A serious truck accident requires a serious truck accident lawyer. Martinez, Manglardi, Diez-Arguelles & Tejedor, P.A. is a statewide litigation firm committed to protecting the safety of Florida’s families since 1988. Over the past 15 years we have recovered more than $100 million in verdicts and settlements for our clients. Insurance companies are aware of the firm's strong trial record, and that the firm can fully fund even the most complex truck accident case.

Trucking litigation involves claims against negligent truck drivers and the companies who hire them. Under the law, a driver of a large truck is considered to have an even greater standard of care than other drivers, because of the injuries that their large trucks can cause. Collisions caused by a trucker's negligence can lead to the most catastrophic injuries on the road.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) sponsored a study that concluded approximately twice as many car drivers would die in collisions with light trucks than in similar collisions involving cars of the same weight as the light truck. For the same reasons, occupants of passenger cars and light trucks have much higher fatality rates than occupants of large trucks and buses.

Examples of truck negligence generally fall into two categories: driver error and vehicle maintenance failure. The most common cause of driver error is fatigue, which can cause clouded judgment, drowsiness, and falling asleep at the wheel. Driver error can also be due to inexperience, improper driver training and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs (whether prescription or illegal). Deregulation of the trucking industry has resulted in an increase in speed-limit violations among tractor-trailer drivers as well.

Truck accident lawsuits tend to be far more complex than other vehicle accidents for several reasons, so it is best to consult with an attorney immediately who will look out for your best interests. The difficulty of these cases is largely due to the following factors:

• Trucking companies and insurance adjusters realize the potential for major lawsuits when a truck accident is involved, so immediately following an accident, they quickly gather evidence and experts so that they can immediately begin to prepare their case.
• Determining the defendant can be extremely difficult and complex, as follows:
  • Driver Fatigue - this would likely be the driver’s fault.
  • Overloaded Freight – this would likely cause the company the driver works for to be involved in the lawsuit.
  • Excessive Speed – this could cause the driver and the company to be listed as co-defendants, if strict and unreasonable deadlines were set on the driver.
  • Equipment Malfunction – this could cause the manufacturers to be defendants.
  • Defective Tires – this could also cause a tire manufacturer or distributor to be named as a defendant.
  • Failure to Follow State and Federal Regulations – this would normally name the company and driver to be co-defendants.