Truck and Commercial Vehicle Accidents
Truck Accident Lawyer Fort Lauderdale
A collision with a commercial truck — an 18-wheeler, a semi-truck, a tanker, or a large delivery vehicle — is among the most devastating events that can happen on a Florida road. The sheer size and weight of commercial trucks means that when they collide with passenger vehicles, the results are frequently catastrophic: traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, amputations, and fatalities that devastate families and leave survivors facing a lifetime of medical treatment, lost income, and diminished quality of life. If you or a family member has been injured in a truck accident in Fort Lauderdale or South Florida, you face not only physical and financial devastation but a powerful adversary — the trucking company and its insurers — with experienced legal teams whose sole objective is to minimize what they pay you.
The Law Offices of Richard Corey, PLLC represents truck accident victims throughout Fort Lauderdale, Broward County, and South Florida. Managing Attorney Richard P. Corey is a three-time Super Lawyers Rising Stars recipient in civil litigation — a distinction awarded to fewer than 2.5% of attorneys in Florida — and brings a litigation background that means every truck accident case is built for trial from the first day. Trucking companies and their insurers deploy rapid-response teams within hours of a serious accident to begin building their defense and minimizing your claim. You need an equally aggressive, equally prepared legal team fighting for you from the moment you retain counsel.
Contact The Law Offices of Richard Corey, PLLC at (954) 789-0461 or legal@rcenterpriselaw.com to schedule a consultation with a Fort Lauderdale truck accident attorney today.
Why Truck Accident Cases Are Different
Truck accident cases are fundamentally more complex than standard car accident claims — and the stakes are substantially higher on both sides. Understanding why requires understanding the unique legal, regulatory, and factual landscape that governs commercial trucking litigation in Florida.
First, the damages in truck accident cases are almost always more severe. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) reports that large truck crashes produce catastrophic injuries at a dramatically higher rate than passenger vehicle accidents — a direct result of the physics involved when an 80,000-pound commercial vehicle collides with a 3,000-pound passenger car. The economic damages alone — lifetime medical care, lost earning capacity, home modification, assistive technology — can reach into the millions in catastrophic injury cases.
Second, truck accident cases involve multiple potentially liable parties. Unlike a standard car accident where liability typically rests with one driver, a truck accident may implicate the truck driver, the trucking company, the cargo loading company, the truck's owner (which may be different from the carrier), the truck's manufacturer, and the entity responsible for maintaining the vehicle. Identifying every liable party and pursuing every available source of recovery requires the kind of thorough investigation and multi-party litigation experience that The Law Offices of Richard Corey, PLLC brings to every commercial vehicle case.
Third, commercial trucking is governed by a comprehensive federal regulatory framework — the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) — that imposes specific requirements on trucking companies and their drivers covering hours of service, vehicle maintenance, driver qualification, cargo securement, and dozens of other operational standards. A violation of the FMCSRs is powerful evidence of negligence that experienced truck accident attorneys know how to identify, document, and use effectively in litigation.
Fourth, evidence in truck accident cases must be preserved immediately. Modern commercial trucks are equipped with electronic logging devices (ELDs), event data recorders (EDRs), GPS tracking systems, and dashcam footage that can provide critical evidence of the truck driver's hours of service violations, speed, braking behavior, and compliance with traffic laws at the moment of impact. Trucking companies and their insurers know that this data exists and move quickly to access it — and in some cases to allow it to be overwritten or destroyed under the guise of routine data management. A spoliation letter demanding the preservation of all electronic and physical evidence must be sent to the trucking company within days of the accident. The Law Offices of Richard Corey, PLLC takes this step immediately upon being retained in every truck accident case.
Common Causes of Truck Accidents in Fort Lauderdale
Fort Lauderdale and Broward County's network of highways — including I-95, I-595, the Florida Turnpike, US-1, and Sunrise Boulevard — carries heavy commercial truck traffic year-round, creating significant accident risk throughout the region. The most common causes of truck accidents in the Fort Lauderdale area include:
Driver Fatigue and Hours of Service Violations
Federal regulations under 49 C.F.R. Part 395 strictly limit the number of hours a commercial truck driver may drive without rest — generally limiting drivers to 11 hours of driving within a 14-hour on-duty window, with mandatory rest periods in between. Despite these requirements, trucking companies and their drivers routinely violate hours of service regulations under pressure to meet delivery deadlines, producing fatigued drivers whose reaction times, judgment, and situational awareness are severely impaired. Electronic logging device data and driver logbooks are critical evidence in hours of service violation cases — and they must be preserved immediately through a formal litigation hold.
Distracted Driving
Commercial truck drivers are prohibited under 49 C.F.R. § 392.82 from using handheld mobile devices while operating a commercial motor vehicle. Despite this prohibition, distracted driving — including texting, GPS manipulation, and phone use — remains a significant cause of truck accidents throughout Broward County. Cell phone records, vehicle telematics data, and dashcam footage are key sources of evidence in distracted driving truck accident cases.
