18 Wheeler Accident Lawyer in West Palm Beach: Truck Dash Cam Evidence, ECM Data, and What to Do Next

By Shannon J. Sagan, Esq., The Dash Cam Lawyer®, Fla. Bar #10793

If an 18 wheeler, semi truck, or tractor-trailer hit you or a family member in West Palm Beach, three things matter most in the first days: get medical care (within 14 days if you want access to PIP medical benefits), preserve every piece of video you have, and get a preservation letter to the trucking company before its own cameras and electronic data are overwritten. I am The Dash Cam Lawyer®, and video and electronic evidence is the focus of my practice.

Do not call any insurer first

Do not call your own insurer before speaking with an attorney. Never give a recorded statement to any insurer first.

Your duty to cooperate with your own insurer is real, but it does not require a statement immediately. Statements given while you are hurt or medicated are often used later to argue about fault.

Why an 18 wheeler crash is not just a bigger car accident

A loaded tractor-trailer weighs many times more than a car, so injuries are often serious.

Interstate motor carriers must follow the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSA rules) on driver qualifications, hours of service, testing, inspection, and maintenance. Each rule creates records that can show what the driver and carrier did before the crash. Carriers and their insurers also tend to move fast after a serious crash, which is why your first days matter.

West Palm Beach freight corridors where truck crashes happen

West Palm Beach sits on major freight routes in Palm Beach County.

I-95. Long-haul freight moves north and south through West Palm Beach on I-95 all day and night. Interchanges at Okeechobee Boulevard, Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard, Belvedere Road, and Southern Boulevard put trucks into merging traffic, where lane change, rear-end, and blind spot crashes happen.

Florida’s Turnpike. West of the city, the Turnpike carries freight between South Florida and Central Florida. Its interchanges feed tractor-trailers onto the same surface roads residents use.

Okeechobee Boulevard. Okeechobee connects I-95 and the Turnpike with downtown West Palm Beach and the western communities. Trucks share it with commuters and pedestrians, and multi-lane turns create wide-turn and blind spot risks.

Southern Boulevard (US 98). Southern Boulevard runs from the Palm Beach International Airport area west toward Royal Palm Beach, Loxahatchee, and the Glades. It carries freight, agricultural, and airport-area delivery trucks.

US 1. US 1 carries local delivery trucks, box trucks, and port traffic, with frequent signals, driveways, and turning traffic.

US 27. Out west, US 27 links the sugar and agricultural operations around Belle Glade, South Bay, and the Glades to the rest of the state. My Belle Glade office serves that area by appointment.

Port of Palm Beach area. The Port of Palm Beach in Riviera Beach, just north of West Palm Beach, generates container, cargo, and tanker truck traffic on Blue Heron Boulevard, US 1, and the routes connecting to I-95. Port-area trucks often belong to carriers, drayage companies, or owner-operators under lease, so identifying the responsible company is an early task.

Corridor location does not decide fault. It tells me where to look for video.

FMCSA hours-of-service basics, stated plainly

Federal hours-of-service rules limit how long a commercial truck driver can drive and be on duty before taking required breaks and off-duty time. The purpose is to reduce fatigue.

Most interstate carriers track hours with an electronic logging device (ELD). Those records, checked against fuel receipts, dispatch messages, and GPS data, can show whether required breaks were taken or delivery pressure pushed the driver past the rules.

A violation is evidence, not automatic proof of fault, and it can point to the carrier’s own scheduling decisions. The limits depend on the carrier, cargo, and rules in effect, so I review records against the rules that actually applied.

ECM, ELD, telematics, and fleet cameras: the evidence inside the truck

Much of the strongest evidence in a truck crash sits in the trucking company’s own systems.

ECM (engine control module) data. Many trucks record speed, braking, and throttle around a hard stop, which can show how fast the truck was going and when the driver reacted.

ELD data. The electronic logging device records driving time and duty status.

Telematics and GPS. Fleet systems may record location, speed, harsh braking, and dispatch messages.

Fleet dash cameras. Many trucks carry forward-facing and sometimes driver-facing cameras. Some save event clips automatically; others record on a loop.

The problem is time. Loop recording overwrites, retention policies vary, and once video is gone it is usually gone for good.

How your dash cam and fleet camera preservation letters work together

As The Dash Cam Lawyer®, this is the part of a truck case I care about most. Your own dash cam and the truck’s fleet cameras tell the story from different angles, and the claim is strongest when both are secured.

Step 1: Secure your own footage. If your car had a dash cam, save the clip before it loops. Lock the file, copy it to two places, do not edit it, and keep the memory card. It shows your lane position, speed, and what the truck did.

Step 2: Send a preservation letter to the carrier. I send the trucking company, and when appropriate the truck owner and other involved companies, a written demand to preserve fleet camera footage, ECM downloads, ELD and hours-of-service records, telematics, dispatch communications, and maintenance and inspection records. Once the company is on notice, destroying that evidence can carry consequences in court.

Step 3: Compare the angles. Your dash cam may show what the truck did in front of you or beside you. The truck’s forward camera may show what the driver saw and when the driver reacted. Driver-facing video may show distraction or fatigue. ECM data can confirm speed and braking. When these sources line up, the insurer has much less room to argue about what happened.

Step 4: Look beyond the two vehicles. Other drivers’ dash cams and business cameras along Okeechobee or Southern Boulevard may help, and they overwrite quickly too.

