Commercial Vehicle Accident Lawyer in Palm Beach County

By Shannon J. Sagan, Esq., The Dash Cam Lawyer®, Florida Bar No. 10793

A commercial vehicle crash in Palm Beach County is not always an 18-wheeler on the interstate. Box trucks, delivery vans, dump trucks, fleet vans, and other light commercial vehicles share the same roads as passenger cars on I-95, Florida’s Turnpike approaches, US 1, US 27, Southern Boulevard, Okeechobee Boulevard, and local arterials through West Palm Beach, Palm Springs, Lake Worth Beach, Greenacres, and Belle Glade.

I am Shannon J. Sagan, Fla. Bar #10793, The Dash Cam Lawyer®. I focus on Palm Beach County injury claims after car, truck, and commercial vehicle crashes. Palm Springs and Belle Glade offices serve Palm Beach County.

Hablamos español.

This page is a county claims landing page for commercial vehicle crashes. It is not a rewrite of my commercial vehicle accidents practice area hub. For tractor-trailer and motor carrier focus, see trucking accidents. For West Palm Beach freight corridors, see 18-wheeler accident lawyer West Palm Beach.

Important: talk to counsel before you call any insurer

Do not call your own insurer before speaking with an attorney. The duty to cooperate is real, but it does not require you to do it immediately. Never give a recorded statement to any insurer first, including your own. Get legal advice first.

Not every commercial vehicle is an 18-wheeler

People search for “semi” or “tractor-trailer” after a heavy crash. Many Palm Beach County collisions involve smaller commercial units that still raise employer, fleet, and coverage questions.

Box trucks and straight trucks. Local delivery, moving, and wholesale routes use box trucks that look closer to a large van than a freight train. They still carry cargo weight, blind spots, and company dispatch pressure.

Delivery vans and last-mile fleet vans. Package and grocery delivery fleets put vans on neighborhood streets and arterial roads all day. The logo on the door is a clue. Who employed the driver, who owned the van, and which policy responds still depend on the contracts for that route.

Dump trucks and construction fleet vehicles. Hauling aggregate, debris, or materials around Palm Beach County job sites means frequent turns, blind spots, and heavy loads. Mechanical and loading facts can matter alongside driver negligence.

Light commercial vs tractor-trailer. A light commercial van and a full tractor-trailer both can involve a driver, an employer or motor carrier, a vehicle owner, and multiple insurance files. The federal hours-of-service and ELD picture is often thicker on interstate freight. The employer and fleet stack still appears on local commercial routes. For the liability stack in plain English, see who is liable when a commercial truck hits you in Florida.

I dig into who controlled the vehicle and the driver that day, not only the body style.

Box truck accident lawyer in Palm Beach County

Box trucks (also called straight trucks or cube trucks) run moving, rental, furniture, appliance, beverage, and wholesale routes across Palm Beach County every day. They are tall, they have large blind spots on the right side and behind the cargo box, and they need more room to stop than a passenger car. Common box truck crash patterns include wide right turns into a lane, rear-end impacts in stop-and-go traffic, backing collisions at loading zones, and lane changes into a car sitting in a blind spot.

The questions I sort out in a box truck claim: who employed the driver, whether the truck was owned, leased, or rented, which company dispatched the route, and which insurance policies apply. A rental box truck driven by a private person for a move raises different coverage questions than a company-owned unit on a commercial route. Many box trucks also carry fleet cameras or telematics, so I send preservation letters early.

Delivery driver accident lawyer in Palm Beach County

Package, grocery, food, and parts delivery vans now stop and start on nearly every neighborhood street and arterial in Palm Beach County. Delivery driver crashes often involve sudden stops, double parking, U-turns, backing out of driveways, distracted driving while checking a route device, and pressure to meet delivery windows.

If a delivery driver hit you, the driver may be an employee, an independent contractor, or a driver for a delivery service partner that contracts with a larger company. That label matters, but it does not end the analysis. I look at who controlled the route, who owned the van, and which commercial or personal policies may respond. If you are a delivery driver who was hurt by another motorist while working, the claim can also involve your own coverage and workplace benefits questions, so get advice before you give any statement.