Improper Cargo Loading and Unsecured Loads
Federal cargo securement regulations under 49 C.F.R. Part 393 require that cargo be properly loaded, distributed, and secured to prevent shifting during transport. Improperly loaded or unsecured cargo can cause a truck to become unstable, increasing the risk of rollover accidents, jackknife accidents, and cargo spills that create hazards for other vehicles on the road. When improper cargo loading causes or contributes to a truck accident, the cargo loading company — in addition to the trucking company — may bear liability for the resulting injuries.
Speeding and Aggressive Driving
Commercial trucks require significantly longer stopping distances than passenger vehicles — a fact that makes speeding in a commercial truck exponentially more dangerous than speeding in a car. Despite this, truck drivers frequently exceed posted speed limits under pressure from carriers and dispatchers to meet tight delivery schedules. At highway speeds on I-95 or I-595, a speeding 18-wheeler that fails to stop in time can produce catastrophic multi-vehicle accidents.
Inadequate Vehicle Maintenance
Federal regulations under 49 C.F.R. Part 396 require trucking companies to systematically inspect, repair, and maintain all commercial vehicles in their fleet. Brake failures, tire blowouts, steering defects, and lighting failures caused by inadequate maintenance are a significant source of preventable truck accidents throughout Florida. Maintenance records, inspection logs, and repair histories are essential evidence in truck accident cases involving mechanical failure — and they must be obtained through discovery before they are altered or destroyed.
Truck Driver Inexperience and Inadequate Training
Federal regulations require that commercial truck drivers obtain a Commercial Driver's License (CDL) and meet specific qualification standards before operating a commercial motor vehicle. Despite these requirements, trucking companies sometimes hire underqualified or inadequately trained drivers — or fail to properly supervise and train new drivers in the specific demands of the routes and cargo types they are assigned. When a driver's inexperience or inadequate training contributes to an accident, the trucking company may face liability not only for the driver's negligence under respondeat superior but also for its own independent negligence in hiring, training, and supervising its drivers.
Impaired Driving
Federal regulations prohibit commercial truck drivers from operating a commercial motor vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.04% or higher — a threshold half that of Florida's standard DUI limit. Drug testing requirements under 49 C.F.R. Part 382 mandate pre-employment, random, post-accident, and reasonable suspicion drug and alcohol testing for commercial drivers. When a truck driver is operating under the influence of alcohol or drugs, both the driver and the trucking company face significant liability — and in cases of intentional or reckless conduct, punitive damages may be available under Florida Statute § 768.72.
Truck Accident Injuries We Handle
The catastrophic forces generated in commercial truck accidents produce injuries of a severity and complexity that far exceed those typically seen in standard car accidents. The Law Offices of Richard Corey, PLLC represents truck accident victims suffering from the full range of catastrophic and serious injuries these collisions cause, including:
Traumatic Brain Injuries
Traumatic brain injuries are among the most common and most devastating consequences of truck accidents. The violent forces generated when a passenger vehicle is struck by an 80,000-pound commercial truck can produce TBIs ranging from concussions with temporary symptoms to severe traumatic brain injuries causing permanent cognitive impairment, personality changes, loss of motor function, and inability to work or live independently. The lifetime cost of care for a severe TBI — including neurological treatment, rehabilitation, in-home care, and lost earning capacity — can reach into the millions of dollars, and recovering these damages in full requires an attorney with the litigation experience and expert resources to build a comprehensive future damages case.
Spinal Cord Injuries and Paralysis
Spinal cord injuries resulting in paraplegia or quadriplegia are tragically common in commercial truck accident cases. Complete spinal cord injuries produce permanent paralysis that eliminates the victim's independence and imposes extraordinary lifetime costs for medical care, adaptive equipment, home modification, and personal assistance. Even incomplete spinal cord injuries — those that do not produce full paralysis — can generate chronic pain, motor deficits, and sensory impairment that permanently alter the victim's quality of life and ability to work. The Law Offices of Richard Corey, PLLC works with life care planners, medical economists, and vocational rehabilitation experts to quantify the full lifetime economic impact of catastrophic spinal cord injuries and pursue complete recovery on behalf of our clients.
Amputations and Crush Injuries
The crushing forces generated in truck accidents frequently produce traumatic amputations and severe crush injuries to the limbs — injuries that require emergency surgical intervention, extensive rehabilitation, and in many cases lifetime prosthetic care. The psychological impact of traumatic amputation — including post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and the loss of occupational and recreational activities central to the victim's identity — represents a significant component of non-economic damages that experienced truck accident attorneys know how to document and present effectively to a jury.
