The magnitude of force that comes from a semi-truck striking another vehicle may be enough for you or a loved one to suffer significant injuries. Those injuries may pair with other losses like the repair or replacement of your vehicle to create a devastating circumstance for you. Our Clearwater truck accident lawyer will survey the extent of your losses and will recommend a path for you to seek compensation for your losses.
There is no single set of circumstances that could lead you to hire a lawyer. One way for you to understand whether our lawyer may be useful to you is to participate in a free consultation. Call the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine today to have your free consultation.
A Lawyer May Not Require Upfront Payment
As you consider hiring a lawyer, you may want to know what it may cost for you to retain legal services. Personal injury lawyers may work for a contingency fee, in which case you will not have to pay a lawyer anything up front.
This means that a lawyer will begin working on your case without you paying them a cent. Rather, you may agree as their client to pay them a portion of any settlement or judgment that you receive. One upside of this sort of agreement is that you will not have to pay your lawyer anything unless they are successful in obtaining compensation for you or your loved one.
The contingency-fee arrangement has numerous implications for you as a client.
When a lawyer agrees to be paid based on the contingency that they win your case, it means that they are invested in the financial outcome of your lawsuit or insurance claim. All of the time and resources that they put into your case will not gain them any financial return unless they are able to secure compensation for you or your loved one.
Legal Representation Allows You to Focus on What Is Important
Aside from seeking compensation, you have to focus on your health and recovery after an accident. If you suffer from a temporary or permanent disability due to the accident, you will have your hands full with rehabilitation, resting, and readjusting to normal life. You will likely want to focus your energy on your well-being.
This is where a lawyer comes into play. While you are recovering and spending time with your family, a lawyer can begin the process of seeking compensation, taking a considerable amount of work off of your shoulders.
Your Lawyer Will Judge Your Case on Its Merits
The team at the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine goes the extra mile for clients and can serve as your Clearwater semi-truck accident lawyer. Call the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine today for more details about how we may help you after an accident.
Injuries That May Be Caused By Semi-Trucks
Accidents involving semi-trucks may have a greater potential to cause damage than those involving smaller vehicles. According to the Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, semi-trucks are one of the heaviest types of vehicles that you will encounter on the roads of Clearwater and have an abnormally great capacity to cause injury.
The injuries that may come from a semi-truck accident could vary depending on:
- The specific way your vehicle (or a loved one’s vehicle) collided with the semi-truck involved in your accident
- The size, weight, and overall crashworthiness of your vehicle
- Whether safety equipment such as airbags functioned properly
- The speed at which one or both vehicles were traveling when the collision occurred
In any case, a semi-truck may cause severe damage to your vehicle and potentially even greater harm to you or a loved one. The following are injuries that could occur because of a semi-truck accident in Clearwater.
Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI)
Traumatic brain injuries come in different forms, and MedlinePlus explains that one of the most common causes of brain injuries is motor vehicle accidents. Such injuries may have permanent health consequences, including but not limited to brain damage.
A TBI could also trigger symptoms such as mood changes, cognitive decline, and sleep disruptions. Each of these symptoms may wreak havoc on a person’s sense of normalcy in their life.
Spinal Cord Injuries
The spinal cord is a vital part of human anatomy, and injuries to the spine can cause permanent paralysis, among other serious health problems. These injuries may require expensive medical treatment and could forever alter the way that you or your loved one interact with the world.
Internal Injuries
Most of the human body lies underneath the skin and bone that shields our internal organs. A car accident may cause not only visible, external injuries but also harm to the body parts designated as “internal.” Such injuries could be life-threatening and may not become fully apparent until time has passed after an accident.
Our lawyer can help you or a loved one find proper medical care and levy a case for awards against those who have caused you harm.
Damages Included in a Semi-Truck Accident Settlement
One of the primary damages included in a settlement demand is medical expenses. The cost of treatment can be quite high due to the severity of the injuries often sustained in a semi-truck accident.
You should ensure that you have received medical attention as soon as possible after the accident. Receiving prompt medical attention is useful in tying the accident to your injuries. The medical bills themselves are used to calculate a fair settlement demand. The medical expenses we will include in your settlement demand are:
- Current medical expenses
- Future costs of treatment
- Cost of physical therapy
- Cost of making modifications to your home
- Cost of prescription medications you may need after the accident
You should also get compensated for the cost of repairing or replacing your property. The income you have lost during your recovery will also get factored into the settlement amount. The loss in future earning capacity may get included if the injuries have caused permanent impairment.
You may be eligible to recover punitive damages if the liable party acted in gross negligence. This means that the liable party knowingly engaged in reckless behavior that resulted in harm. Our Clearwater personal injury lawyer can help you know if your case meets the conditions set by Florida statute 768.72.
The Liable Parties for Your Injuries and Losses
Semi-truck accidents become complex due to the number of possible liable parties. In most instances, the party who should compensate you is the one at fault for the accident. But liability and fault are two different things. In a commercial truck accident, the driver may be at fault, but it is the driver’s employer who is liable.
The liable parties after a semi-truck accident are normally:
- The shipping company
- The vehicle’s owner
- The mechanic
- The vehicle’s manufacturer
- A state agency or employee
A company that leased the semi-truck may also be liable. Our Clearwater semi-truck accident lawyer can help you determine which party should be liable for your injuries.
You should know that trucking companies will have their own lawyers, whose main task is to limit the amount of damages the company owes you. Having legal representation in such a scenario is the best way to protect your interests.
Time Sensitivity of Personal Injury Claims in Florida
Civil claims, especially relating to personal injury and losses, have a time limit. Under Florida Statutes § 95.11(3)(a), the state gives you roughly four years from the accident date to file a personal injury claim against the liable parties.
The time may seem like a lot on paper, but preparing a claim may take a while. Your injuries may make it difficult for you to initiate the claims process without legal representation. If your loved one has suffered a semi-truck accident, consider talking to our Clearwater semi-truck accident lawyer.
The statute of limitations changes if the injured party succumbs to their injuries. Under Florida Statutes 95.11(4)(d), the state gives you two years from the date of death to file a wrongful death claim. There are instances when the state can toll the statute of limitation. Having our semi-truck lawyer by your side could ensure the statute of limitation does not expire.
Call for Our Semi-Truck Accident Lawyer Today
Victims of semi-truck accidents may face a long road to recovery or may forever live with the consequences of their accident. A Clearwater semi-truck accident lawyer will aim to seek a positive legal outcome while you focus on getting better.
A lawyer can also help if you lost a loved one due to a semi-truck accident. Call the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine today for a free consultation.
We Can Help.
