St. Petersburg Tractor Trailer Accident: What to Do If You Got Involved?

There are more than 2 million trucks and tractor-trailers operating in the US which cover almost 100 billion miles a year traveling across the country.  It’s quite normal that so many trucks will also lead to a high number of accidents.  These vehicles are responsible for more than 480,000 road accidents in the US each year.

Tractor Trailer accidents account for a large portion of road accidents and past statistics prove this.  In 2016, for example, there were 44,307 commercial crashes in Florida.  In 2015, 3,852 people died in large trucks and tractor trailer accidents in Florida.  Among the dead, an overwhelming 69% were car passengers, 16% were truck occupants, and 15% were pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorists.

Who Can You Sue if You’ve Been in An Accident With a Tractor Trailer?

Tractor trailer accidents are quite complex and can’t be compared with other vehicle accidents for several reasons.  This complexity also affects you when you file lawsuits because you may need to sue several parties to get compensation for your damages.

Most big commercial vehicles including 18-wheeler and tractor trailers are owned by businesses, so you may need to sue the owner or the company behind the truck.  In several cases, the trailer is owned by a separate company and may also have a separate insurance provider, so you will have to sue this company as well.

You may also sue the driver, but this depends on whether he or she is an employee of the company operating the truck or is working as independent contractor.  An experienced St. Petersburg Tractor Trailer Accident lawyer will be able to guide you to whom you should sue in case you or your loved one got injured in a tractor trailer accident in Florida.

Who Will Cover Your Medical Bills and Lost Wages?

Florida is a no-fault state, which essentially means that first, you will have to turn to your own insurance company for any damage due to a tractor-trailer accident.  If your losses exceed a certain limit, and you were hit by a commercial vehicle, then you can sue the owner/ driver of the tractor trailer to recover the damages from his insurance company.

How Much Insurance Do Tractor-Trailers Carry?

Florida law requires all truck and tractor trailer drivers to carry a $10,000 bodily injury policy, $10,000 personal injury protection policy, and a $10,000 property damage liability policy.

These limits may seem quite low, but Florida law calculates the minimum amount of insurance required depending on the weight of the vehicle.  For large commercial vehicles with gross vehicle weight of 26,000 pounds or more but less than 35,000 pounds, the minimum insurance limit is $50,000 per occurrence.

For commercial vehicles with gross weight between 35,000 and 44,000 pounds, the limit is $100,000 per occurrence.  For larger commercial vehicles with gross weight of more than 44,000 pounds, the minimum limit is $300,000 per occurrence. In other words, the bigger the truck, the bigger the financial protection.

Get the Help of St. Petersburg Tractor Trailer Accident Attorneys

Because of the complexities involved in tractor trailer accidents, it’s always a good idea to consult an experienced Tractor Trailer accident lawyer.  We will be glad to assist you in filing a claim if you or a loved one has been hurt in a tractor trailer accident.  Contact Shocklee and Paolino today at (727) 498-8771 to get a free legal consultation.