​Miami Gardens Truck Accident Lawyers

September 30, 2022 | Attorney, Matthew Dolman
Truck accidents often mean devastating injuries for everyone involved in them. Big trucks mean great force and mass, which may lead to accidents with devastating injuries. With Highway 441 as a major conduit through the area, Miami Gardens may see a great deal of dangerous truck traffic. At Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA, our Miami Gardens truck accident lawyers understand the complications that often arise as part of a truck accident claim, and we aim to help our clients navigate those claims and pursue the compensation they deserve. Contact us at (833) 552-7274 (833-55-CRASH) to discuss your right to compensation after a Miami Gardens truck accident.

Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA: Help for Miami Gardens Truck Accident Victims

Miami Gardens Truck Accident LawyerAt Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA, we have extensive experience helping clients recover the compensation they may deserve after a wide range of potential injuries. Take a look at our past claim results:
  • $3.85 million for a semi-truck accident that resulted in brain injury
  • $3.2 million for a semi-truck accident that caused a brain injury
  • $1.75 million when a truck accident led to shoulder surgery and a TBI
  • $1.58 million when a truck accident led to two herniated discs that impinged on the spinal cord
Note that past results are no guarantee of future success. Dealing with the aftermath of a devastating truck accident on your own can prove incredibly frustrating, especially if you find yourself fighting with the truck driver's insurance company over the compensation you deserve for your injuries. At Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA, our Miami Gardens personal injury law firm provide our clients the legal support to navigate their claims successfully.

We understand the challenges you face.

Founding partner Matthew Dolman remembers the devastation after his father suffered serious injuries in a car accident. The insurance company refused to offer a reasonable settlement, leaving his family struggling for the compensation they deserved for the losses they had to deal with. Worse, the family struggled to get their law firm to return their calls and take them seriously. Those challenges led him to study law to create a law firm where people could count on having their needs taken care of. At Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA, we understand the challenges you face as you deal with the aftermath of your truck accident, and we aim to help you navigate those challenges and seek the compensation you deserve.

We make it easier for you to get the legal representation you deserve.

At Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA, we understand that in many cases, it can prove incredibly difficult to get the legal representation you need. Some accident victims worry about the cost. Others struggle to get into a law office to discuss their needs with an attorney. At Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA, we start with a free consultation to help us better understand the injuries you sustained in your accident and the compensation you may deserve. Then, we accept clients on a contingent fee basis: clients do not have to pay until we win. Finally, we aim to make it as easy as possible for our clients to get in touch with us. Not only do we have offices on both Florida coasts, but we can connect with our clients through virtual consultations when needed.

We have the resources needed to fight big-name insurance companies.

After your truck accident, you may find yourself dealing with the big names in insurance: Geico, Allstate, USAA, or Progressive, for example. Those insurance companies have extensive legal teams dedicated to reducing the compensation the firm has to pay in case of an accident. Often, that means minimizing the impact of your injuries, leaving you without the funds you need to pay your medical bills or take care of your other expenses. At Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA, we have the resources needed to take on those big names in insurance and help our clients get the results they deserve. Did you suffer injuries in a Miami Gardens truck accident? Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA has the resources necessary to fight for you. Contact us today to learn more.

Compensation After a Miami Gardens Truck Accident: What to Expect

At Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA, our clients often ask one key question: “How much compensation should I get for my truck accident injuries?” The compensation you can recover as part of your injury claim can make a huge difference in many areas of your life. With adequate compensation for your injuries, you can take care of your medical expenses and manage your ongoing financial needs while you recover. Truck drivers generally carry larger insurance policies with better odds of providing that much-needed compensation. However, it can prove more difficult than anticipated to calculate what compensation you deserve for your injuries, and we cannot offer a guarantee about how much you will recover. Truck accident investigations can prove incredibly complex and may turn up numerous elements that may ultimately impact the compensation you can recover as part of your injury claim. For example, in many cases, the trucking company may share liability with the truck driver for the accident. As a result, you may have the right to pursue compensation from both parties, which may ultimately mean that you can recover more in compensation for those injuries. Having a lawyer on your side may also impact the compensation you can recover since a lawyer brings numerous advantages to your Miami Gardens truck accident claim. At Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA, we start with a look at our client's damages from the truck accident. We then use that information to help build a comprehensive injury claim that includes the full compensation they realistically deserve for their injuries.

