Truck accidents can cause catastrophic injuries, life-changing losses, and overwhelming medical expenses. Navigating the aftermath requires more than just proving who was at fault. It also demands understanding the unique regulations, insurance coverage, and investigative needs that apply to commercial trucking cases. At Greg Linehan Law, we provide personal, one-on-one attention to every client, ensuring your case receives the focused care it deserves from start to finish.
Contact us today at 941-559-4529 to discuss your case and learn how we can help you.
Common Types of Truck Accidents
Large commercial trucks operate under challenging conditions and often weigh 20 to 30 times more than passenger vehicles. The type and cause of a crash can significantly influence the injuries, damages, and legal approach. A Sarasota truck accident lawyer may handle cases involving collisions such as:
- Jackknife accidents. These occur when a truck’s trailer swings out at a sharp angle, often due to sudden braking or slick surfaces.
- Underride collisions. Underride accidents involve smaller vehicles trapped beneath the trailer, frequently causing severe or fatal harm.
- Override crashes. These crashes happen when a truck runs over the back of a smaller vehicle, and are sometimes caused by brake failures or distracted driving.
- Rollover accidents. Rollovers occur when a truck tips over due to high speeds, sharp turns, or improper loading.
- Blind spot collisions. These occur when a driver fails to see another vehicle in the “no-zone” areas surrounding the truck.
- Wide turn accidents. Wide turn collisions take place when a truck swings outward to complete a turn, striking nearby vehicles or pedestrians.
Recognizing the specific type of accident is essential for understanding how it happened and identifying responsible parties.
Common Types of Injuries
Because of their size and weight, commercial trucks can cause devastating injuries even in low-speed crashes. Victims represented by Sarasota truck accident attorneys often face conditions such as:
- Traumatic brain injuries—including concussions, skull fractures, and long-term cognitive impairments;
- Spinal cord injuries—leading to partial or complete paralysis;
- Fractures—particularly in the arms, legs, ribs, and pelvis;
- Internal injuries—such as organ damage or internal bleeding;
- Severe lacerations and burns—sometimes requiring surgery or skin grafts; and
- Soft tissue injuries—including whiplash, torn ligaments, and muscle damage.
These injuries often require extensive treatment, rehabilitation, and sometimes lifelong medical care, making fair compensation critical.
Evidence Used in a Truck Accident Case
Most serious injury and wrongful death lawsuits involving commercial trucks are investigated at the scene of the accident by law enforcement and by the insurance company for the truck driver and trucking company. After a trucking accident, photographs are taken and the scene is investigated for important evidence such as skid marks and vehicle parts. If witnesses are available to attest to what caused the crash, that information is also collected. Sometimes, there is a dashcam video or surveillance video that is available to show how the accident occurred.
Proving liability in a truck accident requires gathering a wide range of evidence, much of which is unique to commercial vehicle cases. An experienced Sarasota truck accident attorney will work quickly to secure and preserve the following:
Driver Logs
Driver logs track hours behind the wheel and mandatory rest breaks. Reviewing these records can reveal violations of hours-of-service rules or fatigue patterns that may have contributed to the collision.
Electronic Logging Device (ELD) Data
ELDs automatically record driving hours, speed, and braking activity. This data can establish whether the driver complied with legal limits and help reconstruct events leading to the crash.
Maintenance Records
Maintenance logs show if the truck underwent regular inspections and received timely repairs. Gaps or repeated issues may indicate negligence by the trucking company or maintenance provider.
Black Box Data
A truck’s black box records key information such as speed, throttle position, and brake use seconds before impact. Analyzing this data can clarify the driver’s actions leading up to the collision.
Cargo Records
These documents detail how and when the load was secured and inspected. Improper loading can destabilize a truck, raising the risk of jackknife, rollover, or other severe accidents.
Accident Scene Evidence
Evidence from the crash site, such as photographs, skid mark measurements, and road condition reports, offers a snapshot of the scene immediately after impact. Preserving this information quickly is crucial, as it can be altered or lost over time.
Eyewitness Testimony
Witness accounts can support or challenge other evidence. Statements may clarify details like the truck’s movement, traffic conditions, and driver behavior before the collision.
Accident Reconstruction
Accident reconstruction is a reenactment of the accident that is put together by expert witnesses. An expert in accident reconstruction will use evidence and information that is collected at the scene of the crash to create a presentation for the judge or jury. This information may include computer-aided reenactments and witness accounts. Often, accident reconstruction experts working for insurance companies will opine that the truck driver or trucking company was not at fault for the accident, even where a driver was ticketed for bad driving.
An experienced truck accident lawyer in Sarasota can help you identify and gather the evidence necessary to prove your claim. Meeting with a lawyer early on helps you preserve evidence and ensure you meet all filing deadlines.
Experience Matters
An experienced truck accident attorney in Sarasota will be well-versed in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations which govern the commercial trucking industry. The truck accident lawyers at Greg Linehan Law have spent countless hours researching both the federal and Florida rules and regulations controlling interstate and intrastate commercial trucking. Our Sarasota attorneys know that many trucks have GPS devices or “trip master” computers on board that record important information such as hours of operation, braking, and speed that can provide important evidence in a trucking accident case.
Factors such as the condition of the tractor-trailer, including brakes, load weights, and non-compliance with other safety regulations are very important in establishing negligence in truck accidents. Investigation of trucking accidents should be done by a knowledgeable truck accident lawyer who is well-versed in the regulations governing trucks and their drivers, and who has experience in the reconstruction of these types of accidents.
Why Choose Us
Hiring an experienced Sarasota truck accident lawyer soon after a crash will give victims a better chance of fighting insurance companies seeking to shift blame. The truck accident attorneys at Greg Linehan Law maintain a network of experts who are knowledgeable about the commercial trucking industry, load limitations, hauling regulations, and accident reconstruction. Our resources are invaluable when it comes to defeating the insurance companies’ blame-shifting tactics.
Our approach is built on developing strong, evidence-based claims that reflect the full scope of your losses and holding negligent drivers, companies, and other parties accountable. If you were injured in a truck accident, you deserve an advocate who understands the complexity of these claims and the impact they have on your life. We provide personal, one-on-one attention to each client while fighting to secure the full compensation needed to move forward.
Contact us today at 941-559-4529 to discuss your case and learn how we can help you.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Are Common Causes of Truck Accidents in Sarasota?
Driver fatigue, speeding, distracted driving, mechanical failures, improper cargo loading, and adverse weather or road conditions are common causes. Many of these stem from negligence by the driver, trucking company, or other entities involved in maintenance or loading.
Who Can Be Held Liable in a Truck Accident Case—Driver, Company, or Both?
Liability may extend beyond the driver to include trucking companies, maintenance providers, cargo loaders, and even manufacturers if their negligence played a role. Determining fault requires a careful investigation of every contributing factor.
How Is a Truck Accident Case Different from a Regular Car Accident Claim?
Truck accident claims are more complex because they involve federal regulations, multiple insurance carriers, and a higher likelihood of severe injuries. These factors demand a deeper investigation and often more aggressive legal strategies than typical car accident cases.
What Damages Can I Recover After a Sarasota Truck Accident?
You may be able to recover compensation for medical expenses, lost income, reduced earning capacity, pain and suffering, and property damage. In some cases, punitive damages are available to penalize particularly reckless conduct.
Involved in a Tractor-Trailer Accident?
Contact the skilled truck accident attorneys at Greg Linehan Law using the button below, or call 941-559-GLAW (4529) .