Why Injured Families Choose Furmanski Law Group After a Florida Truck Crash
A commercial truck accident in Florida is a claim against a motor carrier, its insurer, and often a maintenance contractor or broker, each with counsel working to shift responsibility elsewhere. Families in Miami-Dade and Broward choose Furmanski Law Group because attorney Daniel Furmanski personally handles the investigation, records, and negotiations, and because he has been recognized for the serious injury work these cases demand. This guide explains what drives the value of a semi-truck case in Florida.
If you or someone you love was hurt by an 18-wheeler, Furmanski Law Group offers a free case review in English or Spanish. Call 305-900-6657 or reach out to our team to discuss what happened.
What Makes a Truck Case Different From a Car Case
The evidence that decides a truck case usually lives inside the trucking company, not on the roadway. Electronic logging device records, dispatch messages, maintenance files, and driver qualification documents can show whether a carrier put an unsafe driver or unsafe rig on I-95. Federal rules require carriers to keep many records only for limited periods, and some data is overwritten on routine schedules, so timing of a preservation demand is critical.
Hours-of-service limits are often where negligence surfaces. Fla. Stat. § 316.302(2)(b) generally bars an intrastate commercial driver from driving more than 12 hours following 10 consecutive hours off duty, or after the 16th hour on duty. Interstate drivers are governed by federal hours-of-service rules in 49 C.F.R. Part 395. Exceeding these limits may be offered as evidence of negligence, though the plaintiff must still prove the violation caused the crash.
Driver history can matter as much as driver conduct on the day of the crash. Fla. Stat. § 322.61(1) provides for a 60-day commercial driving disqualification upon conviction of two serious traffic violations within three years, including following too closely and unlawful speed of 15 miles per hour or more above the limit. These behaviors appear repeatedly in South Florida truck collisions, and a documented pattern may support a claim that the carrier was negligent in hiring, training, or retaining the driver.
💡 Pro Tip: Write down the trailer number, DOT number on the cab door, and any towing company name before leaving the scene if able. These details make identifying the correct corporate defendant far easier later.
Why Identifying Every Responsible Party Changes the Outcome
Florida no longer applies joint and several liability in most negligence cases, so each defendant generally pays only its own percentage share. Fla. Stat. § 768.81(3) directs courts to enter judgment against each party based on that party’s percentage of fault. That change took effect in 2006. Important exceptions remain, including vicarious liability, which is why a motor carrier can still be answerable for the full measure of its driver’s negligence within the scope of employment.
The practical consequence: a share of fault assigned to a party you never sued is generally a share nobody pays. That is why a thorough case includes the driver, the motor carrier, the trailer owner, the maintenance vendor, and where appropriate the broker or shipper.
Defense teams frequently point at empty chairs, but they carry a burden when they do. Under Fla. Stat. § 768.81(3)(a), nonparty fault must be affirmatively pled, identified with required specificity, and proven by a preponderance of the evidence at trial.
- Driver conduct: speed, following distance, phone use, fatigue, impairment
- Carrier conduct: hiring, training, supervision, dispatch pressure, log auditing
- Equipment: brakes, tires, lighting, load securement, trailer maintenance
- Third parties: shippers, loaders, brokers, and component manufacturers
How Florida’s Comparative Fault Rule Affects Your Recovery
Florida applies a modified comparative negligence bar that is unforgiving at the 50% line. Under Fla. Stat. § 768.81(6), any party found to be greater than 50 percent at fault for his or her own harm may not recover any damages. That bar was created by the 2023 tort reform legislation and generally applies to causes of action accruing on or after March 24, 2023. If the injured person is 50% or less at fault, Fla. Stat. § 768.81(2) reduces damages proportionately but does not bar recovery.
Because that threshold is so consequential, early fault investigation is not optional. Insurers commonly build an early narrative that the injured driver drifted, braked suddenly, or was in a blind spot, and that narrative hardens once witnesses scatter.
💡 Pro Tip: Avoid giving a recorded statement to the trucking company’s adjuster before talking with a lawyer. Early, informal answers about speed or distance are routinely used later to support a comparative fault argument.
The Deadlines and Coverage Rules That Shape Your Options
Florida’s negligence deadline is generally two years, and missing it usually ends the claim entirely. Fla. Stat. § 95.11(5)(a) provides that an action founded on negligence must be commenced within two years for causes of action accruing on or after March 24, 2023. Fla. Stat. § 95.11(5)(e) sets a separate two-year period for wrongful death actions, measured from the date of death. Tolling and delayed-accrual doctrines exist in limited circumstances.
