Hit by a truck in Tampa Bay? Get a Tampa truck accident lawyer before the evidence rolls away.
A Tampa truck accident lawyer moves fast to save the evidence a trucking company controls, from the truck’s black box to the driver’s logs. From our Rocky Point office we take on carriers and their insurers after Florida truck crashes across Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco and Polk. The case review is free, and there’s no fee unless we recover.
The carrier’s defense starts the day of the crash
We’re sorry this happened. A crash with a loaded tractor-trailer on I-4 or the Selmon is nothing like a fender bender, and the injuries usually aren’t either. While you focus on getting better, the carrier and its insurer are already building their version of events.
Evidence that disappears
Engine data, electronic logs and dashcam video can be overwritten, and the truck can be repaired and back on the road within days.
A tangle of companies
Port trucks often involve a driver, a motor carrier, a broker and a chassis or trailer owner, and each one blames the next.
Insurers ready to fight
Commercial trucking policies are large, and the carriers defend them with adjusters and attorneys who handle truck claims every day.
What waiting can cost you
Data on a timer
Some truck records only have to be kept for months. Without a preservation letter, they can be gone.
The two-year deadline
Most Florida crash claims must be filed within two years, or the claim can be lost.
Over 50% at fault
If the carrier pins most of the blame on you, Florida law bars your recovery.
The 14-day PIP window
If you were in a car, get care within 14 days or your PIP may pay nothing.
The insurance company has a team. Now you do too.
Get my free case reviewFederal rules and Florida law
What makes a Tampa truck crash case different
Trucks that cross state lines follow Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) rules, and Florida applies many of the same rules to trucks that stay in state. Proving which rule was broken, and by whom, is how a truck case gets past a lowball offer.
Hours of service and fatigue
Drivers are limited to 11 hours behind the wheel after 10 hours off, inside a 14-hour window. Electronic logs, fuel receipts and toll records show the truth.
The carrier’s own choices
Hiring a driver with a bad record, skipping drug tests or pushing impossible delivery times can make the company responsible, not just the driver.
Maintenance and cargo
Worn brakes, bald tires and overweight or badly secured loads cause crashes. Inspection reports and bills of lading show who knew.
Several insurance policies
Interstate carriers must carry far higher limits than a car. There may also be policies for the trailer owner, the broker or the shipper.
Your own PIP still pays first
If you were in a car, your PIP covers the first $10,000 of benefits when you get care within 14 days. The rest is claimed from the truck’s insurers.
Our first move
Preservation letter
Within days, we send the carrier a letter demanding it keep the truck’s data, the driver’s logs and every video. Evidence destroyed after that letter can count against them.
Tampa truck accident attorneys
Port, interstate and warehouse traffic, all in one bay
Port Tampa Bay is one of Florida’s busiest cargo ports, and I-4 carries its freight toward Lakeland and Orlando. Add the warehouses in Brandon and Plant City and Pinellas’ crowded highways, and Tampa Bay sees truck traffic from every direction.
Port Tampa Bay and the Selmon Connector
Container and fuel trucks move between the port, the I-4/Selmon Expressway Connector and I-4, mixing with downtown and Ybor City traffic.
I-4, I-75 and I-275
Freight heading to Lakeland and Orlando on I-4, long-haul trucks on I-75 through Brandon, and bridge traffic on I-275. Rear-end and lane-change crashes are common.
Brandon, Plant City and Lakeland
Distribution centers along I-4 and SR 60 keep box trucks and tractor-trailers on local roads at all hours, often with tight delivery windows.
Phosphate and aggregate haulers
Heavy dump trucks serving mines and construction in Polk and eastern Hillsborough. Overloaded or uncovered beds can spill and cause serious crashes.
What you can recover after a Tampa truck crash
Truck crash injuries often take months to treat, and some change your life for good. We look for every policy that applies, and we don’t settle until your doctors can tell us what your recovery will really cost.
- Medical bills, surgery and rehab, now and in the future
- Lost wages, and lost earning power if you can’t return to the same work
- Pain, suffering and the life you couldn’t live while healing
- Home care, medical equipment and changes to your home if you need them
- Your vehicle repaired or replaced, plus a rental while you wait
- For families after a fatal truck crash: funeral costs, lost support and lost companionship
Clearwater, St. Petersburg and Pasco
Truck crashes across Pinellas and Pasco
Our Tampa office also represents people hurt by trucks on the Pinellas side of the bay and up the Gulf coast. If you need a Clearwater or St. Petersburg truck accident lawyer, the same team handles your case, and we’ll meet you by video or at home if driving across the bay is hard.
US 19 through Clearwater and Largo
Delivery and freight trucks share one of the region’s busiest corridors with constant turning traffic and frequent lights.
The bridges into St. Petersburg
The Howard Frankland, the Gandy and the Courtney Campbell funnel trucks and commuters onto long spans with few places to pull over.
New Port Richey and Wesley Chapel
Growth in Pasco County brings dump trucks, building supply loads and delivery traffic onto US 19, SR 54 and SR 56.
Where your case is filed
Pinellas and Pasco cases go to the Sixth Judicial Circuit, Hillsborough cases to the Thirteenth and Polk cases to the Tenth. Interstate carriers can also be sued in federal court in Tampa.