Your Medical Bills

Following a truck accident, we start with a look at our client's medical bills. In Florida, drivers must carry PIP insurance, also known as personal injury protection insurance. PIP insurance helps assist with immediate medical bills after an auto accident. PIP policies generally provide 80 percent of the first $10,000 medical expenses after an accident. You have the right to use that coverage after your truck accident, regardless of who caused the accident. You can also use PIP coverage immediately, rather than having to wait for the insurance company to resolve who likely used your accident. Once the cost of treatment for your injuries exceeds the protection offered by your PIP policy, you have the right to pursue compensation for your medical bills. Talk to your lawyer about the ongoing medical expenses that may have added up after your accident, from emergency transport to the hospital to the cost of therapy as you recover. In many cases, you may also need to include the anticipated cost of future medical procedures in your claim.

Your Income Losses

Truck accidents often cause severe injuries, which means you may find yourself out of work for a very long time after the accident. A truck accident can cause injuries that may keep you in the hospital for a long time. You might still need time to recover once you leave the hospital before heading back to work. Then, though you can return to work, you may need a modified schedule based on your current capacity, or you may have to continue to miss work for any follow-up procedures. At Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA, we want to help our clients seek compensation for their missed work's financial losses. We work with our clients to calculate those missing wages and their ongoing financial impact.

Your Suffering

Your financial losses will generally form the foundation of your injury claim. However, as a Miami Gardens truck accident victim, you may have losses that go far beyond those monetary losses. Truck accidents cause substantial suffering in many cases: physical pain, emotional anguish, and even ongoing relationship challenges. At Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA, we discuss those non-financial losses with our clients to effectively include them as part of the claim.

Miami Gardens Truck Accidents: The Basics

Across the United States, nearly 5,000 people die in truck accidents each year. Around 7.2 percent of those accidents occur in Florida. Despite its coastal ports, Florida has relatively low truck accident deaths compared to other states.

Common Causes of Truck Accidents in Miami Gardens

Miami Gardens may see truck accidents for several reasons.
  • Truck drivers may suffer from a high overall level of fatigue by the time they reach Miami Gardens. Fatigued truck drivers may have a much higher overall risk of causing devastating accidents.
  • Like much of Florida, Miami Gardens sees several days of heavy rainfall and storms that can make it more difficult to navigate on the road. During those storms, truck drivers may have a harder time navigating safely.
  • Miami Gardens may see a higher level of tourist traffic than some other areas. Tourists may not drive as safely as others on the road, which may increase the risk of a collision.
Truck accident injuries can prove incredibly severe since passenger vehicles do not offer much protection from the considerably larger big trucks. Victims may suffer a traumatic brain injury, back and neck injuries, multiple broken bones, or a high risk of severe cuts and lacerations.

Fighting the Insurance Company After a Miami Gardens Truck Accident

While big truck drivers and trucking companies generally carry high-value insurance policies that can provide substantial compensation after an accident, that does not necessarily mean that the insurance company will make it easy to recover that compensation. You may find yourself fighting to get recognition for the accident and injuries. The insurance company may refuse to accept liability for the accident or deny the extent of your injuries despite clear evidence of all you have suffered. Having an attorney on your side can make a huge difference in your ability to get the full compensation you deserve after a Miami Gardens truck accident. At Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA, we have the resources needed to take on even the big names in truck insurance, and we strive to help our clients maximize the results they can recover.

What to Do After Your Truck Accident

You probably went straight to the hospital right after your truck accident to seek help with your injuries. However, getting immediate medical care alone may not help you recover the compensation you deserve after a truck accident.
  • Get in touch with Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA as soon as you can. We can help guide you through the claim process, including helping you avoid common errors that could reduce your compensation.
  • Get a copy of your truck accident report. We can do this for you. Review it with us for accuracy. We can dispute any inaccurate information in the report.
  • Document your medical costs. You may need to keep receipts for co-pays and deductibles. Show evidence of your PIP coverage, including when you have exceeded that amount.
  • Keep a journal that lays out the course of your recovery and the complications you may deal with along the way. Your journal can help you remember what happened during your recovery period.
  • Follow your care provider's instructions carefully. Your doctor will provide the information you need to increase the odds that you will make a full recovery. Furthermore, if you fail to follow those instructions, it could impact your truck accident claim.
At Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA, we strive to help our clients navigate every area of their claims. Let us provide comprehensive legal advice as you deal with your Miami Gardens truck accident claim.

Miami Gardens Truck Accident Lawyer FAQs

After suffering devastating injuries in a Miami Gardens truck accident, you may have several questions about your right to compensation. Contact Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA to discuss any specific concerns you may have about your claim.

Do I need a lawyer to handle a Miami Gardens truck accident investigation?

If you suffered injuries in a Miami Gardens truck accident, you need a lawyer on your side. A property damage claim alone will generally resolve relatively smoothly. You have to take your vehicle in, have the damage to it evaluated, and, assuming no liability disputes, submit a claim for repairs. In the case of an injury claim, on the other hand, the process may prove much more difficult, and having a lawyer on your side can offer immense benefits.

