What Affects the Value of a FedEx Truck Accident Claim?

Many people ask what affects the value of a FedEx truck accident claim in Florida. The short answer is that several factors matter. These include who is responsible, how fault is proven, how serious and lasting the injuries are, what losses they cause, how much insurance is available, and how quickly evidence is kept.

No general page can name a dollar amount for your case. This guide explains each factor in plain words. That way, you know what to ask about.

Who Can Bring a FedEx Truck Crash Claim, and Who Might Be Responsible

If the crash killed someone, the family can bring a wrongful death claim. These claims seek compensation from the people responsible for the crash.

Injured people may include:

• Drivers and passengers in cars
• Motorcycle riders
• Pedestrians
• Bicyclists hit by a FedEx or FedEx-contracted delivery truck

Who owns the truck decides which parties can be held responsible. So does who employed or contracted the driver. These facts get checked early.

Some delivery drivers work as independent contractors. The contractor, the driver’s employer, or the vehicle owner may share responsibility. It depends on the facts. Don’t assume FedEx is always the right party. Read more about truck accident claims.

Fault: Proving What Caused the Crash

Fault is the first value driver. A claim generally needs proof that another party’s negligence caused the injuries. Negligence means carelessness that causes harm.

Useful proof includes:

• Driver hours and rest records
• Maintenance and inspection history
• Delivery schedules
• How the cargo was loaded

Federal rules limit how long a property-carrying driver may work. A driver may not drive after a 14-hour period. That period must begin after 10 consecutive hours off duty. Logs that show whether these limits were followed can matter.

Florida also uses a shared-fault rule. In a negligence action to which this section applies, a person found more than 50 percent at fault for their own harm may not recover any damages; this does not apply to medical negligence actions under chapter 766 (Fla. Stat. § 768.81).

In a negligence action, Florida courts enter judgment against each liable party on the basis of that party’s percentage of fault, not on the basis of joint and several liability. Each judgment is based on that party’s percentage of fault. Police reports, camera footage, and witness statements help show who did what.

The Severity and Permanence of the Injury

Injuries that last have the largest effect on claim value. Spinal cord injuries, paralysis, traumatic brain injuries, amputations, severe burns, and serious back or neck injuries often carry large future medical and lost-earning amounts.

Learn more about spinal cord injury claims and traumatic brain injury claims.

Permanence matters. A doctor’s written findings about long-term limits shape how the claim is valued. Follow your doctors’ care plan.

Keep every bill, record, and appointment note. These records are the basis for how injuries are documented.

When a crash causes a death, the family’s losses come into focus. A surviving spouse may recover for loss of the decedent’s companionship and protection. A spouse may also recover for mental pain and suffering.

Minor children may recover for lost parental companionship, instruction, and guidance (Fla. Stat. § 768.21). Families who paid medical or funeral costs may also recover those amounts.

Economic and Non-Economic Losses

Economic losses are the costs you can count. These include:

• Emergency and ongoing medical care
• Rehabilitation and medications
• Medical equipment and home changes
• Lost wages and reduced future earning ability

Vehicle damage and out-of-pocket costs are documented separately.

Non-economic losses are harder to count. They include physical pain, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, disfigurement, and loss of companionship.

Florida limits how medical bills are proven. Past treatment that has been paid is limited to the amount actually paid. This applies no matter who made the payment (Fla. Stat. § 768.0427).

Some providers treat patients under a letter of protection. This is a promise to be paid from any judgment or settlement. The same statute defines that arrangement.

Insurance Coverage and the Number of Parties

Insurance often sets the practical limit on what a claim can recover. Each responsible party may have its own policy. More parties can mean more coverage to review.

Florida requires an insurer to pay personal injury protection benefits within 30 days after it is furnished written notice of a covered loss and its amount. The insurer must provide a sworn statement. Under Fla. Stat. § 627.4137, an insurer that does or may provide liability coverage for a claim must, within 30 days of the claimant’s written request, provide a sworn statement covering each known policy, including excess or umbrella insurance, that gives the insurer’s name, the name of each insured, the limits of the liability coverage, any policy or coverage defense the insurer reasonably believes is available, and a copy of the policy.

Florida’s personal injury protection rules also apply to some crash claims (Fla. Stat. § 627.736). It’s wise to speak with a lawyer before you give any insurer a recorded statement.

Evidence, Deadlines, and Florida Law

Evidence can disappear quickly. Vehicle data, electronic logs, camera footage, and maintenance records may be overwritten or repaired. Early requests help preserve them.

Florida generally allows two years to file a negligence lawsuit (Fla. Stat. § 95.11(5)(a)). Other claims can follow different timelines.

Deadlines apply, so check them promptly. Learn more about Florida’s injury claim deadlines.

Florida also requires a Florida Traffic Crash Report, Long Form, to be completed and submitted to the department within 10 days after the investigating officer completes an investigation of a crash that results in death or personal injury, involves any indication of complaints of pain or discomfort, or involves a commercial motor vehicle (Fla. Stat. § 316.066). The report lists the parties and their insurers. The parties, their legal representatives, and their insurers may access it (Fla. Stat. § 316.066).

What to Expect: The Claim Process From Start to Finish

1. Free, confidential initial consultation. You review your situation with no obligation to continue.
2. Investigation. We request the crash report, identify every party and insurer, and send evidence requests right away.
3. Valuation and demand. We evaluate fault, injuries, and losses. Then we present a demand to the responsible insurers.
4. Negotiation and filing. We negotiate. If needed, we file a lawsuit in the appropriate Florida court.
5. Resolution. The claim ends by settlement or trial. The timeline depends on the complexity of the claim and the injuries.

CHG Personal Injury Lawyers is a Florida-based firm that focuses on truck accidents and other serious injury cases. Igor Hernandez, one of the firm’s lawyers and a licensed attorney admitted to The Florida Bar, is responsible for this page. Our team supports every claim.

CHG charges no attorney’s fees and no case costs unless there is a recovery.

Frequently Asked Questions

Talk With CHG About Your FedEx Truck Crash

If a FedEx truck left you or a loved one hurt, and insurers are already calling, you may have a claim worth reviewing.

CHG Personal Injury Lawyers offers a free, confidential initial consultation with no obligation to continue. Our Florida-based team serves people throughout the state, including Miami, Orlando, Tampa, and Jacksonville. Contact us today to talk through what your claim may involve.