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Maximizing Your Compensation: PANAMA CITY TRUCK ACCIDENT LAWYER
Information and Questions About Truck Accidents and Attorneys
Were you out driving and involved in an accident with a Panama City truck? Did you suffer personal injury in your accident and now need the services of an attorney who has experience in the practice areas of personal injury law? Are you worried about the expense of hiring an attorney with all the medical bills piling up and lost wages you've endured?
Suffering personal injury from driving accidents is troubling and stressful, but the attorneys at Wettermark Keith who have experience in all practice areas of law are here to help. Wettermark Keith operates on a "no recovery, no fee" basis, so there are no upfront costs for a driving victim. Contact us today for a free evaluation of your driving injury or wrongful death case and let us help you collect monetary damages for your personal injury ordeal.
PANAMA CITY TRUCK ACCIDENTS HAPPEN
Panama City, Florida, named the "Seafood Capital of the South" and "Top Spring Break Destination in the USA," is located on the beautiful Gulf of Mexico coast. This town is the destination for thousands of tourists each year, but is also known as the "Wreck Capital of the South".....shipwrecks, that is! However, many vehicle wrecks occur in Panama City as well. With all the tourism and local traffic, roadways in and around town become congested and prone to accidents. Included in many of these traffic accidents are large trucks. They are involved more often than you may think and the injuries they can cause are devastating.
Being involved in a truck accident is an event that can cause much damage and pain. You’d think it’d be easy for the victims of truck accidents to get the financial compensation they need, but the reality is that many people end up accepting a low-sum payment offered by the insurance company. Unless you hire lawyers, you’re likely to be taken advantage of by the insurance adjusters and given a low settlement that may not cover your needs. Hire an injury lawyer at a professional law firm like Wettermark Keith to take care of your trucking accident claim while you rest and heal from the ordeal.
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WHY ARE TRUCK ACCIDENTS SO COMMON?
Every year, large commercial trucks in Panama City cause serious, catastrophic, and fatal traffic accidents. Trucks may use the same roads as passenger cars, but they have several characteristics that make them more likely to be in accidents:
- Trucks take a longer distance to stop. At the same speed, trucks travel more than twice as far as a passenger car before truckers can bring them to a complete stop.
- Trucks are much larger and heavier. They carry thousands of pounds of cargo. The extra weight and size makes accidents more serious and deadly.
- Trucks are considerably more difficult to maneuver. For the larger “big rigs,” this means that right turns actually start with the driver pulling wide to the left to get a better turning angle.
Imagine what this “drift left to turn right” maneuver looks like to the driver of the vehicle behind the truck and you can easily understand how it tends to cause truck accidents. Around the nation in 2020, according to the National Safety Council, 107,000 large trucks weighing 10,000 lbs. or more were involved in traffic accident crashes involving injuries. Of those accidents, almost 5000 included a fatality. Many of those injuries and fatalities involved collisions with fully-loaded trucks traveling at considerable speed.
ACCIDENT CASES WITH INJURIES INVOLVING TRUCKS ARE COMPLEX
Navigating a truck accident claim is not the same as a typical motor vehicle collision. Accidents involving trucks require answers to all the same questions that arise in all types of vehicle accidents. These questions about truck accidents include:
- What was the speed of the vehicle involved?
- Were the truckers following the rules of the road: staying in their designated lane, signaling their intent to change lanes, keeping a safe distance between vehicles?
- Was the truck being used to carry hazardous material?
- Were any of the truckers drunk, under the influence of drugs, or just plain distracted?
- Did the truck and its driver, comply with all safety regulations imposed on it by federal, state and local authorities?
How quickly and efficiently these questions get answered is tremendously important to victims too injured to work, walk, or simply live as they did before the truck accident. At Wettermark Keith, we have pursued these answers in many cases. We know where the answers are likely to be found and, maybe even more importantly, how the people who caused your injuries are likely to dodge the questions.
WHAT TO DO AFTER A TRUCK ACCIDENT
Fast action is important if you wish to successfully secure financial relief after accidents anywhere in Florida. Failing to take the proper steps right away to preserve evidence and protect your rights could make it more difficult to win your case. At Wettermark Keith, our truck accident lawyers are more than happy to discuss your case in detail as soon as you give us a call. We can walk you through all the steps you’ll need to take to recover.
- Collect information. Document your crash by recording details, taking photos at the scene, getting the commercial truck number, and requesting a copy of the police report.
- Go to the hospital. Never delay medical care. An insurance agency will want to see that you went immediately to an emergency room to receive care for your injuries.
- Call an attorney. Discuss things with an accident lawyer before calling an insurance agency. An attorney can let you know if you have a first-party or third-party claim on your hands.