A lawyer can help go through the extensive evidence often related to a truck accident.

Truck accidents involve a look at considerably more evidence than the average car accident claim. Not only does your lawyer need to look at the accident itself, your lawyer may need to go over the details of the trucking company, the truck driver's record, and even the load carried by the truck, including who loaded it and whether it had any balance issues that may have contributed to the accident. Since you need such a high volume of evidence to establish liability as part of a truck accident claim, you may need a lawyer to help sift through those facts and identify any details that may have contributed to the accident.

A lawyer can help break down the compensation you deserve.

The insurance company that covers the liable party may not have your best interests in mind as you deal with your truck accident claim. The insurance company will often focus on its own interests: most notably, decreasing the compensation it has to pay out as much as possible. As the injured party, on the other hand, you want to maximize the compensation you can recover for those injuries. That may start by getting a clear look at how much compensation you deserve, based on the insurance policy terms and the extent of the injuries you sustained. A Miami Gardens truck accident lawyer can help you take a close look at the damages that occurred because of your truck accident, then provide a clear breakdown of what compensation you deserve.

A lawyer can help put together a more compelling claim.

You need a claim laying out both liability for the accident and the damages you sustained because of it. At Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA, we work with our clients to put together a claim that helps explain everything the insurance company needs to know, increasing the odds that you will get the compensation you deserve for the accident and your injuries.

When does the truck driver's company share liability for a truck accident in Miami Gardens?

Ultimately, the truck driver will make any decisions behind the wheel, so the truck driver will generally bear direct liability. For example, the truck driver will typically decide whether he drives with a vehicle with known damage or whether he chooses to speed while out on the road. However, the decisions made by the trucking company may also contribute substantially to the risk of a devastating truck accident. When a trucking company ignores its responsibilities and duties, it may share liability for an accident.

The trucking company failed to institute proper safety procedures for its drivers.

Trucking companies need clear safety measures to protect their drivers and those who share the road with them. Without those policies, truck drivers may have a greater likelihood of causing an accident since they do not have governing rules that may prevent them from engaging in potentially reckless behavior on the road.

The trucking company does not ensure that the truck driver has adequate training before sending him out.

Miami Gardens truck drivers may face several potential challenges, including potentially dangerous weather conditions that could make it harder for them to navigate. Not only that, truck drivers with new licenses may not have the comprehensive education they need to handle potential challenges as they take to the road. A trucking company that fails to ensure that its drivers have the right level of training before sending them out may share liability for an accident caused by a poorly-trained driver.

The company does not take care of needed maintenance on the vehicle.

Big trucks require more maintenance than passenger vehicles. They should receive full inspections after every run. Unfortunately, sometimes, the trucking company may fail to properly inspect those trucks in between runs, especially with a tight turnaround time. Furthermore, the company may put off needed maintenance in an effort to cut costs or keep trucks on the road, including failing to replace tires in a timely manner or failing to take care of potential problems with the vehicle before they grow more serious. When those mechanical issues lead to an accident, the trucking company may share liability.

The trucking company pressures its drivers to get behind the wheel in unsafe conditions.

Sometimes, trucking companies may pressure their drivers to take loads even when the drivers do not feel themselves up to the challenge. Drivers suffering from illness or inebriation, for example, may need to remain off the road until symptoms resolve. Unfortunately, some trucking companies may push their drivers to get back on the road in spite of those conditions and circumstances. As a result, those drivers may cause devastating accidents.

The company fails to properly monitor its drivers and their driving record.

Any truck driver can end up involved in an accident, especially in dangerous conditions or if another driver engages in unsafe behavior around him. Sometimes, however, drivers may develop a habit of causing accidents on a regular basis, often due to dangerous behavior on the road. Drivers may cut corners, ignore the rules of the road, speed, or get behind the wheel while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, all of which may raise the risk of accidents. If the trucking company does not keep track of its drivers' habits, it may end up sending out drivers who do not take adequate care to avoid accident potential.

Why does it matter if the trucking company shares liability for my Miami Gardens truck accident?

Liability for your accident matters for several key reasons. First, you want to make sure that you hold everyone who contributed to the accident liable. In some cases, clearly establishing what led to your accident and injuries can help create policy change or other improvements that can prevent future accidents. In addition, identifying all parties that may share liability for your truck accident can help increase the compensation you can ultimately recover for those injuries. In some cases, the cost for your treatment and the other financial losses you sustained may exceed the protection offered by a single insurance policy. By identifying all parties that share liability, you increase the odds that you will recover the full compensation you deserve for those injuries.

