Practice Area

Miami Truck Accident Lawyer

Hit by an 18-wheeler, semi, or tractor-trailer? Truck accident attorney Tyson Kutner moves fast to preserve black-box evidence and take on the trucking company's insurers — pursuing maximum recovery for the catastrophically injured.

Written & reviewed by Tyson Kutner, Esq. · Reviewed June 2026

If you were hit by a commercial truck in South Florida, you need a truck accident lawyer who understands what you are up against. Collisions with 18-wheelers, semi-trucks, and tractor-trailers are among the most devastating crashes on Florida roads. A fully loaded big rig can weigh 80,000 pounds — twenty to thirty times more than the average car — so even a low-speed impact can cause catastrophic, life-altering injuries. And from the moment a crash happens, the trucking company and its insurers go to work to limit what they pay you.

Attorney Tyson Kutner represents people seriously hurt in commercial truck crashes throughout Miami-Dade and South Florida. We know how trucking companies and their defense teams operate, and we know how to hold them accountable.

Why truck accident cases are different from car accidents

A truck accident is rarely as simple as one driver’s mistake. These cases are governed by federal regulations from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) covering hours of service, driver logs, vehicle inspections, and maintenance — and a violation of those rules can become powerful evidence in your case. The injuries are usually more severe, the insurance policies are far larger, and the company on the other side has a legal team whose only job is to minimize your recovery. Going up against that without an experienced truck crash lawyer puts you at a serious disadvantage.

Common causes of truck crashes

  • Driver fatigue and hours-of-service violations — the single most common factor in serious truck wrecks
  • Speeding, tailgating, and distracted or impaired driving
  • Improperly loaded, unsecured, or overweight cargo
  • Inadequate maintenance, brake failures, and bald or defective tires
  • Negligent hiring, training, or supervision by the trucking company

Types of truck accidents we handle

As an 18-wheeler and semi-truck accident lawyer, Tyson Kutner handles the full range of commercial truck crashes, including:

  • Jackknife and loss-of-control accidents
  • Underride collisions, where a car slides beneath a trailer
  • Rollover crashes involving tractor-trailers and big rigs
  • Tire blowout and cargo-spill accidents
  • Blind-spot (“no-zone”) and wide-turn collisions
  • Rear-end crashes by trucks that could not stop in time

Who can be held liable

One of the most important parts of any truck accident claim is identifying everyone who shares responsibility — because each one may carry separate insurance coverage. Depending on the facts, liability can extend to the driver, the trucking company, the owner of the truck or trailer, the company that loaded the cargo, a maintenance contractor, or the manufacturer of a defective part. As your truck accident attorney, we investigate the full chain of responsibility so no available source of recovery is left on the table.

Catastrophic injuries deserve a catastrophic-injury advocate

Because of the forces involved, truck crashes frequently cause life-changing harm: traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries and paralysis, multiple fractures, internal organ damage, amputations, severe burns, and wrongful death. These cases demand a catastrophic truck accident lawyer who can document the full lifetime cost of your injuries — future surgeries, in-home care, lost earning capacity, and the toll on your family — not just the bills you have today.

Evidence disappears fast — we move first

The data that proves a truck case can vanish within days. We move quickly to preserve it before it is lost or overwritten:

  • Black-box / ECM data — the truck’s onboard computer records speed, braking, and throttle in the seconds before impact
  • Electronic logging device (ELD) and driver logs — proof of how long the driver had been on the road
  • Driver qualification and drug-testing files
  • Maintenance, inspection, and repair records
  • The cargo manifest and loading records

By sending a formal preservation (spoliation) notice early, we put the trucking company on notice that destroying this evidence carries serious consequences.

Truck accident settlements: what your case may be worth

There is no average that fits every case, but truck accident settlements are generally far higher than car-accident settlements — and for good reason. The injuries are more serious, multiple parties are often liable, and commercial trucks carry insurance policies with much higher limits than a personal auto policy. The value of your claim is driven by:

  • The severity and permanence of your injuries
  • Your past and future medical expenses
  • Lost wages and reduced earning capacity
  • Pain, suffering, and diminished quality of life
  • The clarity of liability and the strength of the preserved evidence
  • The number of responsible parties and available insurance policies

Trucking insurers often open with a fast, lowball number, hoping you will accept before you understand the full extent of your injuries. We build every case for its true value — and, when necessary, for trial. You can see examples of what that difference looks like in the recoveries below.