Who can be responsible
- The truck driver
- The motor carrier that employed or hired the driver
- The owner of the tractor, trailer or chassis
- The company that loaded or secured the cargo
- A maintenance shop that skipped a repair
- A freight broker that hired an unsafe carrier
Free checklist
After a Florida crash: the first 14 days
Not ready to call? That’s okay. This checklist covers what to do now so you don’t lose benefits you’re owed.
- The doctor visit that protects your PIP benefits (the 14-day window)
- The photos and records to collect right away
- What not to say to the other driver’s insurer
No sign-up. Check it off on your phone, or print it for your glovebox.
Proof, not promises
Real people, real results
Sunshine by the numbers
- Recovered in auto accident cases
- $3M+
- 255+ Google reviews
- 5.0
- Florida offices
- 3
Every case is different. Past results don’t guarantee a similar outcome.
“They didn’t stop fighting for me until they knew there was no chance at increasing my settlement. I was ready to settle but the team fought for me and I’m so happy they did.”
Three simple steps
Your Tampa truck accident case, in three steps
- 1
Tell us what happened
A free call with an attorney, in English or Spanish. We’ll explain your deadlines and which companies may be responsible.
- 2
We lock down the evidence
We send preservation letters for the truck’s data, the driver’s logs and video, notify every insurer and take the calls, so no one pressures you for a statement.
- 3
You heal, we push for a fair recovery
When your treatment is clear, we demand what your injuries are worth and negotiate hard. If the carrier won’t be fair, we’re ready to file in a Tampa Bay court.
Where you end up: back to your life in Tampa Bay
Before
- Overwhelmed and in pain
- Alone against the insurance company
- Treated like a claim number
With Sunshine
- Informed at every step
- Protected by a team that fights for you
- Back on your feet
The care you need
Specialists and therapy close to home, without worrying who will pay.
Your income protected
The paychecks you missed made up, and your future earnings counted.
Every company held to account
The driver, the carrier and anyone else whose choices caused the crash.
Peace of mind
You focus on your family. We handle the trucking company.
Every case is different. Past results don’t guarantee a similar outcome.
Our promise
We treat your case as if it were our own.
What it costs, and why Sunshine
Truck accident attorneys with a Tampa office
After a truck crash in Tampa Bay, most people end up facing the carrier and its insurer alone. Sunshine State Law Firm takes on that fight from our Rocky Point office and keeps you informed every step of the way, so you can heal. Attorney Darius Biddings focuses on commercial motor vehicle cases. No fee unless we recover for you.
- No fee unless we recover for you. The percentage is in writing before you sign, along with the Statement of Client’s Rights Florida requires.
- You’ll always know who’s handling your case, with updates by text, email and phone.
- Hablamos español, from the first call to the final check.
- No question is a dumb question. We explain every step in plain words.
Guides for people hurt in a truck crash
Your insurance company is not your friend. It's a business
Your insurance company is a business, not your friend. How adjusters work, what to say on a recorded statement, and how Florida homeowners protect a claim.
Read the guide
Florida move over law: what every driver needs to know
Florida’s move over law covers any disabled vehicle with hazard lights. When to change lanes, how much to slow down, the penalties and what to do if hit.
Read the guide
Florida personal injury statute of limitations, explained
Florida’s personal injury statute of limitations is now generally 2 years. See deadlines by claim type, key exceptions and why waiting can hurt your case.
Read the guide
Statewide
Serving clients across all of Florida
Our offices are in Winter Park, Tampa and Jacksonville, and we take cases from the Panhandle to Miami. Most clients never need to visit: we meet by phone or video, or come to your home or hospital bed.
- Orlando631 S Orlando Ave., Suite 400
Winter Park, FL 32789 - Tampa2502 N Rocky Point Dr., Suite 920
Tampa, FL 33607 - Jacksonville1534 Oak St., Suite 302
Jacksonville, FL 32204
Also serving
- Kissimmee
- Daytona Beach
- St. Petersburg
- Sarasota
- Fort Myers
- Naples
- Tallahassee
- Miami
- Fort Lauderdale
- West Palm Beach
Tampa truck accident questions we hear every day
No question is a dumb question. Here are the ones we hear most.
Nothing up front. We work on a contingency fee: our fee is a percentage of what we recover, and you owe no attorney’s fee if we don’t recover. The percentage and how case costs are handled are in a written agreement you see before you sign.
It can be more than one company: the driver, the motor carrier, the owner of the trailer or container chassis, the company that loaded the cargo, or a broker that hired an unsafe carrier. We investigate each one so every available insurance policy is on the table.
Be polite, but don’t give a recorded statement or sign anything. Tell them your attorney will be in touch. Anything you say can be used to shift blame or downplay your injuries.
Yes. Our Tampa office represents people hurt in truck crashes across Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco and Polk counties, including Brandon, Plant City, Clearwater, St. Petersburg, New Port Richey and Lakeland.
Yes. If you were in a car, your own PIP pays first, up to $10,000, as long as you get treatment within 14 days. Medical bills, lost income and pain and suffering beyond PIP are claimed from the truck’s insurers.
For crashes since March 24, 2023, Florida generally gives you two years from the date of the crash to file a lawsuit. The truck’s records can be lost much sooner, so it pays to act in days, not months.
Florida injury deadlines, explainedTell us your story. We’ll take it from here.
A free, personal conversation with an attorney. No pressure, no fee unless we recover for you.
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