Did a semi-truck or big rig driver cause your crash?
If so, you need an experienced truck accident lawyer in your corner from the start.
Accidents with commercial trucks involve a very different set of issues than normal automobile accidents. The tractor-trailer accident lawyers of Sibley Dolman Gipe Accident Injury Lawyers, PA, understand the specific nuances involved in semi-truck and tractor-trailer accidents. We have the resources necessary to pursue your case.
Truck accident cases can be costly. Having the necessary resources to handle these tasks is essential—and we do! We work on a contingency basis, which means that you don’t pay us anything unless we can win your case for you.
We offer FREE consultations so you can get your truck accident questions answered quickly!
Our award-winning semi-truck accident lawyers have what it takes to win these complex cases and have helped our trucking accident clients collect millions from liable parties. Know this: the insurance companies are NOT on your side. While you are still recovering, they will do whatever it takes to reduce your compensation, which is why we fight aggressively from the start to build a solid case to collect the maximum compensation for you.
To do this, we investigate cases thoroughly, identify the liable parties, and establish negligence. We review logbooks, electronic monitoring devices, and schedules to find when trucking companies and truck drivers break federal and state laws and regulations.
Here are just a few of our most notable cases:
$3.85 million and $3.2 million for two different clients after semi-truck accidents left them with brain injuries
$1.75 million after a truck accident caused a shoulder injury and TBI
While past success can’t guarantee future results, you can rest easier knowing you have a skilled and aggressive legal team on your side. We have what it takes to win truck accident cases, and we know how to hold negligent trucking companies and drivers accountable for their mistakes.
We are ready to fight for you after a serious truck accident!
Call us today at (866) 632-9381 for a FREE consultation and review!
Disclaimer: Any case result information provided on any portion of this website should not be understood as a promise of any particular result in a future case.
Required to stop before crash (traffic control device, crosswalk)
Over-the-counter drug use
Inadequate surveillance
Fatigue
Our experienced truck accident lawyers will conduct a thorough investigation into the cause of your crash and build a strong case for maximum compensation.
Our Lawyers Can Help You Win Your Truck Accident Case
Litigating a truck accident to the fullest extent can be a daunting and expensive prospect. Many lawyers and law firms encounter difficulty in properly handling a trucking case due to the expenses associated with retaining expert witnesses. At Sibley Dolman Gipe Accident Injury Lawyers, PA, our truck accident attorneys know how to win these complex cases by performing an extensive investigation into the accident to identify all liable parties.
Truck Accident Investigation
An accident involving a semi-truck must be thoroughly investigated, and this investigation can be quite expensive. The first essential step a truck accident lawyer should perform is to ensure the opportunity to analyze the truck in its post-accident condition. We want our expert to review the black box data, which provides a wealth of information on how the truck was being operated at the time of the wreck.
Many lawyers either skip this process or handle the investigation on a shoestring budget. In order to demonstrate the negligent maintenance and operation of a truck, we must diligently look into all aspects relating to the big rig itself…but a thorough, diligent investigation of a tractor-trailer accident is expensive. There is no way around this – a cheap investigation results in the lawyer leaving money on the table at the time of settlement.
At Sibley Dolman Gipe Accident Injury Lawyers, PA, we have the experience and resources in place to try a commercial vehicle collision case properly. This is how we do it:
We have years of experience handling truck collision claims and have obtained favorable results.
Our lawyers have recovered millions of dollars for victims of accidents with large commercial vehicles. The number of parties potentially responsible for your injuries makes semi-truck accident cases very complicated. For one thing, the tractor is usually owned separately and apart from the trailer, which results in there being potentially two separate companies being responsible for your injuries.
We will have another set of defense lawyers involved in defending the claim, as there are often many different avenues to getting you compensation. For example, if we can prove the truck was improperly loaded, then the entity responsible for loading the truck may be liable, along with the company that employs the driver. It is not uncommon for there to be multiple defendants in a tractor-trailer accident.
For example, we recently recovered $3.2 million for a truck accident victim who suffered a traumatic brain injury. This case, due to extensive preparation and investigation, was settled in pre-trial mediation without the client ever having to go through a lengthy court battle. We were able to turn the case around based on what our expert uncovered through analyzing the black box data. The analysis of this data illustrated that the 18-wheeler was traveling 20 miles per hour over the posted speed limit.
