Hurt in a FedEx Truck Crash? You Do Not Have to Figure Out the Next Steps Alone.

FedEx Truck Accidents in Florida: Rights and Next Steps

When a FedEx Truck Hits Your Car or Your Family Member

If a FedEx delivery truck struck your car in Florida, you may have a claim for your injuries. If a crash took a loved one’s life, the family may have rights under Florida law too.

Picture an ordinary afternoon. You’re stopped at a light when a large FedEx truck doesn’t stop in time. Or a family may get a phone call that a loved one died in a crash involving a delivery truck. Either way, the questions come fast. Who is responsible? Will insurance pay the bills? What deadlines apply?

Many people don’t know whether they have a claim. The answers turn on how the crash happened and who was responsible for the truck.

This page explains your rights, who may be held responsible, the Florida deadlines that matter, and the steps that help protect a claim. Igor Hernandez, a lawyer with CHG Personal Injury Lawyers, is the responsible lawyer for this page. The firm’s office is in Coral Gables, Florida.

Understanding FedEx Truck Accidents in Florida

FedEx truck accidents are crashes that involve the company’s delivery vehicles on public roads. FedEx delivery vehicles come in many sizes. Some are smaller delivery vans.

Size matters. A large truck can outweigh a passenger car many times over. People in cars, on motorcycles, or on foot have far less protection when a truck is involved. Their injuries are often more serious.

FedEx trucks operate across Florida. They travel busy city streets, neighborhood routes, and interstates. Crashes can happen at intersections, during lane changes, when a driver backs up, and when a truck turns in a tight space or delivery zone.

Florida drivers share the road with these vehicles every day. When a crash happens, the person hurt needs to know their options. Our page on truck accidents covers the wider picture for commercial vehicles.

Common Causes of FedEx Truck Crashes

Most truck crashes trace back to a few recurring problems. These include driver error, fatigue, equipment failure, and road conditions.

Driver error includes distraction, speeding, following too closely, failing to yield, and unsafe lane changes. Any of these can turn an ordinary stretch of road into a serious crash scene.

Fatigue is a major focus of federal trucking rules. A driver may not operate a commercial vehicle when fatigue, illness, or any other cause makes it unsafe. Federal driving-hours rules also limit how long a driver may work and drive. Investigators often ask whether a driver’s schedule followed these limits.

Equipment problems matter too. Brakes, tires, steering, and suspension must stay in safe condition. Weather and road conditions, such as rain, fog, and construction zones, can make stopping distances longer and visibility worse.

Each claim must show the specific cause of its crash. What caused a crash depends on the facts.

Who Can Be Held Responsible for a FedEx Truck Accident

More than one party may be responsible for a FedEx truck crash. These can include the driver, the company that employs the driver, and a contracted delivery company.

A FedEx-branded truck does not always mean the driver is a FedEx employee. Some delivery routes may be run by contractors or owner-operators. The contract and the working relationship can change who may be sued and how the claim is built.

Other parties may also share responsibility. A company that maintains or repairs a truck may have a role if poor repairs contributed to a crash.

Who may be held liable after a truck crash can depend on the facts of the case, including who hired, trained, and supervised the driver.

The Role of the FedEx Driver and the Companies Behind the Truck

Drivers must operate commercial trucks safely. The companies behind those trucks also carry duties under federal and state rules.

An employer can answer for an employee’s work conduct. Claims may look at hiring, training, supervision, dispatch practices, and maintenance. These questions show how the company ran its operations before and during the crash.

Federal rules set many duties for motor carriers. A carrier must keep its vehicles in safe operating condition through systematic inspection and repair. Investigators often compare those records with the truck involved in the crash.

A contracted delivery company or independent contractor can change the picture. Who controlled the driver, the route, and the schedule may matter. These facts shape which parties can be named and how fault is shared.

If you were hurt, a lawyer can look at each relationship and each duty. The goal is to identify everyone whose conduct may have contributed to the crash.

What to Do After a FedEx Truck Crash in Florida

Get medical care right away, even if your injuries seem minor. Florida’s PIP rules generally require treatment to begin within 14 days of the crash. Some injuries show up hours or days later. Follow your doctors’ care and keep every appointment.

Call 911 if anyone is hurt. Then gather the basics while you can. Write down the company name on the truck, the driver’s name, the truck number, and the license plate. Photograph the scene, the vehicles, and any visible injuries.

Collect names and phone numbers of witnesses. Ask the officer for the crash report number. Florida law requires a long-form crash report when a crash causes death, personal injury, or any complaint of pain or discomfort, when a driver leaves the scene of a crash, when the crash involves a driving-under-the-influence violation, when a vehicle is damaged so badly that a wrecker must remove it from the scene, or when a commercial motor vehicle is involved.

Keep records of medical visits, bills, missed work, and out-of-pocket costs. Be careful with recorded statements to insurance companies. Talk with a lawyer before you give one.

Evidence That Can Matter in a FedEx Truck Case

The evidence that matters most often includes the truck’s data, the company’s records, and the crash report. Early action helps keep this evidence intact.

Many commercial trucks have an electronic control module, often called a black box. It can store information about speed, braking, and throttle before a crash. This data can help show what the truck was doing in the moments before impact.