Internal Injuries and Organ Damage
Internal injuries — including damage to the liver, spleen, kidneys, and other organs — are common in truck accident cases and are particularly dangerous because they may not produce obvious external symptoms in the immediate aftermath of the collision. Internal bleeding and organ damage that goes undetected or untreated can be rapidly life-threatening. Any truck accident victim who has experienced abdominal pain, dizziness, or other internal symptoms following a collision must seek emergency medical evaluation immediately, regardless of whether visible external injuries are present.
Wrongful Death
When a truck accident takes the life of a family member, Florida's Wrongful Death Act — codified at Florida Statute § 768.21 — provides surviving family members with legal recourse to recover compensation for their loss, including medical and funeral expenses, lost financial support, lost companionship, and the pain and suffering experienced by the deceased between the accident and death. Wrongful death cases arising from truck accidents require immediate action to preserve the substantial electronic, physical, and testimonial evidence that makes or breaks these high-stakes matters. The Law Offices of Richard Corey, PLLC represents families who have lost loved ones in commercial truck accidents with the urgency, thoroughness, and compassion these devastating cases demand.
Who Can Be Held Liable in a Florida Truck Accident?
One of the most important — and most complex — aspects of truck accident litigation is identifying every party whose negligence contributed to the accident and every available source of financial recovery. Unlike standard car accident cases, truck accidents frequently involve multiple defendants with overlapping liability.
The Truck Driver
The truck driver bears direct liability for any negligence that contributed to the accident — including violations of traffic laws, hours of service regulations, distracted driving prohibitions, and impaired driving rules. The driver's employment records, CDL history, prior violations, drug and alcohol testing records, and electronic logging device data are all relevant to establishing the driver's negligence and the trucking company's knowledge of any prior misconduct.
The Trucking Company
Under the doctrine of respondeat superior, a trucking company is vicariously liable for the negligent acts of its employed drivers committed within the scope of their employment. Beyond vicarious liability, trucking companies face independent liability for negligent hiring, negligent training, negligent supervision, and negligent entrustment of a commercial vehicle to an unqualified or unsafe driver. Trucking companies also bear direct liability for FMCSR violations — including hours of service violations, inadequate maintenance, and failure to implement required drug and alcohol testing programs — that contribute to accidents.
The Cargo Loading Company
When improperly loaded, unsecured, or overweight cargo contributes to a truck accident — by causing the truck to become unstable, shift its center of gravity, or shed cargo onto the roadway — the company responsible for loading the cargo may bear independent liability for the resulting injuries, separate from the trucking company's own liability.
The Truck or Parts Manufacturer
When a truck accident is caused or contributed to by a mechanical defect — brake failure, tire failure, steering defect, or other manufacturing or design flaw — the manufacturer of the defective truck or component may face product liability claims under Florida's strict liability framework, in addition to any negligence claims against the trucking company for inadequate maintenance.
The Truck Owner
Commercial trucks are frequently operated under lease arrangements where the truck's owner is different from the carrier operating it. Under federal leasing regulations and Florida law, both the truck's owner and the operating carrier may bear liability for accidents caused by the leased vehicle — a relationship that experienced truck accident attorneys explore thoroughly in every commercial vehicle case.
Federal and Florida Laws Governing Commercial Trucks
Commercial trucking in Florida is governed by a comprehensive federal regulatory framework enforced by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), supplemented by Florida's own commercial vehicle regulations. Understanding and applying this framework is central to every successful truck accident case.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs)
The FMCSRs, codified at 49 C.F.R. Parts 300–399, govern virtually every aspect of commercial trucking operations — including driver qualification standards (Part 391), hours of service (Part 395), vehicle inspection and maintenance (Part 396), cargo securement (Part 393), and drug and alcohol testing (Part 382). A violation of any FMCSR provision that contributes to an accident is powerful evidence of negligence — and in cases of knowing or willful violation, may support a claim for punitive damages.
Florida Commercial Vehicle Regulations
Florida Statute § 316.302 adopts the FMCSRs as the applicable standard for commercial motor vehicles operating in Florida and grants the Florida Department of Transportation and law enforcement agencies the authority to conduct roadside inspections and enforce compliance. Florida's commercial vehicle weight and size limits, codified at Florida Statute § 316.535, impose additional restrictions on commercial truck operations that, when violated, can contribute to accident causation and liability.
FMCSA Insurance Requirements
Federal regulations require motor carriers operating in interstate commerce to maintain minimum insurance coverage of $750,000 for general freight and $1,000,000 for hazardous materials. Many large commercial carriers maintain significantly higher policy limits. The availability of these substantially larger insurance policies — compared to the minimum coverage required of passenger vehicle drivers — is one reason truck accident cases can produce significantly higher recoveries than standard car accident cases, particularly in catastrophic injury matters.