Further, we retained an expert on trucking industry protocols who combed through voluminous employment records to unearth numerous driving violations which enabled us to amend our initial complaint and add a count for negligent hiring and retention. The respective insurance carriers were more amenable to resolving the claim – and at a much higher amount – due to the pressure of defending the case we had built.
We identify all lines of insurance coverage.
Semi-truck accidents are inherently complicated as there are multiple lines of insurance coverage. For example, the truck and the trailer are often owned by two separate corporations and thus are insured by different carriers. We can hold them responsible and pursue both parties for the negligence that caused your injuries, which requires extensive investigation and the testimony of multiple expert witnesses – all of which Sibley Dolman Gipe Accident Injury Lawyers, PA is prepared to handle.
We have the financial resources to handle 18-wheeler accident cases.
Trucking accident cases are expert-laden and costly since it is often necessary to prove complicated subject matters. For example, proving a specific part failed or that hiring practices resulted in an injury will require expert knowledge. As a result, truck accident cases are very expensive for a law firm to handle. Since we have handled many commercial truck cases in the past, we already have a network of witnesses and investigators ready and able to prove your case.
Every trucking accident requires a thorough and often expensive fact-finding mission.
There are many avenues through which to pursue financial compensation in a truck accident case. For example, there may be a potential claim due to improper or negligent maintenance of the truck. In order to determine this, we look at trucking logs, maintenance records, inspections records, etc.
Additionally, there may have been an instance of negligent retention or hiring on the part of the trucker’s employer. To prove this, we examine employment records, training certifications of the driver, and past citations for violations, such as speeding or safety violations. It is also possible to pull camera footage on many highways, which can help determine the true cause of a serious truck crash.
Types of commercial trucks that may cause serious injuries
National Trucking Accidents Are Catastrophic
We rely on big rigs, semi-trucks, and tractor-trailers to transport goods and materials for businesses from coast to coast and deliver everything from the food we eat to the clothes we wear. Unfortunately, these mammoth vehicles can also be very dangerous. Every year nearly a half-million large truck accidents occur in the U.S. And because of the size and weight of these vehicles, accidents involving trucks are often more dangerous or fatal than your typical car accident.
The average large commercial truck weighs close to 80,000 pounds when fully loaded. In comparison, the average passenger car weighs just 3,000-pounds. As such, those in passenger cars suffer the majority of the injuries during a collision, and these injuries can result in permanent disfigurement, impairment, and disability.
Sadly, there are often multiple parties who share the blame for these crashes. Trucking companies and their drivers, shipping companies, and truck manufacturers can all bear liability after a serious truck accident. For this reason, it is important to speak to an experienced and skilled truck accident attorney at Sibley Dolman Gipe Accident Injury Lawyers, PA immediately. We know time is critical, and so we work quickly to build your case and protect your right to maximum compensation.
Truck drivers are often insured into the millions. Trucking companies have large legal teams and insurance companies working around the clock to protect their interests. And if they have protection…shouldn’t you?
You deserve to have someone in your corner fighting for you every step of the way.
Our law firm offers FREE case evaluations for trucking accident victims. We want to meet with you to learn more about your accident, your injuries, and how those injuries have affected your life. To make this easier, we can meet you at any of our locations nationwide, or we can meet you at your home, hospital room, or even virtually.
Call us today!
Call For a Free Case Evaluation
727-451-6900
What Are the Common Causes of Truck Accidents?
Just like every other type of vehicle, semi-truck drivers are sometimes the cause of accidents and sometimes the victims. In addition to the normal dangers found on the road, such as distracted drivers and speeding, truck drivers also often have to face the danger of fatigue that can set in after long shifts at the wheel.
This is because truck drivers are often paid by the load, so in order to make more money, they must make more deliveries. This can only be accomplished by driving for longer periods of time. This lack of rest is regulated by different governing agencies, but these rules are not always followed.
In addition to the danger of a truck driver’s own negligence, the vehicle itself can create danger to other drivers. Sometimes trucks are loaded improperly or are not adequately inspected before the driver begins their route. Mechanical breakdowns during operation can lead to loss of control over what is often a 40-ton vehicle. Sometimes, poorly loaded freight can fall from the truck and damage unsuspecting motorists. These are just some of the unique issues facing commercial trucks.
