Tampa · Truck accident claims
Tampa truck accident lawyers. We follow the paper trail.
A crash with a semi is not a car accident with a bigger vehicle. Federal safety rules, the trucking company’s own records and layered insurance all shape a Florida claim, and some of those records are only required to be kept for months.
Florida truck claims, by the numbers
- 2 years
to file most Florida negligence claims
s. 95.11(5)(a), Florida Statutes (opens in a new tab) - 50%
the most fault you can carry and still recover; your share reduces the award
s. 768.81, Florida Statutes (opens in a new tab) - $750,000
federal minimum liability coverage for a for-hire carrier of ordinary freight in interstate commerce, in a truck rated at 10,001 pounds or more
49 CFR 387.9 (opens in a new tab) - 14 days
to get first medical care if your own no-fault coverage is to pay
s. 627.736(1)(a), Florida Statutes (opens in a new tab)
Tampa’s port, roads and courts
Each page takes one part of the city’s truck traffic: the port, the interstates, the truck routes, and the courts that hear the cases.
- 01
Port Tampa Bay
Fuel, bulk cargo and containers, and the rules that travel with them
Explore Port Tampa Bay - 02
Interstates
The interstates, the Selmon, and the hours a driver may work
Explore the interstates - 03
Truck routes
Where the city code lets a truck go, and what its records show
Explore truck routes - 04
Courts and public bodies
The circuit court, federal court, and claims against public bodies
Explore courts and public bodies
What happens after you call
- Step 1
We lock down the evidence
Letters go to the trucking company the same week, asking it to preserve the electronic logging data, dash-camera footage, and inspection and maintenance files.
- Step 2
We find every policy
The driver, the carrier, a freight broker or shipper, and the trailer’s owner can each carry separate coverage. We look for all of it.
- Step 3
You decide, with the numbers
Before you accept anything, we walk you through what the claim is worth and why. No fee unless we win.
The trial team
Total recovered across all matters
Firm-wide total across all matters. Past results do not guarantee a future outcome.
Adam J. Zayed
Founder & Managing Trial Attorney
Andrew D. Miller
Partner
Shaun R. Bushing
Partner
Frequently Asked Questions
The short answer
What makes a Tampa truck accident claim different from a car accident claim?
Three things. Federal safety rules govern the driver and the trucking company (motor carrier), so a claim can turn on hours-of-service limits (opens in a new tab) and inspection duties that do not apply to a car. The proof is largely in the carrier’s own records, and some of them are only required to be kept for six months (opens in a new tab). And in Florida the owner of the truck can be answerable for the driver’s negligence (opens in a new tab), alongside the carrier and anyone else who shares the fault.
How long do I have to file a truck accident claim in Tampa?
Most Florida negligence claims must be filed within two years (opens in a new tab), a period the legislature shortened from four years in 2023. Some of the carrier’s records are only required to be kept for six months (opens in a new tab), which is the reason to call early.
What if I was partly at fault for the crash?
You can still recover in Florida unless your share of the fault is greater than 50 percent (opens in a new tab), and your damages are reduced by your share. Fault is divided among everyone who shares it, which is why every responsible party has to be found.
Will my own insurance pay my medical bills first?
In most cases, yes. Under Florida’s no-fault law your own policy pays 80 percent of reasonable medical expenses (opens in a new tab) up to its limit, whoever caused the crash, if you receive initial care within 14 days. A claim against the trucking company is for the losses that coverage does not reach.
Who can be responsible besides the truck driver?
Often the owner of the truck. Under Florida’s dangerous instrumentality doctrine, an owner who entrusts a vehicle to someone else is liable for that person’s negligent driving (opens in a new tab). Where the truck is leased to a motor carrier, federal rules require the lease to give the carrier complete responsibility for its operation (opens in a new tab) while the lease lasts. Others can share the fault (opens in a new tab) as well, which is why it matters to identify every company that had a part in the crash.
What does it cost to talk to a lawyer?
Nothing. The case evaluation is free, and there is no fee unless we win.