Car & Truck Accidents Lawyer - Palm Beach County & West Palm Beach
Motorcycle & Auto Accidents
Serving Personal Injury clients in West Palm Beach, Palm Beach County, Jupiter, Palm Beach Gardens and its surrounding areas Since 1992.
Florida Board Certified Lawyer
Car, truck, motorcycle, and other vehicle accidents, including boats and personal watercraft fall under the broad category of personal injury law. When negligence, wrongful conduct, or reckless behavior causes physical or mental impairment, or results in financial harm, you may file a personal injury lawsuit to recover damages.
Across the U. S., motor vehicle accidents are a daily occurrence, resulting in millions of dollars in property damage, serious injuries and death. Unfortunately, many fatal and non-fatal car accidents occur right here in Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie and Broward counties.
Protecting Your Legal Rights
When you are involved in a car accident, your life can change dramatically in mere seconds. If your injuries are serious or catastrophic, expenses for lifetime medical care may be astronomical.
To protect your interests and help you recover your losses, you will need an experienced lawyer skilled in personal injury law.
At the personal injury Law Office of Michael J. Overbeck in Palm Beach County, our practice is devoted entirely to personal injury cases, like, car accidents, truck accidents, auto accidents, products liability and wrongful death. We believe those who cause harm should be held responsible—a philosophy we diligently apply on behalf of our injured clients.
When we take your case, our goal is to hold liable parties responsible for the harm they cause and maximize the compensation you receive. Steps essential to building a substantive case and achieving positive results include:
* In-depth investigations
* Evidence preservation
* Proper Documentation
* Injury and accident scene photographs
* Settlement negotiations
While many car accidents, truck accidents, auto accidents and motorcycle accident claims are resolved through negotiation, if reaching a full and fair settlement is not possible, Attorney Michael J. Overbeck has the trial skill and experience to take your case to trial and to help maximize your jury verdict in West Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Palm Beach County and throughout Southern Florida .
No Cost, No Obligation Case Evaluation
When you suffer serious or catastrophic injuries in a car accident, truck accident or other vehicle accident, it is essential to have an experienced trial attorney evaluate your case as soon as possible—ideally within 24 hours. The sooner case preparation begins, the greater the likelihood you will make a fair recovery. We offer a free initial consultation to evaluate your case in West Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Palm Beach County and its surrounding areas. We handle personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis, which means you do not owe a fee unless we recover damages for you.
For legal help and guidance, concerning your injury accident, call our Palm Beach County law firm at (561) 249-4566.
Truck Accidents
Truck accidents cause over 5200 deaths and more than 100,000 injuries in the United States every year. Big rigs, tractor trailers, 18 wheelers and semi-trucks accidents are a daily occurrence in south Florida and across the country resulting in millions of dollars in property damage, serious injuries and death.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates over 75% of those injured and 86% of those killed in large truck collisions are the drivers or passengers of smaller vehicles, including cars, SUVs and motorcycles. Those victims and their families are left to face a life-changing tragedy, while the trucker often escapes with minor injuries.
Truck drivers and trucking companies must be held accountable for trucking accidents. Trucking accidents introduce enormous potential for problems when excessive speeds, sleep-deprived and tired drivers and unsafe conditions are combined with the sheer weight of a truck. This danger is compounded by the electronic distractions of cell phones, texting and DVDs. Drivers are often under the gun to deliver to earn bonuses or to avoid late penalties. That results in shortcuts that amount to negligence.
The Law Office of Michael J. Overbeck is a personal injury law firm located in Jupiter and servicing Palm Beach County including West Palm Beach and surrounding areas. A serious truck wreck requires an experience truck accident attorney. Mike personal handles cases and devote time and attention to know every aspect of your case.
Truck Negligence
Truck negligence generally falls into two categories: driver error and vehicle maintenance failure. The most common cause of driver error is fatigue, which can cause clouded judgment, drowsiness, and falling asleep at the wheel. Sleep deprivation impairs a person's ability to perform a variety of tasks, including those related to driving and operating equipment. Driver error can also be due to inexperience, improper driver training and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs (whether prescription or illegal). Drivers are required to adhere to regulations involving time on the road, number of breaks, and weight of the load they carry. Under the law, a trucking company can be held liable for the negligence of its drivers.
The laws which govern these types of commercial vehicles are very specific and protect motorists from the negligence of trucking companies and their drivers who may cause these damages, injuries or fatalities. In order to properly protect the rights of injured victims, a law firm must be proficient in commercial motor vehicle law.
The negligence of improper truck maintenance is most frequently tire or brake related. It can cost more than $100 per hour to have a truck out of service -- not counting losses related to equipment utilization, the cost of the service call and the subsequent customer dissatisfaction. The negligence to properly maintain a tractor-trailer, or 18-wheeler, can be the responsibility of the trucking company, a maintenance contractor, or the driver himself. Michael Overbeck has the experience to determine if there were inadequate or negligent maintenance procedures.
WHY LEGAL REPRESENTATION
There are many questions that need to be answered by the legal process of discovery. Among these questions are naming the proper defendant(s) which is not always easy. Whether the driver is an independent contractor or employee of the trucking company helps determine the defendant(s). Many questions remain and in order to properly complete the process you need the help of an experienced Florida trucking accident lawyer.
The law requires standard regulations for truck inspection, care and maintenance, as well as government-mandated safe driving laws every truck driver must follow. These reasonable safety requirements are a shared responsibility between the trucking company and the truck driver.