- Report the crash to an insurance company. Call your insurer or that of the at-fault party to file a claim. Go through the claims process as required, but do not admit fault.
- Negotiate a fair outcome. Use a truck accident lawyer to negotiate a fair compensatory award from the insurance business. If negotiations fail, your lawyers can take the defendant to trial.
It is of the utmost importance to preserve evidence such as the truck’s black box (EDR - Event Data Recording device), and the truck driver’s cell phone records. Once you call Wettermark Keith, we can put the wheels in motion to protect key evidence. Then, we can help you build a claim against the correct defendant, whether it’s the truck business, the city government, a third-party driver, or a combination of people. We’ll do whatever it takes to help you obtain fair compensation.
MOST COMMON INJURY FROM A TRUCK ACCIDENT
One of our main goals at Wettermark Keith is to help victims with personal injuries move forward with their lives in the Florida Panhandle. We strive to accomplish this goal day in and day out by representing clients during complicated Panama City personal injury and automobile accident cases. Our years of experience in the field give us the ability to represent clients with all types of personal injuries, including those commonly present in a truck accident:
- Spine and neck injury
- Brain and head injury
- Internal Bleeding
- Organ damage
- Amputation
- Bone Fractures
- Paralysis
- Scarring and/or Disfigurement
- Lacerations
- Burns
- Wrongful Death
If you or a loved one has a catastrophic injury, you may have grounds to file a claim against the trucking firm or another defendant in pursuit of maximum recovery. If you have minor injuries, you may only have the right to bring a no-fault claim with your own insurer in Panama City. Either way, you may be eligible to recover the costs of losses such as medical expenses, lost income, vehicle repairs, physical pain and emotional suffering. At the truck accident law firm of Wettermark Keith, our injury lawyers can review your case and help you discover your options.
WHAT COMPENSATION IS AVAILABLE FOR MY TRUCK CRASH INJURIES?
The victims of a truck accident in Panama City may think their compensation is limited to whatever was hurt by the truck….either their health or the car they drive. However, there are a lot more options for compensation available than just these two, and not all of them come from the truck drivers themselves.
TRUCK INJURY DAMAGES
When you submit a claim to an insurance provider, you can list out the damages you incurred to strengthen your case and make it clear what you need. In Florida, these damages can be physical and emotional, including:
| Medical Expenses: | You are entitled to coverage of any medical procedures or treatments that you may have needed following the truck accident. This compensation will be paid even if you have health insurance. |
| Pain and Suffering: | Trauma is more than physical. Stressful experiences like a truck accident leave a wound on your mental health. |
| Property Damage: | Cars are expensive to repair or repurchase. The at-fault truck driver or the guilty party will have to pay for the cost this incurs. |
| Lost Wages: | When you’re injured in a truck accident, you can’t work. As a result, you may have lost valuable earnings at work, including job benefits like a promotion or paid time off. |
| Wrongful Death: | The families of victims of a fatal truck accident can seek justice through a wrongful death claim. Your family member's absence may mean a large emotional and financial burden left for the family to bear. |
The types of compensation you might receive can extend past this list, depending on your circumstances. To know for sure, call our personal injury attorneys at Wettermark Keith.
WHO PAYS COMPENSATION IN A TRUCK ACCIDENT CASE?
Determining the "at-fault party" depends on what contributed to the accident. If the crash was caused by the driver’s own action or inaction, like distracted driving, the driver will be held liable. If the wreck was caused by a failure to check the weight of the load or another federal regulation, the fault is on the trucking business. Liability can even be held against the government, parts manufacturers, mechanics, and more, depending on what happened. Tell the truck accident attorneys at Wettermark Keith about your case, and they can help determine the guilty party.
WETTERMARK KEITH: TRUCK ACCIDENT LAWYER IN PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA
When it comes to choosing attorneys to handle your case, don’t settle for just any attorneys. Choose the Panama City truck accident lawyers with experience, passion, and empathy for your case. We practice many areas of law and you can trust us. If you've experienced a truck accident injury in or near Panama City, contact us. Here are a few reasons you should consider Wettermark Keith:
- We efficiently and effectively represent clients in Panama City, FL going up against insurance companies properly to recover fair compensation.
- We’ve obtained more than $800 million on behalf of our clients in successful civil claims. We’re never afraid of taking cases to trial, when necessary.
- We have more than 50 years of experience representing clients in Florida, Tennessee, and Alabama.
- We don’t charge for our services in Panama City unless we obtain compensation for the client.
Sign up for a free consultation and case evaluation using the form below. With our attorney-client relationship, our Panama City truck accident attorneys can help you better understand your case and win the compensation you deserve.
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