A crash with a tractor-trailer, dump truck, or delivery truck can change a family's life in seconds. If you or someone you love was seriously hurt in a truck crash in Pensacola, Escambia County, or Santa Rosa County, Gross Law Group can investigate what happened, work to identify the companies and insurance policies involved, and pursue the compensation Florida and federal law allow.
Truck cases are different from ordinary car accident claims. Trucking companies and their insurers can move quickly after a crash. Key evidence, including electronic driving logs and engine data, can be lost if no one acts to preserve it. Our Pensacola office is at 21 East Garden Street, Suite 208.
The first consultation is free. Call (850) 331-7775 or contact us online to talk with our team about your case.
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Key Takeaways About Pensacola Truck Accident Claims
- Interstate for-hire trucking companies must carry federal minimum liability insurance that is much higher than what most Florida drivers carry.
- Truck cases can involve several responsible parties, including the driver, the motor carrier, and companies that loaded or maintained the truck.
- Federal rules let carriers discard drivers' duty-status records after six months, so early action to preserve evidence matters.
- Florida generally allows two years to file a negligence lawsuit, and a person more than 50 percent at fault cannot recover.
- Gross Law Group represents injured people and families in Pensacola truck cases.
Where Truck Crashes Happen Around Pensacola
Pensacola sits where several major freight routes meet. Interstate 10 carries long-haul trucks east and west across the Gulf Coast, and Interstate 110 connects I-10 to downtown Pensacola. The City of Pensacola notes that the Port of Pensacola handles bulk, break-bulk, and project cargo, with interstate access to I-10 by way of I-110 and long- and short-haul trucking services.
U.S. 98 crosses Pensacola Bay on the Pensacola Bay Bridge, the main link between Pensacola and Gulf Breeze, and continues east toward Navarre and Fort Walton Beach. U.S. 29 runs north from Pensacola through Cantonment and Century toward Alabama and carries regional truck traffic. We handle truck crash claims on all of these roads and on local routes throughout Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties.
Why Truck Accident Cases Are Different
Federal regulations treat a vehicle used in interstate commerce with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,001 pounds or more as a commercial motor vehicle (49 CFR 390.5). Those vehicles and the companies that operate them must follow federal rules on insurance, driver qualifications, hours of service, inspections, and maintenance.
Federal rules set minimum liability insurance for interstate for-hire carriers hauling property in vehicles of 10,001 pounds or more: $750,000 for general freight, $1,000,000 for oil and many hazardous materials, and $5,000,000 for certain bulk hazardous materials (49 CFR 387.9). Trucks that run only inside Florida can carry far less. Florida's minimums for intrastate commercial motor vehicles weighing 26,000 pounds or more range from $50,000 to $300,000 depending on weight (Fla. Stat. 627.7415).
That difference is one reason we look closely at who owned the truck, who employed the driver, what was being hauled, and where the trip started and was headed. The answers can determine which insurance policies apply to your claim.
Federal hours-of-service rules generally limit a property-carrying driver to 11 hours of driving after 10 consecutive hours off duty, within a 14-hour window, and require a 30-minute break after 8 hours of driving (49 CFR 395.3). Carriers only have to keep drivers' records of duty status and supporting documents for six months (49 CFR 395.8(k)), and they must keep a qualification file for every driver (49 CFR 391.51).
Who May Be Responsible for a Pensacola Truck Crash
Depending on the facts, more than one party may share responsibility for a truck crash, including:
- The truck driver, for speeding, distraction, impairment, fatigue, or unsafe lane changes
- The motor carrier, for negligent hiring, training, supervision, or pressure to break hours-of-service limits
- The owner or lessor of the truck or trailer
- Shippers or loading companies, when improperly secured or overweight cargo contributes to a crash
- Maintenance contractors, when brakes, tires, or lights were not properly repaired
- Manufacturers of defective truck parts
What Our Firm Does in a Truck Accident Case
When Gross Law Group takes a truck case, our work typically includes:
- Sending preservation demands to the carrier for electronic logging device (ELD) records, engine control module data, dash camera footage, and dispatch communications
- Requesting the driver qualification file, drug and alcohol testing records, and inspection and maintenance records
- Reviewing the carrier's federal safety and inspection history
- Working with accident reconstruction professionals and the investigating law enforcement agency's crash report
- Documenting your medical care, future treatment needs, and lost income with your doctors
- Handling communications with the trucking company's insurer so you can focus on recovery
Serious Injuries and Wrongful Death in Truck Crashes
Because of a loaded truck's size and weight, the injuries in these crashes are often severe: traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, amputations, burns, and multiple fractures. When a crash takes a life, Florida law allows certain family members and the estate to bring a wrongful death claim. Learn more about our catastrophic injury practice and about truck underride crashes.