Coverage in trucking cases is generally deeper than in ordinary car crashes, which matters when injuries are catastrophic. Florida ties commercial motor vehicles to elevated financial responsibility amounts through Fla. Stat. § 324.021(7), and interstate carriers are subject to federal minimum limits in 49 C.F.R. Part 387. For vehicles hauling placarded hazardous materials, Fla. Stat. § 324.021(9)(c) conditions statutory limits on insurance of at least $5,000,000 combined property damage and bodily injury liability.
Recoverable economic damages are statutorily defined. Fla. Stat. § 768.81(1) defines economic damages to include past and future lost income reduced to present value, medical and funeral expenses, lost support and services, and property loss. For a client facing years of rehabilitation or permanent disability, the future component often dwarfs the medical bills already incurred, which is why life care planning and vocational analysis belong in a serious commercial truck accident claim long before any settlement discussion.
💡 Pro Tip: Keep a simple weekly journal of pain levels, missed work, and tasks you can no longer do. Contemporaneous notes are far more persuasive than a memory reconstructed two years later.
What a 2026 Rising Star Recognition Actually Means
Peer and third-party recognition is not a promise of results, but it is an independent signal about how an attorney’s work is regarded. Daniel Furmanski was recognized as a 2026 Rising Star by Super Lawyers, a distinction the publisher describes as awarded to no more than 2.5% of eligible attorneys in the state. He has also been named a Top 40 Under 40 Attorney by The National Trial Lawyers.
These selections generally rest on peer input and evaluation of an attorney’s work. For a family deciding who should stand between them and a national trucking insurer, that outside perspective offers a useful data point.
Why You Should Choose Furmanski Law Group
You work directly with the attorney handling your case, every step of the way. Furmanski Law Group is a South Florida firm where every client communicates directly with Daniel Furmanski and receives hands-on representation from start to finish, with consistent updates and plain explanations. That access matters in trucking cases, where decisions about preservation letters, defendants, and experts happen quickly.
The firm’s published results reflect experience with exactly this type of claim. Those results include a $3,400,000 recovery in a truck accident claim, a $500,000 result in a wrongful death case, and a $550,000 result in a motor vehicle accident case. The firm notes these are a few examples out of hundreds of cases handled, that every case is unique, and that past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Service is provided in English and Spanish, without a language barrier between you and your lawyer. Daniel Furmanski is fluent in both, allowing the firm to serve Miami’s diverse community in their preferred language. The firm serves clients throughout Broward County, Miami-Dade County, and the Hollywood area, and handles catastrophic injury and wrongful death claims.
Preparation begins with the basics that many people overlook in the first days. The firm publishes practical guidance on steps to take after a car accident because the same early habits, medical documentation, photographs, and careful communication with insurers, carry over to truck crash claims.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common Questions About Commercial Truck Accidents in Florida
1. How long do I have to file a truck accident lawsuit in Florida?
Under Fla. Stat. § 95.11(5)(a), an action founded on negligence generally must be commenced within two years for claims accruing on or after March 24, 2023. Limited exceptions and tolling doctrines can apply, so have the deadline confirmed by an attorney.
2. What if the trucking company says the crash was partly my fault?
Partial fault does not necessarily end your claim. Fla. Stat. § 768.81(2) reduces damages in proportion to your share of responsibility, while Fla. Stat. § 768.81(6) bars recovery for a party found more than 50 percent at fault in cases accruing on or after March 24, 2023.
3. Can more than one company be held responsible?
Often, yes. A carrier, trailer owner, maintenance vendor, broker, or component manufacturer may each bear a share, and under Fla. Stat. § 768.81(3) each generally pays only its own percentage rather than the full judgment, subject to exceptions such as vicarious liability.
4. Why do driver logs matter so much?
They document compliance with driving limits. Fla. Stat. § 316.302(2)(b) and (2)(c) set daily and weekly caps for intrastate commercial drivers, while interstate drivers are governed by federal rules in 49 C.F.R. Part 395. Logs and ELD data can corroborate or contradict a driver’s account, but only if preserved before routine deletion.
5. Do trucking companies carry more insurance than regular drivers?
Generally yes. Fla. Stat. § 324.021(7) applies heightened financial responsibility standards to commercial motor vehicles, and federal regulations impose higher minimums on interstate carriers. Available coverage depends on the specific vehicle, policies, and endorsements involved.
Making a Confident Decision After a Serious Truck Crash
Choosing a lawyer after a catastrophic truck collision comes down to three questions: who will actually handle your file, whether they understand how Florida’s apportionment and comparative fault rules shape the case, and whether they will move fast enough to secure the carrier’s records. Florida’s two-year negligence deadline, its 50% comparative fault bar, and its general rejection of joint and several liability all reward early, thorough work.
If you are weighing your options, Furmanski Law Group is ready to listen. Call us today for a free consultation at 305-900-6657, or schedule your free case review and speak directly with Daniel Furmanski in English or Spanish.