Years of Experience
Year Founded
Truck Accident Lawyers Who Know the Rules Trucking Companies Have to Follow
A fully loaded tractor-trailer weighs up to 80,000 pounds, forty times a passenger car. When one hits a car on I-95, I-595, the Turnpike, or Alligator Alley, the people in the car are the ones who are hurt. In 2023, more than 370 people died in large-truck crashes in Florida, and most of them were in passenger vehicles. The Injury Advocates represents people seriously injured in truck accidents across Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach counties, and our founder, Kweku Darfoor, is personally involved in every case. Our firm obtained a $2 million settlement for a client severely injured in a truck accident.
Why Truck Cases Are Different
A truck crash is not a big car crash. Commercial trucking is governed by federal safety rules that passenger drivers never face, the companies involved carry far larger insurance policies, and those companies send investigators to the scene within hours. The injured person needs someone working just as fast on their side.
The Federal Rules That Decide Fault
Hours of service (49 C.F.R. § 395.3). A driver hauling property may drive no more than 11 hours after 10 consecutive hours off duty, may not drive past the 14th hour after coming on duty, must take a 30-minute break after 8 hours of driving, and may not drive after 60 hours on duty in 7 days or 70 hours in 8 days. Drivers must record their hours on an electronic logging device. Fatigue is one of the leading causes of serious truck crashes, and the ELD data, fuel receipts, and dispatch records show whether the driver was over hours.
Driver qualification (Part 391). Carriers must keep a file on every driver with a valid commercial driver’s license, a current medical certificate, driving record checks, and road test results. A carrier that put an unqualified or medically unfit driver on the road can be liable for negligent hiring and retention.
Drug and alcohol testing (Part 382). Carriers must test drivers before hiring, at random, after certain crashes, and on reasonable suspicion, and must check the FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse. A skipped test or an ignored positive result is direct evidence against the company.
Inspection and maintenance (Part 396). Trucks must be systematically inspected and maintained, with daily driver inspection reports and annual inspections. Brake defects, worn tires, and unsecured cargo are common findings after a crash.
For a detailed guide, read our article on FMCSA violations and how they prove fault.
Common Causes of Truck Accidents
Who Can Be Held Responsible
Identifying every responsible party matters because serious truck injuries often exceed a single policy. We investigate the ownership and contracts behind the truck, not just the name on the door.
Evidence We Move to Preserve
Our first step in a truck case is a preservation letter demanding that the carrier keep all of this. Carriers are required to keep some records for only six months, and video is often overwritten in days.
Related Articles
Related: What if the at-fault driver is uninsured or underinsured? Our Florida uninsured motorist (UM/UIM) guide explains how your own coverage pays the difference.
Serious injuries from truck crashes: catastrophic injuries, spinal cord injuries, brain injuries, herniated discs, and neck and back injuries.
After a truck accident, there’s a lot to deal with—medical bills, lost work, and the emotional toll. You don’t have to face it alone. Our team deals with trucking companies, insurance adjusters, and legal complexities so you can focus on what matters most: recovering.
At The Injury Advocates, we work on a contingency fee basis. That means you don’t pay us unless we win for you. Your fight is our fight, and we’re ready to take it all the way.
See the settlements we have recovered for clients on our Case Results page.
Why Choose The Injury Advocates?
We know you have options when it comes to legal representation, but here’s why clients choose us to handle their truck accident cases:
What Compensation Can You Expect?
Truck accident victims face unique challenges, and the damages can be extensive. We fight to recover compensation for:
Often more than one party. Depending on the facts, that can include the driver, the trucking company, the company that loaded the cargo, a maintenance contractor, or the manufacturer of a defective part. Identifying every responsible party matters because it can open up additional insurance coverage.
Nothing up front. Your consultation is free, and we handle injury cases on a contingency fee basis, which means our fee is a percentage of the money we recover for you. If we do not win your case, you owe no attorney’s fees and no case costs.
A truck claim brings federal safety rules that an ordinary car accident case doesn’t — covering driver hours, rest breaks, vehicle inspections, and maintenance — and a violation of those rules can be strong evidence of fault. Trucking companies and their insurers also tend to send investigators to the scene quickly, so the injured person needs someone protecting their side just as fast.
Key evidence includes the truck’s electronic logging device (ELD) and engine data, the driver’s hours-of-service records, inspection and maintenance files, dash camera footage, and the driver’s qualification file. Some of these records are only required to be kept for months, not years. Sending a preservation letter right away helps prevent evidence from being lost or destroyed.
Federal rules require most interstate carriers hauling general freight to carry at least $750,000 in liability coverage, and many carry more. That is far higher than a typical car policy, which is why trucking insurers fight hard on catastrophic injury claims.
For crashes on or after March 24, 2023, the deadline is generally two years from the date of the crash, or two years from the date of death in a wrongful death case. Waiting can also mean losing evidence the trucking company is not required to keep.
Under Florida’s modified comparative negligence rule, you can recover if you are 50% or less at fault, reduced by your share. If you are found more than 50% at fault, you cannot recover. Trucking insurers often argue the other driver caused the crash, so early investigation is critical.
At Darfoor Law Firm, Corey’s story reminds us of the heart of our mission – treating every client as family. After his life was turned upside down by a devastating truck accident, Corey sought justice and healing. Through every step of the process, he felt not just like a client but like a valued member of our family.
Corey’s words about the support, care, and dedication he experienced throughout his case truly inspire us. They reaffirm why we do what we do every day – to stand by our clients with compassion and fight for the justice they deserve.
This isn’t just a legal victory; it’s a testament to the strength of relationships built on trust, care, and relentless advocacy.