Employer and fleet owner stack

A commercial crash often involves more than the person behind the wheel.

The driver may be an employee, a contractor, or a leased operator. Labels on a dispatch app do not end the analysis. Documents, payroll, and control of the route matter.

The employer or motor carrier may face claims for the driver’s negligence within the scope of that relationship, and sometimes for its own hiring, training, or supervision decisions when the facts support those theories.

The fleet owner may be a different company from the operating employer. Ownership, lease, and insurance declarations often matter more than paint on the van.

I raise additional parties only when the evidence points that way. Stretching a claim to every logo on a bill of lading without facts helps no one.

Note the company name, any USDOT number, unit number, and trailer or van markings you can safely photograph. Those details help counsel map who may owe a duty and which policies may apply.

Palm Beach County corridors where commercial and passenger traffic mix

Commercial vehicles move freight and local goods through the same corridors Palm Beach County drivers use every day:

• I-95 and Florida’s Turnpike approaches through West Palm Beach and surrounding cities
• US 1 and US 27 corridors
• Southern Boulevard, Okeechobee Boulevard, Forest Hill Boulevard, and other east-west arterials
• Construction and delivery routes through Palm Springs, Lake Worth Beach, Greenacres, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, and Belle Glade

Related city page: West Palm Beach car accident lawyer.

Corridor location does not decide fault by itself. It does explain why fleet cameras, business cameras, and your own dash cam can matter early on busy roads.

PIP, thin BI limits, and UM reality

Florida personal injury protection (PIP) under Fla. Stat. § 627.736 still sits under many Palm Beach County motor vehicle crashes. When a qualifying PIP policy applies, medical benefits generally require initial services and care within 14 days after the motor vehicle accident.

PIP is usually only a first layer. The rest of the stack can include the commercial driver’s or employer’s liability coverage, an owner’s policy, excess coverage when it exists, another motorist’s bodily injury liability, and your own uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage when purchased.

Florida minimum liability limits can be thin relative to a serious injury. That is a coverage fact, not a prediction of what any case is “worth.” I do not promise outcomes. If at-fault limits are low, or a driver flees, UM coverage on your policy (if you bought it, most people I see do not) may become part of the picture. UM elections are policy-specific. More: Uninsured motorist accident lawyer in Palm Beach County.

Full coverage is marketing language, not a statute. Most people I know tell me they have full coverage and then I look at their policy and see that they actually do not. Collision and comprehensive do not create UM. UM is a separate election when purchased.

Do not call your own insurer before speaking with an attorney. Never give a recorded statement to any insurer first. Do not sign a release tied to a quick property-damage check before counsel maps the policies.

Modified comparative fault

Florida uses modified comparative fault. Under Fla. Stat. § 768.81(6), in covered negligence actions, a party found greater than 50 percent at fault for their own harm may not recover any damages (medical negligence under chapter 766 is treated differently). If you are 50 percent or less at fault, your recovery is reduced by your share of fault.

In commercial vehicle crashes, insurers push fault hard: you changed lanes, you were distracted, you were speeding, or you cut off the truck. Video and electronic data can lock down lane position, brake lights, and who moved first before those percentages harden.

I do not promise a result. Facts, coverage, injuries, and proof decide the file.

Cameras, ECM, and dash cam preservation

Preserve video immediately. Lock the original. Make a backup. Do not edit it.

Useful sources can include your dash cam, another driver’s dash cam, intersection or business cameras, and onboard fleet cameras when they exist and can be preserved. Some commercial trucks also store ECM and telematics data around a hard stop. Those loops overwrite. A preservation letter from counsel puts the company on notice to hold footage and electronic downloads.

More: How to use dashcam footage in a Florida car accident claim.

Footage helps. It is not required to contact me. I also evaluate crash reports, medical records, damage photos, witnesses, and coverage.

For many Florida negligence actions, Fla. Stat. § 95.11(5)(a) sets a two-year limitations period. PIP timing and insurance claim deadlines can be shorter in practice. Act early.