The trucking company may be partially or fully liable for the accident. They are generally responsible for the condition of its trucks while they are being driven on our roads. This is particularly significant when poor maintenance has contributed to causing the accident.
A truck driver may also be directly liable for the accident. Drivers are in control of the vehicle and responsible for the condition of the truck, any maintenance issues, complying with all safe driving laws and regular truck inspections. A driver that fails to operate a vehicle as required, conduct proper inspections or alert the trucking company of needed repairs may be partially or completely responsible for an accident. During our thorough investigation we will check the driver’s history, experience and qualifications, whether or not the trucking company conducted a background check and how many hours the driver was behind the wheel before the crash.
If the negligence of someone else causes you harm, civil law entitles you to file a claim or lawsuit to recover your losses. Choosing an experienced personal injury lawyer to represent you is vital to protect your rights, taking care of your losses and holding the responsible parties liable. Since personal injury and wrongful claims have a limited time to file claims, promptly retaining an attorney to help you is important.
The Law Office of Michael Overbeck has the experience and expertise in personal injury law needed for a very high rate of success. We are committed to seeking justice and maximizing the compensation received on behalf of our clients. Those who cause harm should be held responsible—a philosophy we diligently apply on behalf of our injured clients.
Taking on the Insurance Companies
Driver carelessness and weariness are most often the cause of the accidents. Long hours and extended miles reduce reaction times. More often than not, truck accidents are caused by the fatigue and carelessness of the driver. When the investigation finds the driver to be at fault the lawyers from the insurance companies often try for a quick settlement to avoid paying out maximum damages to the victims of the driver's negligence. We will provide you the best legal representation available.
But sometimes investigations reveal that the driver wasn't the only one at fault or perhaps wasn't at fault at all. Sometimes accidents are the result of a defective or poorly maintained truck, tires that weren't put on properly or perhaps the brakes were worn out.
Therefore, it is extremely important you act immediately to ensure your claim is preserved and you do not waive your rights to the compensation you deserve.
Neither the driver nor the truck company is our opponent. It is the insurance company that represents them. Insurance companies are often hesitant to pay out fair compensation that would negatively damage their business's bottom line. Our goal is to provide them with compelling reasons to do what is right for you. To do that, we will build a strong case based on facts gathered through careful investigation. We will make it clear to them that we are not willing to take no for an answer.
Sometimes, despite the strength of our case, insurance companies will be stubborn. They will refuse to resolve a case by simply providing a fair settlement. This is a possibility we are always ready for. We have spent a lot of time in the courtroom. Since we build our cases with the appropriate strength from the very start, it is not a stretch to use our information to make it clear to a jury that you deserve every bit of compensation we are asking for.
PROTECTING YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS
Dealing with serious injuries after a truck accident is the first priority. Your health and recovery are of utmost importance. While you work on your health and recovery we work on the legal aspects of your case. Negligence entered your life in a sudden and violent way. That entitles you to compensation for your short-term medical needs and the long-term future you face following the collision.
A claim will be made on your behalf to get the monetary compensation for the injured individual that is deserved. If your injuries are serious or catastrophic, expenses for lifetime medical care may be astronomical. To protect your interests and help you recover your losses, you will need an experienced lawyer skilled in personal injury law. It is vital that you do not accept any settlement offer without first consulting with an experienced attorney from The Law Office of Michael Overbeck. The legal team will review your case, the degree of injury and damage, and advise you how to best move forward with making your claim for damages. Mr. Overbeck has the trial skill, experience and expertise as a Florida Board Certified Civil Trial Attorney to professionally and persuasively present your case to a judge or jury and to help maximize your jury verdict.
We handle personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis, which means you do not owe a fee unless we recover damages for you. This means we get paid for our services only if, and when, there is a money recovery for you. You deserve the best possible legal representation. Call (561) 249-4566 today for a free consultation.
Auto Accidents on Interstate I-95
Interstate 95 (I-95) is the most dangerous interstate highway in the United States, a recent study found.
Interstate 95 is a major artery in Florida carrying the cars of millions of tourists and local residents every year and is the site of many auto accidents, truck accidents, and other motor vehicle accidents every year. Semi trucks, motorcycles, dump trucks, rental cars, and tour buses are part of the stream of traffic on Interstate 95 and the Florida Turnpike.
Most experts agree I-95 is inadequate to handle the volume of traffic it carries. With only two lanes in each direction, no protective barriers in the median, and the large number of visitors uncertain about where they are going, the possibility of accidents on I-95 is high.
Many of the auto accidents that take place on I-95 and on Florida's Turnpike occur because of debris on the roadway. Retread truck tires shred leaving large pieces of rubber on the road and dump trucks accidentally release their loads create hazards that are difficult to avoid. Multi-car auto accidents and “secondary accidents” where cars are not moved off the road in time to prevent another accident from happening are common.
Interstate 95 and the Florida Turnpike are dangerous roads. Traffic has been increasing at a steady pace, every year, yet improvements to Interstate 95 are slow and under construction for long periods of time. Cross over, head on accidents are particular problems. Every year, there are about 5,000 fatal traffic accidents on these roads in Florida.
If you have been injured in a car crash or other accident you need a personal injury attorney that will build a strong case for compensation of your medical expenses, lost income, and pain and suffering.
If you have been injured in a motor vehicle accident on Interstate 95 or on Florida's Turnpike, you need to contact an attorney to learn if you have a case. Michael Overbeck has years of experience, the credentials, and dedication to clients to seek compensation for injuries experienced on Florida roadways. We represent people throughout Florida, focusing on West Palm Beach, Jupiter, and throughout Palm Beach County.