What to do after a truck accident

  1. Call 911 and get medical care — even if you feel fine. Serious injuries often surface days later, and Florida’s no-fault system generally requires treatment within 14 days to preserve your PIP benefits.
  2. Document everything — photograph the scene, the truck, its company name and USDOT number, and your injuries; collect witness contact information.
  3. Do not talk to the trucking company’s insurer — and never give a recorded statement or accept an offer before speaking with a lawyer.
  4. Call a truck accident lawyer quickly — so the black-box and log data can be preserved before it disappears.

Were you partly at fault?

You may still recover. Florida follows a modified comparative negligence rule: if you are 50% or less at fault, you can recover damages reduced by your percentage of fault. Trucking insurers routinely try to shift blame onto the injured driver — having an advocate who can counter that with hard evidence is often what protects the value of your claim.

Serving truck accident victims across South Florida

From our office in Palmetto Bay, Florida truck accident lawyer Tyson Kutner represents injured truck-crash victims throughout Pinecrest, Kendall, Cutler Bay, Coral Gables, South Miami, Key Biscayne, Homestead, the Florida Keys, and across Miami-Dade County. Many of the most serious truck crashes happen on the high-traffic corridors that run through our community — US-1, the Florida Turnpike, the Palmetto Expressway, and I-95.

If you or a loved one has been hurt in a truck accident, contact Kutner Personal Injury for a free, no-obligation consultation. You pay nothing unless we win.

Hurt in a truck accident? We're ready to help.

Free consultation · No fee unless we win.

Proven Results

Recent trucking recoveries

Actual recoveries for our clients. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome — every case is unique.

Trucking Accident $1,200,000

A mother and her 5-year-old daughter were rear-ended by an 18-wheeler whose driver had fallen asleep at the wheel, totaling their vehicle. The insurer first offered $32,000.

Insurer's first offer $32,000
We recovered $1,200,000
Roll-Over Crash $200,000

While operating a commercial truck, our client was hit by a speeding vehicle, causing the truck to flip and resulting in serious injuries. The first offer was $25,000.

Insurer's first offer $25,000
We recovered $200,000
See more case results

Common Questions

Trucking questions, answered

How is a truck accident case different from a car accident case?

Truck accident cases involve far more than one driver's mistake. They are governed by federal trucking regulations, often involve multiple liable parties (the driver, the trucking company, the cargo loader, a maintenance contractor), and are backed by commercial insurance policies worth far more than a typical auto policy. They also require fast action to preserve evidence like the truck's black-box data and the driver's logs before it is lost or overwritten.

How much is my truck accident case worth?

Every case is different, but truck accident settlements are typically larger than car-accident settlements because the injuries are more severe and commercial policies carry much higher limits. Value depends on the severity and permanence of your injuries, your medical bills and lost income, the strength of the evidence, the number of liable parties and policies, and your share of any fault. The only way to understand your claim's real value is a free case review — be very cautious about any early settlement offer from the trucking company's insurer.

Who can be held liable for a truck accident in Florida?

Liability can extend well beyond the driver. Depending on the facts, responsible parties may include the trucking company that employed the driver, the company that owned the truck or trailer, the business that loaded the cargo, a maintenance or repair contractor, or the manufacturer of a defective part such as brakes or tires. Identifying every responsible party is critical because it can open up additional sources of insurance coverage.

What should I do after a truck accident?

Call 911 and get medical attention even if you feel okay — serious truck-crash injuries often surface days later, and Florida's no-fault system generally requires treatment within 14 days to preserve PIP benefits. If you can, photograph the scene, the truck, and its company markings and DOT number, and get witness contact information. Do not give a recorded statement to the trucking company's insurer or accept any offer before speaking with a lawyer, and contact an attorney quickly so the truck's black-box and log data can be preserved.

What evidence matters most in a truck accident claim?

The most powerful evidence is often the truck's electronic data — the black box (engine control module) and electronic logging device, which record speed, braking, and the driver's hours of service. Driver qualification files, drug-testing records, maintenance and inspection logs, and the cargo loading manifest also matter. Much of this evidence can be erased or overwritten within days, so it is important to send a legal preservation notice quickly.

Was the truck driver's fatigue or a logbook violation the cause?

Federal hours-of-service rules limit how long a commercial driver can be on the road, and the truck's electronic logging device records that time. When a driver exceeds those limits or falsifies logs, that violation can become powerful evidence of negligence. Fatigue is one of the most common causes of serious truck crashes, which is exactly why preserving the logs and black-box data early is so important.

How long do I have to file a truck accident lawsuit in Florida?

For most truck accident claims, Florida's statute of limitations is two years from the date of the crash. Wrongful death claims and claims involving a government vehicle can carry different deadlines and notice requirements. Because evidence in trucking cases disappears quickly and missing a deadline can permanently bar your claim, it is best to speak with an attorney as soon as possible.

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