The magnitude of an automobile accident involving a semi tractor-trailer truck is another variable in these types of cases. Sheer size and weight of these large commercial vehicles increase the danger of death and serious bodily injury to anyone involved in a truck accident (including the truck driver). Commercial vehicle accidents often result in traumatic brain injuries, broken appendages and bone fractures, serious damage to the neck and back, and neurological damage.
A commercial vehicle accident is a unique situation. Not only is the vehicle much larger than other vehicles, often resulting in catastrophic injuries, but the number of parties potentially liable for the accident is significant as well. Proving liability in a truck accident case is complex and requires experience and knowledge of trucking laws and regulations, as well as the resources to take large trucking companies to trial to hold them accountable.
At Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA, our semi-truck accident attorneys can help you after a serious injury accident. If you suffered an injury in a trucking accident, call our law firm today at 866-632-9381 for a FREE consultation and review.
Potential Defendants in a Truck Accident Case
Since big rig accidents often cause significantly more serious injuries than typical car accidents do, it is important to identify every party who was potentially responsible in order to get the injured victim the compensation they need to cover their current and future damages.
The list of parties potentially responsible for a serious commercial truck accident extends far beyond the driver. Liability for a commercial truck accident could include:
The driver’s employer
The trucking company
The truck manufacturer
Third-party contractors
The insurance companies that hold policies for each of the aforementioned
Trucker Employer Liability for Truck Accidents
Truckers may work directly for the company they are delivering for or they may be an independent contractor, simply hauling the goods for the company that owns the cargo. If the driver works directly for the trucking or shipping company, then that company may be liable for any negligence that led to the truck accident. In order to prove this, the victim’s attorney would need to prove the accident occurred while the driver was driving for that company.
When a truck driver works independently–meaning they own their own truck and accept short-term contracts to haul a set amount of cargo from one destination to another–the victim’s attorney would need to investigate how much oversight the contracting company exercised over the driver. This would establish how much responsibility they have for the accident and injuries. Determining which parties share blame in the situation is important because each of these entities likely will carry separate insurance policies that could potentially pay out separate amounts.
Semi-Truck Driver Fatigue Contributes to Accidents
The most common act of negligence that a driver can commit is driving while tired. Driver fatigue causes thousands of unfortunate and senseless accidents on the roads each year. Federal trucking laws, known as Hours of Service (HOS) regulations, govern:
The amount of time a driver can be on the road for a single stretch
How much time must be taken off between shifts
How many hours they can log during a specific week
It’s not uncommon for drivers to falsify their driving logs to be able to drive for more time than they should and, in fact, many trucking companies imply or expressly request their drivers to falsify records. Sadly, many trucking outfits place unrealistic scheduling demands on their drivers, and sleep deprivation is often the result. Other factors that can result in truck driver fatigue include:
Long stretches of night driving
Irregular schedules with little routine
Unhealthy eating on the go
Loading and unloading cargo in between trips
The National Transportation and Safety Board (NTSB) estimates that fatigue plays a role in excess of 30% of trucking accidents. If you have questions or believe that truck driver fatigue may have caused your accident, we can help. Call our big rig accident attorneys today to learn more about your legal options.
Exposure of the broker or carrier
A broker is an entity that arranges for the transportation and/or movement of cargo by a motor carrier such as a semi-truck. The broker brings the truckers and the company that is attempting to ship goods together. Brokers utilize computer tracking software and data to monitor the movement of goods and the trucks they have brought in to handle the task.
In analyzing the liability of a broker, the tractor-trailer accident attorneys at Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA look at:
Whether the broker did their duty – We check whether the broker has acted in accordance with their duty to inspect the motor carrier/truck, inspected the safety history of the truck, and the drivers with whom they have contracted with.
Whether the broker was in control – We analyze how much control the broker exercised over the truck and the driver by inspecting dispatch records and whether the broker monitored and reviewed trip records or notes. Did the broker approve the receipts and bill of lading changes?
Negligent Maintenance and Hiring Claims
Trucking cases are generally complex based on a bevy of state and federal laws that can conflict with one another. We often retain experts to determine whether the trucking company utilized faulty equipment or was negligent in maintaining the truck itself. Other things we examine include:
Were the tires defective, retread, or unevenly worn?
Were the brakes, axles, hitches, and other parts working and checked routinely?
Were the maintenance logs updated and in accordance with both state and federal statutes?