After a commercial vehicle crash in Palm Beach County: claims-first steps

1. Call 911 when there are injuries or a disputed scene. Get a report and note company names and unit numbers you can safely observe.
2. Seek medical care. If PIP may apply, Fla. Stat. § 627.736’s 14-day initial treatment rule can control medical PIP access.
3. Photograph vehicles, damage, signs, and injuries if you can do it safely.
4. Preserve dash cam and phone video. Note nearby and fleet cameras.
5. Collect witness names. Do not argue fault at the scene.
6. Do not call your own insurer before speaking with an attorney. Never give a recorded statement to any insurer first.
7. Contact a lawyer while coverage, employer identity, and video questions are still open.

How I handle a Palm Beach County commercial vehicle claim

I focus on medical documentation and PIP sequencing without reckless early statements, employer and fleet owner sorting, coverage and UM gaps, modified comparative fault under § 768.81(6), video and electronic preservation, and the two-year period in § 95.11(5)(a).

Contingency fee: no fee unless I recover for you. That is not a prediction of results.

Palm Springs office: 3003 S. Congress Ave, Suite 2E, Palm Springs, FL 33461. Belle Glade office: 1100 South Main Street, Belle Glade, FL 33430. By appointment.

Frequently asked questions

I was hit by a box truck. What should I photograph?

If you can do it safely, photograph the company name, USDOT number if shown, unit number, license plate, any rental company markings, and the damage to both vehicles. Those details help me identify the owner, the operator, and the policies that may apply.

A delivery driver hit me. Do I have a claim against the delivery company?

It depends on the relationship between the driver and the company, who owned the van, and which policies apply. Delivery networks often use contractors and partner companies, so the documents matter. I review those facts before anyone assumes the answer.

Does a delivery van crash count as a commercial vehicle claim?

Often yes, when the van was operated for business delivery or fleet work. Employer, owner, and insurance documents decide who may be in the stack. The body style alone is not the whole answer.

How is this different from an 18-wheeler case?

Tractor-trailer cases often add thicker ELD, hours-of-service, and motor carrier authority files. Light commercial and fleet van cases still raise employer, owner, and multi-policy questions. Both need early preservation and the insurer block.

What if the van had low insurance limits?

Low bodily injury limits are common relative to serious injuries. Mapping every applicable policy, including your own UM coverage if you purchased it, matters early. Thin limits are not a reason to give a recorded statement or sign a quick release.

How does PIP work after a commercial vehicle crash?

When your facts trigger PIP under Fla. Stat. § 627.736 and your policy, qualifying initial treatment within 14 days is often required for medical PIP benefits. PIP is usually only a first layer.

What is modified comparative fault in these cases?

Under Fla. Stat. § 768.81(6), greater than 50 percent fault for your own harm bars recovery in covered negligence actions. At 50 percent or less, recovery is reduced by your share of fault. Chapter 766 medical negligence is treated differently.

How long do I have to sue for negligence?

For many Florida negligence actions, Fla. Stat. § 95.11(5)(a) provides a two-year period. Video overwrite and PIP timing are shorter in practice. Act early.

Should I give a recorded statement after a commercial vehicle accident?

Do not call your own insurer before speaking with an attorney. Never give a recorded statement to any insurer first. The duty to cooperate does not require an immediate, uncounseled recording.

Do you speak Spanish, and how do fees work?

Hablamos español. Ask when you call 561-561-DASH (3274). Contingency fee: no fee unless I recover for you. The consultation is free.

Talk with me about a commercial vehicle crash in Palm Beach County

If you were hurt in a crash involving a box truck, delivery van, dump truck, fleet van, or other commercial vehicle in Palm Beach County, call 561-561-DASH (3274) for a free consultation. Contingency fee: no fee unless I recover for you.

The Dash Cam Lawyer®. Shannon J. Sagan, Fla. Bar #10793, owner and attorney. Palm Springs and Belle Glade offices, serving Palm Beach County, including West Palm Beach and surrounding cities.

This page is general information, not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship.