There are a lot of trucks hauling goods up and down Florida highways. When a truck driver loses control of his big rig, the results are usually serious and all-too-often deadly.
If you or a family member have been involved in a truck collision in or around Titusville, you need an experienced local fatal truck accident to look after you and your rights.
Why Do I Need an Attorney?
You are suffering from injuries. Your car has suffered major damage and could be a total loss. You can’t go to work, and you are starting to worry about how you will pay the bills.
You look to a doctor to help you recover from your injuries. You should look to a truck accident attorney to deal with the legalities of your accident.
Where Do I Look for the Right Truck Accident Attorney in Titusville?
You need a local attorney who is a member of the state bar association and familiar with Florida traffic laws and its judicial system. You should also look for someone confident, not afraid to take on a big case, and dedicated to his or her clients.
Check for a truck accident lawyer in Titusville who is experienced with truck accident cases, someone who has a proven history of winning cases with good results for his or her clients. You should consider Andrew Pickett.
What Will a Titusville Truck Accident Lawyer Do for My Case?
Your attorney will compile evidence and build a solid case to prosecute those responsible for the accident. He or she will file your case and negotiate with the defendant’s legal team for your compensation. He or she will also deal with the insurance companies that are looking to save a buck.
What Should You Do in the Days Following a Truck Accident?
You will, of course, be dealing with your injuries either in or out of the hospital. Follow your physician’s directions. Contact your insurance company and make them aware of your accident.
Then, contact Andrew Pickett Law for a free consultation. We will be obtaining information to evaluate your legal case, and if we feel you have strong evidence, we will be ready to get to work for you. Some information you will need to provide:
- The date, time, and location of the accident
- Your full recollection of the incident
- The truck driver’s name and the company he works for
- The names and contact information of anyone else involved in the accident
- Names and contact information of eyewitnesses
- A copy of the law enforcement report
- Copies of your medical records following the accident, including from the emergency department
- Your doctor’s name and number
- Copies of your medical bills
- Copies of estimates or repairs to your vehicle
Anything else pertinent to the accident you can provide could be of value to your case. Mention everything you can think of to your attorney.
Duty of Care and Negligence
You must be able to prove the truck driver caused the accident. If that is the case, a qualified attorney will be able to make your case.
Like a car driver, a truck driver has a duty of care while behind the wheel to protect others and avoid accidents. If he or she was negligent of that, and you can prove it, he or she will be held accountable. But he or she may not be the only one you can charge.
A truck accident is different from an accident with another car. While there are independent truck drivers who own their rigs, many drivers work for a trucking company.
Their employer could be accountable as well. If an outside company is responsible for the maintenance of the trucks, it, too, could be responsible in a truck accident lawsuit.
What Is Negligence When It Comes to a Truck Accident?
Truck drivers are held to the same laws as other drivers and then some. While different states may have slight differences in their laws regarding truck drivers, throughout the country drivers must keep a log of their driving times and distances.
According to the Florida Department of Transportation, truck drivers need to take at least a 30-minute rest break after a maximum of eight hours of driving time. They also must have a 34-hour break after driving for more than seven days.
If a driver misses a mandatory break, he not only could suffer from fatigue that could cause an accident but is also breaking the law. Other forms of negligence could be like those of any driver, such as:
- Speeding
- Disobeying other traffic laws
- Distracted driving by using a handheld phone to talk or text
- Eating while driving
- Driving under the influence
Not only could the driver be held responsible for his negligence so could the company for which he works.
What Compensation Can I Hope to Receive?
You can file for economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages are those that come with a bill or a set cost. Examples are:
- Loss of income to date
- Future loss of income
- Disability
- Reimbursement of medical bills
- Allotment for future medical bills
- Repairs or replacement value of your vehicle
But you have also suffered mentally and emotionally. These are non-economic damages that do not come with a price tag. But an experienced attorney can address a potential value amount of compensation for them.
Non-Economic Damages
Examples of non-economic damages include:
- Physical pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Disfigurement
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of companionship
- Loss of consortium
- Wrongful death
Non-economic damages are just as real as economic ones.
If You Need a Titusville Truck Accident Attorney, Call Andrew Pickett Law
Andrew has lived in Brevard County for most of his life. He began his legal career here and dedicates himself to protecting its citizens. He and his legal team will fight hard in negotiating your case but are not afraid to face large corporations and their big legal firms in court when necessary.
Contact Andrew Pickett Law to help fight for compensation for the pain and suffering you have endured. We are available when you need us.