Florida Law That Affects Your Truck Accident Claim
Under the 2023 changes to Florida law (HB 837), most negligence claims arising after March 24, 2023 must be filed within two years (Fla. Stat. 95.11(5)(a)), and wrongful death claims also carry a two-year deadline (Fla. Stat. 95.11(5)(e)). Florida now uses modified comparative fault: in most negligence cases (medical negligence claims are an exception), a person found more than 50 percent at fault for their own injury cannot recover damages, and a lower share of fault reduces the recovery (Fla. Stat. 768.81(6)).
HB 837 also changed how medical bills are proven. Evidence of medical bills that have already been paid is now limited to the amount actually paid; evidence of unpaid bills generally includes what the injured person's health coverage would pay (or, for people without private coverage, an amount tied to Medicare or Medicaid rates); and treatment under a letter of protection must be disclosed (Fla. Stat. 768.0427). That makes careful documentation of current and future care more important than ever.
Truck cases in Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties are filed in Florida's First Judicial Circuit, which also covers Okaloosa and Walton Counties (Florida Courts). Claims against out-of-state carriers may be filed in, or moved to, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida when federal jurisdiction applies; that court sits in Pensacola (28 U.S.C. 89).
Talk With a Pensacola Truck Accident Lawyer
If you were hurt or lost a family member in a truck crash near Pensacola, call Gross Law Group at (850) 331-7775 or send us a message. We will listen to what happened, explain your options, and tell you how we can help. We handle injury cases on a contingency fee: No Recovery, No Fee. The first consultation is free.
We also handle Pensacola car accident cases and other Pensacola personal injury claims, and represent truck crash victims in Bay County through our Panama City truck accident practice. For crashes involving other business or company-owned vehicles, see our Pensacola commercial vehicle accident page.
Gross Law Group, P.A. – Pensacola Office
21 East Garden Street, Suite 208
Pensacola, FL 32502
Phone: (850) 331-7775
Pensacola Truck Accident FAQs
How much insurance does a trucking company have to carry?
Interstate for-hire carriers hauling property in vehicles of 10,001 pounds or more must carry at least $750,000 in liability coverage, and more for oil and hazardous materials, under 49 CFR 387.9. Commercial trucks of 26,000 pounds or more operating only within Florida may carry lower state minimums, from $50,000 to $300,000 depending on weight; lighter trucks may not be subject to these minimums at all. Some carriers carry more than the minimum. We work to identify the policies that may apply.
How long do I have to file a truck accident claim in Florida?
For most negligence claims arising after March 24, 2023, Florida law allows two years to file a lawsuit, and wrongful death claims also have a two-year deadline. Evidence such as driver logs may be discarded much sooner, so it is important to call a lawyer as soon as you can.
Who can be held responsible for a truck crash?
Depending on the facts, responsible parties may include the driver, the motor carrier, the truck or trailer owner, a shipper or loader, a maintenance company, or a parts manufacturer. Our investigation is aimed at identifying each of them and their insurance.
What if I was partly at fault for the crash?
Florida uses modified comparative fault. If you are found 50 percent or less at fault, your recovery is reduced by your share of fault. If you are found more than 50 percent at fault, you cannot recover damages. Trucking companies and their insurers may dispute fault early, which is one more reason to talk with a lawyer before giving any statement.
How much does it cost to hire Gross Law Group for a truck accident case?
See fee terms in your written agreement. The first consultation is free.