Hurt in a FedEx Truck Crash in Palmetto Bay? Here Are Your Next Steps

If a FedEx delivery truck hit you or someone you love in Palmetto Bay, you may have a claim against the people responsible. Whether you were near the Deering Estate or stuck on Old Cutler Road, the first days after a crash are hard. This guide answers the questions in the order they usually come up. CHG Personal Injury Lawyers is a Florida-based firm. Igor Hernandez, one of our lawyers, is responsible for this page.

What a FedEx Truck Crash Means for Palmetto Bay Families

A crash with a FedEx delivery truck can cause injuries far more serious than a typical car crash. Delivery trucks are large and heavy. When one strikes a car, motorcycle, scooter, or pedestrian, the smaller person usually takes the force. Injuries can include spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, broken bones, and, in the worst cases, a death.

The first days bring doctor visits, missed work, insurance calls, and many questions at once. Going up against an insurance company alone can feel like pushing a loaded delivery van uphill with a bicycle. You don’t have to face it by yourself.

Many delivery crashes involve more than one party. The driver, the company that employs or contracts the driver, and others may each share responsibility. The details you gather early often shape what comes later.

Where These Crashes Happen in Palmetto Bay and What the Crash Report Shows

The crash report is usually the first document to get, because it records where and when the crash happened. Many drivers use the Palmetto Expressway, US-1 (South Dixie Highway), Old Cutler Road, and Caribbean Boulevard every day. A crash on any of these roads can bring a claim, so the location matters.

Florida law requires a Florida Traffic Crash Report, Long Form, to be submitted within 10 days after the investigation is completed.

The report lists the date, time, and location of the crash. It also lists the names and addresses of the people involved. Parties and their legal representatives can access it, but the requester must show valid identification and sign a sworn statement for each report.

Families in Pinecrest, Aventura, and Sunny Isles Beach use similar roads. The same steps apply to them.

Who May Be Responsible in a FedEx Delivery Truck Crash

The driver may be responsible if careless driving caused the crash. Distraction, speeding, and unsafe lane changes are common examples. Responsibility can also reach beyond the driver.

Many FedEx delivery routes are run by contracted operators. Responsibility may extend to the contractor that employed or supervised the driver, and to FedEx, depending on the facts. Florida judges each liable party by its own share of fault. In a negligence action, the court enters judgment against each party liable based on that party’s percentage of fault, not on joint and several liability (Fla. Stat. § 768.81).

A faulty part or poor maintenance can bring in other companies, such as repair shops or parts makers. Who is responsible depends on the facts of each crash, and investigation decides that over time.

Evidence That Matters in Commercial Delivery Truck Cases

The most useful evidence is often the records a commercial driver must keep. Federal rules require a motor carrier to make each commercial driver record duty status for each 24-hour period (49 C.F.R. § 395.8). These logs can show how long the driver had been working.

After certain crashes, the employer must test surviving drivers for alcohol and drugs. Drug testing has a 32-hour window.

Other evidence can help too. Dashcam video, GPS and telematics data, maintenance records, and the driver’s file all matter. So do the police report, scene photos, witness names, and medical records that link your injuries to the crash.

Families should keep their own records. Save photos, bills, pay stubs, and missed-work notes. Keep a simple journal of symptoms and follow your doctors’ care.

Florida Deadlines and Rules That Apply Now

Florida sets time limits for filing lawsuits, and those limits can run out. Florida’s limitations statute, § 95.11, governs how long a person has to bring many kinds of actions. Deadlines apply, so contact a lawyer promptly rather than waiting.

Florida also uses a comparative fault rule. Under § 768.81, in a negligence action to which this section applies, a party found more than 50 percent at fault for their own harm may not recover any damages. That rule does not apply to medical negligence claims under chapter 766.

Florida’s personal injury protection (PIP) law also matters after many crashes.

If a Loved One Was Killed in a FedEx Truck Crash

Florida’s wrongful death law lets certain surviving family members seek damages for their own losses. A death in a crash is a profound loss. You don’t have to make every decision at once.

The Florida Wrongful Death Act is cited as §§ 768.16 through 768.26.

Survivors can seek different losses. Sections 768.16 through 768.26 may be cited as the Florida Wrongful Death Act; the damages a surviving spouse may recover, including lost support and services, loss of companionship and protection, and mental pain and suffering from the date of injury, are set out in § 768.21. Minor children may recover lost parental companionship, instruction, and guidance. Each parent of a deceased minor child may recover mental pain and suffering. Survivors who paid medical or funeral bills may recover those costs (Fla. Stat. § 768.21).

Our team can talk through this process at your family’s pace.

What a FedEx Truck Accident Claim Can Cover

A claim can seek money for losses caused by the crash. Florida law describes economic damages to include past and future lost income, reduced to present value, and medical and funeral expenses (§ 768.81).

Other losses that affect daily life may also be part of a claim. These can include rehabilitation, help at home, and property damage.

Serious injuries can change life for years. Spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, amputations, and severe burns can require care over a long period. That is why the full picture of future needs matters.

No result can be promised. Each claim turns on its own evidence and facts. CHG charges no attorney’s fees and no case costs unless there is a recovery.

Next Steps After a FedEx Truck Crash in Palmetto Bay

The next step is a free talk with our team about your crash. Start by keeping copies of everything you receive, including letters, bills, and insurance papers.

Before you give a recorded statement to any insurer, talk with a lawyer first. Insurers are not on your side, and early words can be used later. Once you have a copy of the crash report, bring it to your consultation.

Our team invites you to contact CHG Personal Injury Lawyers for a free initial consultation. Consulta inicial gratuita, confidencial y sin compromiso. You can share your story and ask questions with no obligation to continue. Our lawyers are admitted in Florida, and Igor Hernandez is responsible for this page.

For more on FedEx truck crashes, read our FedEx truck accidents page or the Hialeah FedEx truck accident guide.

Frequently Asked Questions