Florida Truck Accident Lawyer

A crash with a semi tractor-trailer is not a car accident with a bigger vehicle. The physics are worse, the injuries are worse, and the fight afterward is different: within hours, the trucking company and its insurer can have investigators and defense lawyers working the scene. Ave Maria Law Center takes on trucking cases across Florida — and brings something to them almost no law firm can: the firm’s lead attorney used to drive these trucks himself.

A lawyer who has actually driven a semi

Before practicing law, Raymond Christopher was licensed to drive semi tractor-trailers, with air-brake certification, and drove them in the oil fields of Alberta, Canada. He has performed the pre-trip inspections, taken the brake tests, and lived the safety requirements professional drivers operate under. That firsthand knowledge matters in a trucking case: when a defense expert talks about stopping distances, brake maintenance, inspection routines, or what a reasonable driver should have done, your lawyer knows from experience — not just from a deposition transcript — whether it holds up. He is a trial lawyer and former Florida Assistant Attorney General, and he prepares every trucking case to be tried.

Why truck accident cases are different

• Federal safety rules apply. Commercial carriers and drivers operate under federal motor-carrier safety regulations (FMCSA) covering driver qualification, hours of service, maintenance, and inspections — violations can be powerful evidence of negligence.
• The evidence is richer — and disappears faster. Modern trucks carry electronic logging devices and engine data; there are driver logs, inspection reports, maintenance records, dispatch records, and drug-and-alcohol testing records. Much of it can be overwritten or lost if a preservation demand doesn’t go out fast.
• More defendants, more insurance. The driver, the motor carrier, the owner of the trailer, a freight broker, a shipper, a maintenance contractor — each may share responsibility, and commercial policies are far larger than personal auto coverage.
• The defense starts immediately. Rapid-response teams work serious truck crashes from day one. You need someone doing the same on your side.
• Many trucking cases end up in federal court. Because carriers are often based out of state, these cases are frequently litigated in federal court — where Raymond has substantial experience, including from his time as a Florida Assistant Attorney General.

Trucking cases we handle in Florida

• Semi tractor-trailer and 18-wheeler crashes — including rear-end, underride, jackknife, and lane-change wrecks on I-75, I-95, I-4, and Florida’s rural highways.
• Commercial vehicle crashes — dump trucks, tankers, delivery box trucks, and work vehicles.
• Crashes caused by driver fatigue, impairment, or inexperience — where hours-of-service and driver-qualification records tell the story.
• Equipment and maintenance failures — brakes, tires, coupling, and load-securement failures a properly run carrier should have caught.
• Out-of-state and cross-border carriers — including Canadian trucks on Florida roads; see our page on being hit by a Canadian driver in Florida.

What to do after a truck crash in Florida

• Get medical care immediately — truck-crash injuries are often more serious than they first feel, and prompt treatment protects both your health and your claim.
• Photograph everything you safely can — the truck, its trailer, company names and DOT numbers on the doors, the scene, skid marks, and your vehicle.
• Get the police report number and the names of the driver, the carrier, and any witnesses.
• Do not give the trucking company’s insurer a recorded statement. Their team is already working the case; nothing you say to them helps you.
• Call a lawyer quickly. A preservation letter needs to reach the carrier before logs, electronic data, and the truck itself stop being available.

What compensation can cover

Depending on the facts, a Florida truck accident claim can seek payment for emergency and long-term medical care, lost wages and earning capacity, out-of-pocket losses, property damage, and pain and suffering — pursued against every responsible party and policy, not just the driver’s. Florida’s rules on filing deadlines and comparative fault still apply, and most negligence suits must now generally be filed within two years, so early action matters. We explain exactly where you stand, free, before you commit to anything.

Florida truck accident FAQ

The trucking company’s insurance already called me. Should I talk to them?

Talk to a lawyer first. Early calls from a carrier’s insurer are about limiting what they pay, and a recorded statement can be used against you. You are generally not required to give one.

Who can be held responsible besides the driver?

Potentially the motor carrier, the trailer’s owner, a freight broker or shipper, and maintenance contractors — it depends on who controlled what. Identifying every responsible party and policy is one of the most valuable things a trucking lawyer does.

Will my case be in federal court?

It may be — trucking defendants are often out-of-state companies, which can put the case in federal court. That is familiar ground for this firm, and it does not change your right to recover.

What does it cost to hire you?

The first conversation is free, and injury cases are typically handled on a contingency basis — the fee comes from a recovery, explained in writing before you decide anything.

Do you handle regular car accident cases too?

Yes — see our Florida personal injury practice, which covers auto accidents statewide along with the counties we serve.

Talk to a Florida truck accident lawyer who has been behind the wheel

Free, confidential consultation, anywhere in Florida. The trucking company’s team is already working — get someone working for you. Call 1-855-RAY-CHRIS (855-729-2474).

Raymond Christopher, Attorney, is responsible for this advertisement. Ave Maria Law Center, 5706 Mayflower Way, Unit 207, Ave Maria, FL 34142.