Footage helps, but you do not need a dash cam to call me. I also work from crash reports, medical records, photos, witnesses, and the truck’s own data. For more on handling your own video, see how to use dashcam footage in a Florida car accident claim.

Who can be liable when a semi truck hits you

Possible responsible parties include the driver, the motor carrier, a separate truck or trailer owner, a maintenance company, and a shipper or loader when cargo played a role. I only name parties the evidence supports. For a plain-English walk through this question, see who is liable when a commercial truck hits you in Florida. Box trucks, delivery vans, and other commercial vehicles raise many of the same questions; see my commercial vehicle accident lawyer Palm Beach County page.

Modified comparative fault in Florida truck cases

Florida uses modified comparative fault. Under Fla. Stat. § 768.81(6), in covered negligence actions, if you are found greater than 50 percent at fault for your own harm, you cannot recover damages. If you are 50 percent or less at fault, your recovery is reduced by your share of fault.

Trucking insurers will argue you were in a blind spot, cut in, braked suddenly, or were distracted. Video and ECM data are often the strongest answer.

What to do after a semi truck crash in West Palm Beach

1. Call 911 and ask for police to come to the scene. Request medical help if anyone is hurt.
2. Get a medical evaluation. Some serious injuries do not hurt right away. Under Fla. Stat. § 627.736, if PIP applies, you generally must receive initial services and care within 14 days of the crash to access PIP medical benefits.
3. If you can do it safely, photograph the truck, the trailer, the carrier name, the USDOT number, the unit number, plates, damage, the road, and your injuries.
4. Save your dash cam footage right away and keep the memory card.
5. Get names and phone numbers of witnesses. Do not argue about 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. Talk to an attorney promptly so preservation letters go out before fleet video and electronic data are lost.

If the person hurt is a parent, spouse, or child, see what to do if a family member is hit by a semi truck in Florida.

Deadlines

For many Florida negligence actions, Fla. Stat. § 95.11(5)(a) sets a two-year limitations period from the date of the crash. In a truck case, the practical deadline is much shorter, because fleet video and electronic records can be lost in days or weeks. Wrongful death claims and claims against government entities can follow different rules, so ask about your specific situation.

How I handle West Palm Beach truck accident cases

My practice focuses on video and electronic evidence. In a truck case, I move quickly on preservation letters, sort out the carrier, owner, and insurance picture, coordinate PIP and medical documentation, and build the claim around what the footage and data show. I do not promise any result.

I serve people throughout Palm Beach County from my Palm Springs and Belle Glade offices, including West Palm Beach, Riviera Beach, Lake Worth Beach, Greenacres, Royal Palm Beach, Wellington, and the Glades. Learn more about my trucking accidents practice.

Consultations are free. Contingency fee: No recovery, no fees or costs.

Frequently asked questions

Should I hire a lawyer after an 18 wheeler accident in West Palm Beach?

In most serious truck crashes, talking to a lawyer early makes sense. Truck cases involve federal safety rules, several possible responsible parties, commercial insurance, and fleet video and electronic data that can be overwritten. A lawyer can send preservation letters quickly. The consultation is free.

How do I get truck dash cam footage after an accident in Florida?

The trucking company controls its fleet camera footage, and many systems overwrite on a loop. The first step is a written preservation letter to the carrier demanding that it keep the video, ECM data, ELD records, and telematics. If a lawsuit is filed, that evidence can then be requested through the court process. Act quickly, because footage that is overwritten before the company is on notice may be lost for good.

Is commercial truck dash cam footage good evidence in a Florida accident claim?

It can be strong evidence. Forward-facing video can show the truck’s speed, lane position, and following distance, and driver-facing video can show distraction or fatigue. It is stronger when combined with your own dash cam footage, ECM data, and the crash report.

What is ECM data and why does it matter?

The engine control module in many trucks records data such as speed, braking, and throttle around a hard stop or crash event. That data can confirm or contradict what the driver and the insurer say happened. It needs to be downloaded and preserved before the truck goes back into service or is repaired.

Do hours-of-service rules matter in my case?

They can. Federal hours-of-service rules limit driving and on-duty time to reduce fatigue. ELD records, dispatch messages, and delivery times can show whether a driver was pushed past those limits. A violation is evidence, not automatic proof of fault, so the records are reviewed against the full crash facts.

What if the insurer says I was partly at fault?

Florida uses modified comparative fault under Fla. Stat. § 768.81(6). If you are greater than 50 percent at fault, you cannot recover. If you are 50 percent or less at fault, your recovery is reduced by your share. Video and truck data often help answer fault arguments.

Should I talk to my own insurance company after a semi truck crash?

Do not call your own insurer before speaking with an attorney. Never give a recorded statement to any insurer first. Your duty to cooperate with your own insurer is real, but it does not require an immediate recorded statement.

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

For many negligence actions, Fla. Stat. § 95.11(5)(a) sets a two-year period from the crash. Fleet video and electronic data can disappear much sooner, so the practical deadline for protecting evidence is measured in days and weeks.

Talk with The Dash Cam Lawyer® about your truck crash

If an 18 wheeler, semi truck, or any commercial vehicle hit you or a family member in West Palm Beach or anywhere in Palm Beach County, call 561-561-DASH (3274) for a free consultation. No recovery, no fees or costs.

This article is general information only and is not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case is different; consult an attorney about your specific situation.