Fort Lauderdale Truck Accident Lawyer

Spencer Morgan Law represents people hurt in crashes with commercial vehicles across Fort Lauderdale, greater Broward County, and the rest of Florida, and our work as a Fort Lauderdale truck accident lawyer starts from a simple reality: a collision with an eighteen-wheeler, a box truck, or a delivery van is a different kind of case from an ordinary fender-bender. The vehicles weigh many times what a passenger car does, the injuries tend to be more serious, and the people on the other side are rarely just one driver. There may be a trucking company, a freight broker, a shipper that loaded the cargo, a maintenance contractor, and several insurers, all with their own interest in pointing at someone else.

Fort Lauderdale sits at a crossroads of freight traffic. Trucks move between Port Everglades and the interstates, run up and down I-95 and I-595, cross on the Florida Turnpike, and fan out along US-1, Griffin Road, Sunrise Boulevard, and State Road 84 to deliver goods to warehouses and job sites. Construction material haulers, produce trucks, tow trucks, and last-mile delivery vans all share lanes with commuters and tourists. When one of those vehicles causes a crash, the question is not only who was driving, but who hired, trained, dispatched, loaded, and maintained that truck.

Common Truck Crash Situations in Broward County

• Tractor-Trailer Collisions on I-95, I-595, and the Turnpike: High-speed interstate crashes often involve rear-end impacts when traffic slows suddenly, lane-change collisions where a driver cannot see a car in the blind spot, and jackknifes on wet pavement. Fatigue and tight delivery schedules are frequent questions in these cases.
• Port-Related Freight Traffic: Container and cargo trucks leaving the Port Everglades area move heavy loads through busy city streets. Overweight or poorly secured loads, worn brakes, and unfamiliar drivers can all play a part in a crash.
• Delivery Vans and Box Trucks: Last-mile drivers work against delivery quotas on crowded surface streets, parking lots, and neighborhoods. These vehicles may be owned by one company, driven by a contractor, and insured under a different policy, which makes identifying the responsible party a real task.
• Construction and Dump Trucks: Broward’s steady building activity puts dump trucks, concrete mixers, and flatbeds on roads and highways. Debris falling from an uncovered load and rollovers from top-heavy equipment cause serious injuries.
• Underride and Rear-Impact Crashes: When a smaller vehicle slides beneath a trailer, the injuries are often catastrophic. Missing or damaged rear guards and poor trailer lighting become central evidence.
• Tire Blowouts and Mechanical Failures: Brake failure, worn tires, and skipped inspections point toward the company or contractor responsible for maintenance, not just the driver.
• Unsecured or Shifting Cargo: Loads that were improperly balanced or tied down can cause a truck to tip or spill into traffic, which may bring in the shipper or loading company as a responsible party.
• Fatal Truck Crashes: When a family loses someone in a collision with a commercial vehicle, Florida’s wrongful death law allows certain survivors and the estate to pursue compensation.

Why Choose Spencer Morgan Law for a Truck Crash Case

Spencer Morgan Law serves Fort Lauderdale and Broward County along with Miami and the greater Miami area, and handles injury claims throughout the state of Florida. The firm takes cases on a contingency basis, so you don’t pay unless we recover, and consultations are confidential. Spanish-language services are available for clients who are more comfortable in Spanish.

The firm’s results include a $1,000,000 semi-truck crash recovery and a $1,000,000 auto accident settlement, along with a $225,000 recovery in a truck accident and a $850,000 slip and fall settlement and an $800,000 maritime accident recovery that show the firm handles claims of real size and complexity. Many of its auto results ended at policy limits, which tells you something about how the firm approaches insurers: it builds the file to support the full value of the claim rather than the first number offered.

Clients consistently describe being kept informed. Reviews mention prompt replies to calls and emails, questions answered patiently, and a lawyer who spoke to the insurance company in a way that got results. Beyond the claim itself, the firm helps clients get their vehicles repaired, pursue fair reimbursement for a total loss, resolve medical bills, and arrange needed medical care, the practical problems that pile up after a serious crash.

What to Do After a Collision With a Commercial Truck

Your health comes first, and Florida law gives that a hard deadline. Under the personal injury protection rules, you must get initial medical services within 14 days of the crash or PIP pays nothing for your care. Even then, the full $10,000 in PIP is available only if a qualified provider, such as a physician, dentist, physician assistant, or advanced practice registered nurse, determines you had an emergency medical condition. Without that determination, benefits stop at $2,500. PIP pays 80 percent of medical expenses and 60 percent of lost wages regardless of who caused the crash, and it is only the starting point. A truck crash with serious injuries will nearly always exceed it, and the real recovery comes from a claim against the at-fault parties.

At the scene, call 911 so that Broward law enforcement creates a report, and get medical attention even if you feel okay, since adrenaline hides injuries. Photograph the truck, its markings, the plates, the damage, the road, and any skid marks. Note the carrier name and any DOT number painted on the cab. Get names and contact information for witnesses. Avoid discussing fault with the truck driver or anyone from the trucking company’s insurer, and do not give a recorded statement before talking with a lawyer. Trucking companies often send rapid-response adjusters, and early statements get used later.

Evidence in a truck case can disappear quickly. Companies may overwrite driver logs, dashcam footage, and electronic data from the truck, and the vehicle itself may be repaired or returned to service. A prompt written request that the carrier preserve this material is one of the first things a lawyer does, and delay can cost you proof.

Deadlines matter too. A negligence claim for a crash that happened on or after March 24, 2023 must be filed within two years, not the four years that applied before the change. A wrongful death action generally must be filed within two years of the date of death. If a government vehicle was involved, such as a county or city truck, different rules apply: written notice of the claim is required, and recovery is limited by the sovereign immunity caps of $200,000 per person and $300,000 per incident unless the Legislature passes a claim bill.