Florida Statute § 768.21 — Wrongful Death Act
When a truck accident results in death, Florida's Wrongful Death Act provides the framework for surviving family members to pursue compensation for economic and non-economic losses, including lost financial support, medical and funeral expenses, and loss of companionship. Wrongful death claims arising from truck accidents are subject to a two-year statute of limitations under Florida Statute § 95.11(4).
How Our Fort Lauderdale Truck Accident Lawyers Fight for You
Trucking companies and their insurers are among the most sophisticated and aggressive defendants in personal injury litigation. They deploy rapid-response teams — including accident reconstruction experts, investigators, and defense attorneys — within hours of a serious truck accident, before the injured victim has had a chance to retain counsel. Matching this response requires a law firm that moves equally fast, with equal resources and greater determination.
The Law Offices of Richard Corey, PLLC begins every truck accident case with immediate action. We send spoliation letters to the trucking company and all other potentially liable parties demanding the preservation of every piece of evidence — electronic logging device data, event data recorder data, GPS records, dashcam footage, maintenance records, driver qualification files, drug and alcohol testing records, and all communications relating to the accident and the driver's performance. We retain accident reconstruction experts, commercial trucking safety experts, and medical experts from the earliest stages of the case to build the factual and expert foundation necessary to prove liability and quantify damages.
We conduct thorough discovery — depositions of the driver, the carrier's safety director, maintenance personnel, and dispatch — to establish the full picture of the trucking company's negligence and its knowledge of the conditions that caused the accident. We work with life care planners and economic experts to document the full lifetime economic impact of catastrophic truck accident injuries. And we prepare every case for trial — because the trucking companies and insurers we negotiate with know that an attorney who is genuinely ready to try the case is an attorney who commands full and fair settlement value.
Richard P. Corey has been featured in USA Today, Yahoo News, and Influencive, is a TEDx Ocala 2025 speaker, and is a Member of the Bar of the Supreme Court of the United States and admitted to practice in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. His experience in complex, multi-party civil litigation — including active federal RICO litigation — means he understands how to build and prosecute the kind of complex, multi-defendant case that serious truck accident matters require.
Why Choose The Law Offices of Richard Corey, PLLC as Your Truck Accident Lawyer in Fort Lauderdale?
Truck accident cases are not standard personal injury matters. They require an attorney who combines genuine civil litigation experience, command of the federal regulatory framework governing commercial trucking, the resources to retain the necessary experts, and the courtroom credibility to make a trial threat meaningful. Richard P. Corey brings all of these to every truck accident case handled by The Law Offices of Richard Corey, PLLC.
Recognized as a Super Lawyers Rising Star in civil litigation for three consecutive years — a distinction awarded to fewer than 2.5% of attorneys in Florida — Richard has the litigation background and strategic acumen that high-stakes truck accident cases demand. Our firm is boutique by design. Every truck accident client works directly with Richard — not a paralegal or case manager — and receives the senior-level, hands-on legal representation that catastrophic injury cases require.
We represent truck accident victims throughout Fort Lauderdale, Broward County, Miami-Dade County, and Palm Beach County — and we take on the trucking companies and their insurers with the same aggressive, preparation-driven approach that defines every matter we handle.
Serving Truck Accident Victims Throughout South Florida
The Law Offices of Richard Corey, PLLC represents truck accident victims throughout:
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Fort Lauderdale
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Broward County
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Miami
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Miami-Dade County
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Boca Raton
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West Palm Beach
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Palm Beach County
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Pompano Beach
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Hollywood
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Coral Springs
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Plantation
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Davie
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Deerfield Beach
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Weston
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All of South Florida
We handle truck and commercial vehicle accident matters in Florida state courts statewide and in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
Schedule a Consultation With a Fort Lauderdale Truck Accident Lawyer
If you or a family member has been injured in a truck accident in Fort Lauderdale, Broward County, or anywhere in South Florida, contact The Law Offices of Richard Corey, PLLC today. Time is critical in truck accident cases — evidence disappears fast and trucking companies act immediately to protect their interests. Contact us now to protect yours.
The Law Offices of Richard Corey, PLLC
915 Middle River Drive, Suite 408
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304
Phone: (954) 789-0461
Email: legal@rcenterpriselaw.com
Website: rcenterpriselaw.com
Related Practice Areas
Truck accident cases involve the same complex, multi-party litigation strategy that runs through all of our civil litigation work. Our personal injury attorneys represent victims across the full spectrum of serious injury matters throughout South Florida. When a truck accident occurs alongside a slip and fall or other premises liability event — such as an accident in a commercial loading dock or warehouse — our slip and fall attorneys provide the integrated premises liability representation your matter may require. If your accident involved a rideshare or standard passenger vehicle rather than a commercial truck, learn more about our car accident representation.