Between Route 41, running right through the area’s center, and Interstate 75, marking its eastern edge, Gibsonton sees plenty of commercial truck traffic daily—most of which passes through without any issue. Unfortunately, not every trucker operates their vehicle in a perfectly safe and responsible way, and that sometimes leads to traffic accidents with devastating consequences for everyone involved.
If negligence by a truck driver, trucking company, or anyone else affiliated with a commercial trucking operation has left you seriously injured, you should speak with an experienced personal injury attorney sooner rather than later about the possibility of a civil claim. You have limited time to pursue legal action against someone who harms you through their irresponsible actions, and support from a Gibsonton truck accident lawyer at Distasio Law Firm could be vital to getting a positive result from your case.
Who Could Be Liable for a Truck Collision in Gibsonton?
Like anyone driving a commuter car or SUV, tractor-trailer drivers in Florida have a legal “duty” to follow traffic regulations, watch out for other people and obstacles near their own vehicles, and act rationally behind the wheel. Any trucker who collides with and injures another person following a reckless or careless “breach” of this duty has fulfilled all the criteria for “negligence,” which is the legal principle that virtually all successful truck accident claims are built around.
Importantly, though, an individual truck driver is rarely the only person who could be held civilly liable for an 18-wheeler collision in Florida. Most notably, trucking companies who hire negligent drivers can often be held vicariously liable for their employee’s misconduct, thanks to another legal principle called respondeat superior. Alternatively, a trucking company may be responsible for a crash if their own negligence directly contributed to causing it—for instance, if they knowingly forced their drivers to stay on the road too long to save money by violating federal trucking laws.
In other situations, the fault for a wreck may lie with a mechanic who provided subpar service to a truck, a manufacturer that produced faulty truck parts, or even another driver who forced an otherwise responsible trucker into an unavoidable crash. Guidance from a knowledgeable Gibsonton truck accident attorney such as Scott Distasio could be crucial to determining who is to blame for your crash and acting against them accordingly.
Recovering for All Available Damages
Regardless of who bears fault for your unique tractor-trailer collision, you can demand compensation from every liable party for every form of harm the accident has caused and will cause you, including:
- All past and future medical bills
- Property damage, including costs of repairing/replacing a damaged car
- Lost work wages or ability to work
- Emotional and psychological distress
- Physical pain and suffering
- Lost enjoyment/quality of life, including lost consortium
While rare, the court may impose additional punitive damages against a defendant found to have been grossly negligent or who acted with intentional malice and award those damages to an injured plaintiff, as a knowledgeable truck crash lawyer in Gibsonton could further explain.
Talk to a Gibsonton Truck Accident Attorney Today
Even an empty semi-truck without any cargo in it outweighs the average commuter car by a margin of several tons. When all that weight collides with a smaller vehicle, the results are often catastrophic. Fortunately, you may have grounds after an incident like this to demand compensation from every person whose irresponsible conduct played a role in causing you injury.
A Gibsonton truck accident lawyer at Distasio Law Firm could tirelessly protect your rights throughout the legal process, taking your case all the way to court if necessary to get you paid what you deserve. Call today for a consultation with one of our dedicated legal professionals.
