.

When a Truck Crash Changes Everything

Most trucks on the Interstate can legally weigh up to 80,000 pounds. That is about 20 to 30 times the weight of a typical car (FMCSA). When that much weight hits a car, the results are often catastrophic or deadly.

In 2022, 5,936 people died in crashes involving large trucks. Of those killed, 71% were in other vehicles (NHTSA/FMCSA large-truck data).

If you are reading this, you may face surgeries and months of rehab. Your future may look nothing like it did before. Or you may be grieving someone you lost.

You must make big decisions while still in shock. A truck accident attorney can carry the legal weight for you. Then you can focus on healing or grieving.

We handle these cases across Florida and the country. A free case review costs nothing to start.

What This Service Is — and Who It’s For

This is legal help for people who suffered catastrophic, permanent injuries in a crash with a large commercial truck. It is also for families who lost a loved one.

We represent victims of crashes with:

• Semi-trucks, 18-wheelers, and tractor-trailers
• Box trucks and delivery vans
• Tanker and dump trucks
• Other large commercial vehicles

The catastrophic injuries we handle include:

• Spinal cord injuries and paralysis (paraplegia and quadriplegia)
• Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
• Amputation and limb loss
• Severe burns
• Catastrophic back and neck injuries

Why the medicine matters to the case. Car crashes are a leading cause of spinal cord injury in the United States (Mayo Clinic). A spinal cord injury can permanently change your strength, feeling, and body function below the injured area.

It often brings other problems too. These include pressure sores, breathing and bladder trouble, and lasting pain. These problems drive up the lifetime cost.

Doctors rate how severe the injury is using the ASIA Impairment Scale. It comes from the American Spinal Injury Association. An “ASIA A” complete injury is very different from an incomplete one. The prognosis (your likely future) and the cost differ a lot.

According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center, a spinal cord injury can cost from hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars. This covers the first year and the years after. The amount depends on the injury level and your age at the time.

We build claims around that reality — not a guess. That way a settlement or verdict can truly cover the years ahead.

Wrongful death. When a crash takes a family member, surviving relatives may bring a wrongful-death claim. We handle these cases with dignity. We focus on your family and what you can do next.

We are a Florida-based firm. We serve Miami, Orlando, Tampa, Jacksonville, and the rest of the state. We also take cases nationwide.

We do not handle minor injuries. This practice is built around serious, permanent harm. Learn more on our catastrophic truck accident injuries hub.

Why Truck Cases Are Different From Car Accident Cases

Truck cases are harder, bigger, and higher-stakes than ordinary car crashes. They need a different approach.

• Sheer force. That 20-to-30-times weight difference turns a survivable car wreck into a catastrophic one. See why truck crashes cause severe injuries.
• Multiple responsible parties. The driver is rarely the only one at fault. The trucking company, the truck’s owner, the cargo loader, a repair contractor, or a freight broker may share the blame. Each may carry separate insurance.
• Federal safety rules. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration sets firm rules for driver hours, rest, maintenance, and inspections. Drivers are usually limited to an 11-hour driving window within a 14-hour on-duty period. A broken rule can become key evidence — see driver fatigue and hours-of-service violations.
• Time-sensitive electronic evidence. Modern trucks carry electronic logging devices (ELDs), tracking systems, and sometimes dashcams. Under the FMCSA ELD rule, a carrier must keep certain duty-status data for only six months. Other data can be erased in days. Moving fast is not optional.
• Bigger defense teams. Trucking companies and their insurers often send investigators within hours of a crash. They do this to limit what they pay. You deserve someone building your side just as fast.

What Our Representation Includes

We cover the full case. That means securing evidence on day one — and going to trial if that is what it takes.

• Rapid evidence preservation. We send spoliation letters (legal notices that demand evidence be saved). These force the carrier to keep the ELD data, tracking data, driver file, hours-of-service logs, maintenance and inspection records, and any dashcam footage. When it makes sense, we also move to inspect the truck itself.
• Finding everyone responsible. We identify each liable party and every insurance policy that may apply. This includes layered commercial coverage.
• Building the proof. We work with crash-reconstruction engineers, treating doctors and medical experts, life-care planners (specialists who project future care needs), and economists to document the long-term impact.
• Documenting your losses. These include medical bills, future care, lost income and lost earning power, home and vehicle changes, and non-economic harm like pain and lost quality of life.
• Wrongful-death support. For families, we identify eligible survivors and the types of loss Florida law recognizes.
• Negotiation and litigation. We present a documented claim to the insurers. If they will not settle fairly, we prepare for court.

We handle these cases on a contingency-fee basis. This means you usually owe no attorney fee unless we recover money for you. The exact percentage and costs are set out in a written fee agreement. This follows the Rules Regulating The Florida Bar. The first talk is free. We cannot and do not promise any specific outcome. No honest lawyer can.

How It Works: Step by Step

1. Free case review. Tell us what happened — no cost, no obligation. Call or reach us online, in English or Spanish.
2. Immediate evidence preservation. We act to lock down truck data and records before they disappear.
3. Investigation and liability analysis. We reconstruct the crash. We identify every responsible party and policy.
4. Building the damages picture. We line up medical and financial experts while you focus on recovery.
5. Demand and negotiation. We present your documented claim to the insurers.
6. Litigation if needed. If there is no fair result, we file suit and prepare for trial.

A note on timing. Catastrophic cases take time. We often cannot fully value a claim until doctors understand your long-term needs. Reaching “maximum medical improvement” (the point where your condition is as stable as it will get) can take a year or more. We would rather build the case right than rush it and leave your future underfunded.

Why Families Choose CHG Personal Injury Lawyers

• Focus. Our attorneys concentrate on serious, permanent injuries and fatal crashes — not routine claims.
• Credentials. We are licensed attorneys admitted to the Florida Bar. We are Florida-based, with statewide reach and nationwide capability.
• Bilingual service. We talk with clients and publish resources in English and Spanish.
• Plain language. We explain your options clearly, without jargon, so you can make informed choices.

Florida Truck Accident FAQs

How much does it cost to hire a truck accident lawyer?

The case review is free. We work on a contingency fee. Generally, you owe no attorney fee unless we recover money for you. All terms are in a written agreement.

How long do I have to file a truck accident claim in Florida?

Florida sets deadlines called statutes of limitations. For many negligence claims that started on or after March 24, 2023, the window is two years under Fla. Stat. §95.11. Deadlines vary, so talk with a lawyer soon. Evidence disappears well before any filing deadline.

The insurer already called me — should I give a statement?

Be careful. Consider speaking with your own lawyer before you give any recorded statement. Insurers investigate to protect their bottom line, not yours.

What if my family member died in the crash?

Surviving family members may bring a wrongful-death claim. We handle these cases with care and sensitivity. We focus on your family.

Can I still recover if I was partly at fault?

Possibly. Florida uses a modified comparative-fault rule under Fla. Stat. §768.81. It generally bars recovery only if you are found more than 50% at fault. A lawyer can review your situation.

Do you only take Miami, Orlando, Tampa, and Jacksonville cases?

No. We serve those cities and all of Florida. We also take cases nationwide.

Talk to a Florida Truck Accident Catastrophic Injury Attorney

You are weighing what to do after a large-truck crash. It left you or someone you love with a life-changing injury — or took their life. That decision is heavy. You should not carry it alone.

People in exactly this situation reach out to us regularly, and we are ready to listen. Contact CHG Personal Injury Lawyers for a free, no-obligation case evaluation, available in English and Spanish.