How long does it take to recover compensation for a truck accident claim in Miami Gardens?

As the victim of a devastating truck accident, you may want to get the compensation you need from your injury claim as soon as possible. However, in many cases, you may not get that compensation for several months. Several things can extend the timeline of your truck accident claim.

If you suffered severe injuries, you may need more time to recover.

You do not have to make a full recovery from your truck accident injuries before you file an injury claim in Miami Gardens. However, your lawyer may advise you to wait until you have made considerable progress toward your recovery before you move forward with your claim. Your lawyer may advise waiting for several key reasons.
  • Your doctor may need time to accurately predict how much strength and mobility you will recover following your truck accident.
  • Your doctor may need you to doctor cannot always predict what complications you may face on your road to recovery.
  • You want your truck accident claim to accurately reflect the injuries you sustained in the accident and the challenges you faced as a result of those injuries.
Talk to your lawyer about whether you may need to wait to move forward with your injury claim.

A truck accident investigation, especially in the case of a serious truck accident, can take considerable time.

In many cases, investigating your truck accident claim can take longer than you expect. Your lawyer may need to look at a great deal of evidence related to the accident and to your claim in order to get a better idea of exactly what caused or contributed to your accident. Furthermore, it can take time to fully build out your truck accident case. The insurance company will also want time to investigate your accident and your claim. The more details necessary to determine liability for your accident, the longer it may take to investigate.

In the case of high-dollar claims, the insurance company may spend more effort in negotiation.

Sometimes, insurance companies will fight harder to minimize the compensation they have to pay out in the event of a high-dollar claim. Truck drivers often carry higher-value insurance policies. While that may mean that you can ultimately recover more compensation for your injuries, it may also mean that the insurance company delays payment or extends negotiation for much longer than after a car accident claim.

Will I have to go to court to settle my Miami Gardens truck accident claim?

Many truck accident victims worry about the stress related to going to court over a truck accident claim. Fortunately, most of the time, the insurance company prefers settling out of court to having to go to court over your truck accident claim. Generally, going to court increases the legal costs faced by the insurance company, and it may not significantly decrease the compensation the insurance company has to pay out. However, in some cases, you may have to go to court in order to reach a reasonable resolution in your truck accident claim. If you do have to go to court, having an attorney on your side can make the process easier and ensure that your case gets presented in a way that will increase your odds of maximizing your compensation.

Who has to pay my medical bills after a Miami Gardens truck accident?

As the injured party in a truck accident, you will start by using your PIP insurance to cover the cost of your medical treatment. PIP insurance provides coverage for up to 80 percent of the first $10,000 of medical insurance after your accident, which can help alleviate some of the stress associated with managing those bills when you have suffered severe injuries in a truck accident.
Personal Injury Lawyer
Matt Dolman, Miami Gardens Car Accident Attorney
Once your medical costs exceed the protection offered by your PIP insurance, you can file a truck accident claim, which will provide you with compensation for the bills associated with your accident. You can then use the funds from that claim to take care of your additional medical expenses. The insurance company that covers the liable party will not, however, have to pay your medical costs directly, so you will need to make arrangements to take care of your own medical bills. If you cannot pay your medical bills while waiting for the funds from your injury claim to arrive, you can have your lawyer write a letter of protection, which will establish your intent to pay once you receive those funds and help prevent medical bills from going to collections. You can use your health insurance to help offset the medical bills associated with your truck accident, especially if you have ongoing medical needs related to your injuries.

Contact Our Miami Gardens Truck Accident Lawyer as Soon as You Can

After a Miami Gardens truck accident, you need an attorney on your side to help you navigate any challenges the insurance company may throw in your way and to increase your odds of recovering the full compensation you deserve for your injuries. Contact Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA today at (833) 552-7274 (833-55-CRASH) to schedule your free consultation.

 

Matthew Dolman

Personal Injury Lawyer

This article was written and reviewed by Matthew Dolman. Matt has been a practicing civil trial, personal injury, products liability, and mass tort lawyer since 2004. He has successfully fought for more than 11,000 injured clients and acted as lead counsel in more than 1,000 lawsuits. Always on the cutting edge of personal injury law, Matt is actively engaged in complex legal matters, including Suboxone, AFFF, and Ozempic lawsuits.  Matt is a lifetime member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum for resolving individual cases in excess of $1 million and $2 million, respectively. He has also been selected by his colleagues as a Florida Superlawyer and as a member of Florida’s Legal Elite on multiple occasions. Further, Matt has been quoted in the media numerous times and is a sought-after speaker on a variety of legal issues and topics.

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