Be careful with medical care paid through letters of protection. Florida law now requires a claimant to disclose such arrangements, including who referred you for treatment, before claiming those expenses, and a jury may see evidence about what the provider actually accepted or what your health insurance would have paid. Talk to your lawyer before choosing a provider, so your treatment is both appropriate and documented in a way that holds up.

How Fault and Liability Work in Trucking Cases

Florida’s comparative fault rule changes how these cases are valued. If you are found more than 50 percent at fault for your own injuries, you recover nothing. At 50 percent or less, your recovery is reduced by your share. Because a truck company’s insurer will look for any argument that you contributed, such as a sudden lane change or braking, the evidence about what really happened matters from the start. Judgment is also entered against each liable party according to its own percentage of fault rather than jointly, so identifying every responsible party can affect how much is actually collectible.

That is why trucking cases look beyond the driver. A carrier may be responsible for negligent hiring, poor training, pressure to meet impossible schedules, or skipped maintenance. A cargo loader may be responsible for an unbalanced load. A parts or repair company may share fault for a brake or tire failure. Federal safety rules govern driver hours, rest, and inspections, and records such as driver logs, electronic logging data, maintenance files, and hiring records often reveal what the company knew and when. These are the materials a thorough Fort Lauderdale injury attorney requests early and presses to obtain.

Questions People Ask About Truck Accident Claims

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

For crashes occurring on or after March 24, 2023, the deadline to file a negligence claim is two years. Earlier crashes keep the older four-year period. Wrongful death claims generally must be filed within two years of the death. Because evidence in trucking cases can vanish quickly, acting well before the deadline is wise.

Who can be held responsible for a truck crash?

The driver is one possibility, but so may be the trucking company, the owner of the truck or trailer, a company that loaded the cargo, a maintenance contractor, or a parts supplier. Each is judged on its own share of fault, so identifying all of them matters.

Does PIP cover my injuries from a truck crash?

PIP covers 80 percent of medical expenses and 60 percent of lost wages up to $10,000 in combined benefits if a qualified provider finds an emergency medical condition, and up to $2,500 otherwise. You must seek initial care within 14 days. For serious truck injuries, PIP is only a first layer, and a claim against the responsible parties covers the rest.

What if I was partly at fault for the crash?

You can still recover if you were 50 percent or less at fault, though your compensation is reduced by your percentage. If you are found more than 50 percent responsible, you recover nothing, which is why the fault evidence matters so much.

Is it worth hiring a lawyer if the trucking company’s insurer has already made an offer?

Early offers often arrive before the full extent of injuries is known. Accepting one usually ends the claim. A lawyer can evaluate whether the offer reflects future treatment, lost earnings, and long-term effects before you sign anything.

What does it cost to hire Spencer Morgan Law?

You don’t pay unless we recover. Consultations are confidential, so you can talk through what happened before deciding anything.

Will my health insurance affect what I can claim for medical bills?

It can. If you have health coverage other than Medicare or Medicaid, evidence of past medical expenses can include what that coverage was obligated to pay plus your share under the plan. Treatment under a letter of protection must be disclosed, so the way your care is arranged affects how those bills are presented.

What if the truck was owned by a city or county?

Claims against government entities follow special notice rules and are capped at $200,000 per person and $300,000 per incident unless the Legislature approves a claim bill. The agency generally has 180 days to respond before suit can be filed, and the regular two-year filing period still runs.

Can the family of someone killed in a truck crash recover compensation?

Yes. Florida law lets a surviving spouse recover for the loss of companionship and protection and for mental pain and suffering, and parents of a deceased minor child may recover for their mental pain and suffering. The estate can recover its own damages, and every beneficiary must be identified in the complaint.

How long does a truck accident case take in Broward County?

It depends on injury severity, how many parties are involved, and whether the insurers cooperate. Claims with serious injuries often take longer because treatment needs to reach a point where future needs can be assessed, and cases with multiple defendants take longer to sort out. Many settle before trial, but filing in the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit is sometimes necessary to move a stubborn insurer.

What if the driver fled the scene or was uninsured?

Hit-and-run and underinsured situations are handled through your own coverage and by tracing any other responsible party. The firm has recovered policy limits in hit-and-run auto cases, and a lawyer can review which coverages apply.

Serving Truck Crash Clients Across Broward and Beyond

Our work for truck crash victims starts in Fort Lauderdale, from Las Olas and downtown to Victoria Park, Rio Vista, Coral Ridge, and the neighborhoods near the beach and Port Everglades. We represent clients throughout Broward County, including Hollywood, Pembroke Pines, Miramar, Davie, Plantation, Sunrise, Coral Springs, Pompano Beach, Deerfield Beach, Lauderhill, Lauderdale Lakes, Oakland Park, Wilton Manors, Dania Beach, Hallandale Beach, Cooper City, and Tamarac. Spencer Morgan Law also serves Miami and the greater Miami area, including Miami Beach, Coral Gables, Doral, Hialeah, Kendall, and Homestead, and handles injury cases for clients across the state of Florida. Whether your crash happened on I-95, along the Turnpike, on I-595, or on a local road, we can talk about what happened.

Talk With a Fort Lauderdale Truck Accident Attorney

If a commercial truck has changed your life or taken someone you love, speak with a Fort Lauderdale truck accident attorney at Spencer Morgan Law. The consultation is confidential, you don’t pay unless we recover, and Spanish-language services are available. Call today to talk about your crash, your injuries, and the deadlines that apply to your situation.