Dispatch and delivery records can show schedules and routes. Driver logs and hours-of-service records can show how long a driver was on duty. Training files can show what the company taught its drivers.

Maintenance and inspection records are also important. Federal rules require carriers to keep these records for each vehicle. They must be kept for one year where the vehicle is housed or maintained, and for six months after the vehicle leaves the carrier’s control. Because those periods run out, requests for records should move quickly.

After some crashes, federal rules require drug and alcohol testing of surviving drivers. These post-accident testing rules require testing as soon as practicable after certain crashes; if an alcohol test is not given within two hours, the employer must keep a record of why, and after eight hours it must stop trying to give the test.

Catastrophic Injuries and Wrongful Death After a FedEx Truck Crash

Some FedEx truck crashes cause injuries that change a person’s life for years. These can include spinal cord injuries, paralysis, traumatic brain injuries, amputations, severe burns, and serious back and neck injuries.

A catastrophic injury can mean long-term medical care, equipment, home changes, and changes to work and family life. The effects often reach the whole household.

When a crash causes a death, a claim under Florida’s wrongful death law is brought by the decedent’s personal representative on behalf of the survivors. Under Florida’s wrongful death statute, a person whose wrongful act causes a death can be liable for damages if the event would have entitled the person injured to maintain an action and recover damages had death not ensued. Florida’s wrongful death damages law lists what each survivor may recover.

Surviving spouses may recover for loss of companionship and protection and for mental pain and suffering. Each parent of a deceased minor child may recover for mental pain and suffering.

Families facing this loss often have many questions. Take them one step at a time.

Some Florida Deadlines and Fault Rules

Florida sets filing deadlines, and they can be shorter than many people expect. Florida’s limitations statute says actions other than for recovery of real property must be commenced within the periods it sets for each kind of action, so the deadline depends on the type of claim. Other deadlines can apply, so contact a lawyer promptly.

Florida also uses a fault-sharing rule. Under Fla. Stat. § 768.81, in a negligence action, a person found more than 50% at fault for their own harm may not recover any damages, except in an action for personal injury or wrongful death arising out of medical negligence under chapter 766. A person found 50% or less at fault may recover, but damages are reduced by their share of fault.

Under Florida’s fault-sharing rule, the court generally enters judgment against each liable party based on that party’s percentage of fault, though exceptions apply, such as when an employer is held responsible for its driver’s negligence.

Fault is often disputed after a truck crash. Insurers may argue the other driver caused the crash. Evidence and the crash report help show how the crash happened.

What Affects the Value of a FedEx Truck Accident Claim

A claim’s value comes from the losses it covers. No one can promise a specific amount, and no outcome is certain.

Claims may include medical or funeral expenses due to the injury or death, which under Florida’s wrongful death damages law may be recovered by a survivor who has paid them. They may include lost wages and lost ability to earn in the future. They may include pain and suffering. In wrongful death cases, they may include losses to the surviving family.

The severity and permanence of injuries matter. So does the available insurance and the strength of the evidence on liability. Medical records, bills, and expert opinions often help show the full scope of losses.

Bills and records should be kept together from the start. A clear file can help document what has actually happened.

Do You Need a Lawyer for a FedEx Truck Accident Claim?

You don’t have to hire a lawyer, but you should know what you’re up against. Insurance companies often have claims staff working on their side early in a claim.

A lawyer can help identify every responsible party. A lawyer can help gather and preserve evidence, handle communication with insurers, and work out the full value of your losses.

CHG charges no attorney’s fees and no case costs unless there is a recovery. The first consultation is free and confidential, with no obligation to continue.

Frequently asked questions

How CHG Personal Injury Lawyers Helps Florida Families After a FedEx Truck Crash

CHG Personal Injury Lawyers is a Florida personal injury firm. It focuses on truck accidents, catastrophic injuries, and wrongful death. The firm’s office is in Coral Gables.

Igor Hernandez is the responsible lawyer for this page. Our lawyers and our team work with clients on the crash facts, the injuries, and the paperwork that follows.

A first consultation covers the basics. We review how the crash happened, the injuries involved, and the deadlines that may apply. We then explain what options may be available.

Florida Communities Served After FedEx Truck Accidents

The firm represents clients throughout Florida, including people in these communities:

• South Florida: Miami, Hialeah, Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Coral Gables, Doral, Pembroke Pines, Miramar, Aventura, Miami Beach, North Miami, Homestead, Kendall, Weston, Sunrise, Davie, Plantation, Coral Springs, Pompano Beach
• Central Florida: Orlando
• Tampa Bay: Tampa
• Jacksonville: Jacksonville
• Palm Beach County: West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Greenacres

If You Were Hurt or Lost a Family Member in a FedEx Truck Crash

If a FedEx truck hit your car, you may still be dealing with pain, paperwork, and calls from an insurance adjuster. If a crash took someone you love, your family may be deciding what comes next. Either way, you don’t have to face it alone. Reach out to CHG Personal Injury Lawyers for a free, confidential first consultation, with no obligation to continue. Because Florida deadlines apply, please act promptly.