With regard to negligent hiring and retention claims, we examine the employment history of the driver and determine whether the driver was properly trained and experienced in operating a semi-truck or commercial vehicle. There are federal and state provisions concerning the due diligence that must be applied by the trucking company in examining the driver’s safety history and criminal record. Trucking outfits can face massive liability for failing to adhere to such safety provisions.
Reported Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) Accidents Involving Injuries
Due to their immense size and weight, truck accidents have a tendency to cause exceptionally severe injuries. Those who are lucky enough to survive being involved in a truck accident often have to struggle with permanent damage that can disable and disfigure. The following are some of the more common injuries we have represented for people involved in truck accidents:
Traumatic brain injuries: The force of a truck accident can injure the head either through direct trauma or sudden jerking movements, the result being a traumatic brain injury that can cause permanent physical and cognitive issues. Examples of traumatic brain injuries include concussions and contusions.
Spinal cord injuries: Back trauma from a truck accident can lead to sensory problems, affect your control of certain organs, and even cause paralysis in varying degrees.
Broken/fractured bones: While car accidents can break bones, truck accidents can cause several serious breaks and fractures all at once. This can lead to a significant loss of mobility and sometimes even permanent disability.
Internal injuries: Depending on which organs were injured and how, a truck accident victim can suffer everything from internal bleeding to collapsed lungs. These injuries can result in the reduced or permanent loss of organ function that can drastically reduce someone’s quality of life.
Amputations: Truck accidents can inflict enough damage to a limb that it is beyond saving or puts a person at risk of infection. Amputation leads to a significant handicap and significant damages.
If you suffered an injury in a trucking accident of any kind, you deserve to have a law firm on your side fighting for you. At Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA, our trucking accident lawyers can help you pursue compensation. Call us today to explore your legal options in a FREE initial consultation.
Collecting Compensation After a Truck Accident
Just like any other personal injury case, a person injured in a truck accident is entitled to seek recovery for their damages so their life can be restored as close to possible to its original state before the accident. Truck accident victims can pursue compensation for the following damages:
Punitive damages, in certain extreme situations, may also be available if the driver or company acted in a way that intended to cause harm (“bad faith”) or in a way that they should have reasonably known would cause harm. Punitive damages are meant to punish someone financially, like a fine, to discourage them from acting in a similar way in the future.
It should be noted, though, that punitive damages are often dramatically lowered by judges and are rarely covered by insurance policies.
Why Dolman Law Group?
The trial attorneys at Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA have over 100 combined years of experience with all types of personal injury claims, and our reputation for aggressively representing our clients is evident in the diligent work we do every day toward maximizing their settlement offers. Matthew Dolman has been voted by his colleagues on multiple occasions as a Florida Super Lawyer and Legal Elite. Further, he is a lifetime member of both the Million Dollar and Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum and has been named one of the nation’s top 100 trial lawyers by The National Trial Lawyers.
When you work with Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA, your case will be handled with the utmost importance, and you will never be pressured into taking an unreasonable settlement offer. Our lawyers are ready and willing to take the case as far as necessary when the insurance carrier fails to take the proper course of action and make a fair offer.
*Attorney Matthew Dolman has been practicing personal injury law in Clearwater, Tampa, and St. Petersburgand has litigated cases throughout the State of Florida for the last 17 years. The information provided here comes from extensive research and years of experience trying legal cases in courtrooms by the attorneys at Dolman Law Group.
Client Testimonial
“AMAZING and understanding attorneys! Did great on my case and I highly recommend Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA for anyone that has been injured in an accident!” Rating: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Koralis R. Jan 2020 Read more reviews on Google!
How Can a Trucking Accident Attorney Help Me?
In addition to our accomplished truck accident lawyers, Sibley Dolman Gipe Accident Injury Lawyers, PA works with several automobile accident investigators who will breakdown and reconstruct the accident scene. Whether your crash involved driver error, faulty mechanical equipment, or improper loading techniques, our truck accident investigators will get to the bottom of what caused the collision that injured you.
If you are the victim of an accident involving a commercial truck, or are a driver of an eighteen-wheel semi tractor-trailer, a garbage truck, a postal/parcel delivery truck, or an operator of another large vehicle and have been in a collision caused by someone else’s negligence, the truck accident lawyers at Sibley Dolman Gipe Accident Injury Lawyers, PA are committed to maximizing your recovery. We service clients all over the state of Florida.
Trucking cases are generally complex based on a bevy of state and federal laws that can conflict with one another. We often retain experts to determine whether the trucking company utilized faulty equipment or was negligent in 
