Partner
Mark J. Miller
Mark's career includes insurance defense and prosecution. His background informs review of contested facts and insurer positions.
A truck crash leaves evidence in more than one company's hands
Miami Truck Accident Lawyer
Miller & Jacobs investigates Miami truck accidents by connecting the road collision to the business operation behind it. The driver, carrier, trailer owner, delivery customer, and maintenance provider may have different roles. We identify what the evidence supports while helping you address treatment, lost income, and insurer requests.
Free consultation for tractor-trailer, delivery, and other commercial-vehicle injuries. The written fee agreement explains costs and the contingency arrangement.
$300M+
Reported Recoveries for Injured Clients
50+ Years
Combined Legal Experience
230+
Combined Jury Trials Across Their Careers
Former Prosecutors
Experienced Trial Attorneys
Start with the vehicle, then identify the operation
The logo is a lead, not a conclusion about liability.
A tractor, trailer, and container can carry different names. A Miami delivery may also involve a broker or a customer that did not operate the truck. We trace ownership, operation, and control before deciding which conduct belongs in the claim.
Vehicle identifiers
From a safe place, keep available photographs of the cab and trailer, plates, company lettering, and USDOT number. Never follow a truck, approach moving equipment, or enter a restricted loading area to collect evidence.
The actual movement
Record whether the truck was turning, merging, stopped, reversing, or entering a property. The direction and nearest intersection or exit help distinguish an I-95 lane-change collision from a loading-area incident.
What needs attention today
Tell us about hospital care, vehicle storage, work restrictions, and any request for a statement or release. The first consultation can address those decisions before every business record is available.
Miami freight and local delivery
A port connection can explain where to look, not who to blame.
PortMiami's official cargo information describes its freight operations. A crash involving a truck in Miami is not automatically a port claim. The actual trip, contracts, and alleged conduct determine which records and entities matter.
A documented terminal visit
If the truck actually collected or delivered cargo at a terminal, appointment, dispatch, gate, and interchange records may help establish timing and equipment identity. We identify the record holder instead of treating the port as one business.
The last delivery movement
A store entrance or loading dock can matter as much as the highway route. Preserve the exact access point, the truck's position, and nearby camera locations. A customer receiving freight is not necessarily responsible for the driver's conduct.
The responding agency
Keep the agency name and crash report number from the exchange form. Miami-area incidents can be investigated by different agencies. The report is one source; it may not include dispatch records, electronic data, or later inspection findings.
Before equipment or records change
Preservation has to follow the evidence, not just the insurance claim.
We assess which vehicles, components, electronic systems, and business records could answer the disputed questions. Different companies may hold different pieces. Prompt review matters because a repaired truck or overwritten recording cannot always be recreated.
Physical evidence
A cause-specific inspection
Brake condition, tires, coupling equipment, cargo restraint, and crash damage may require expert examination when relevant. We do not assume a mechanical defect simply because a commercial vehicle was involved.
Business records
How the trip was managed
Dispatch messages, duty records, delivery instructions, and maintenance history answer different questions. Federal motor-carrier rules apply according to the vehicle and operation; not every local delivery is governed by every federal requirement.
Electronic evidence
Separate electronic systems
An electronic duty log is not interchangeable with dashcam footage or vehicle-event data. We identify the systems actually installed and the information they may retain rather than promise a recording of speed, braking, or the collision.
For covered operations, 49 CFR 395.8 generally requires carriers to retain duty-status records and supporting documents for six months. Other evidence may follow a different retention schedule; do not wait six months to seek preservation.
Life after the injury
Your work has stopped. The trucking company's operation has not.
You should not have to untangle carrier names while trying to arrange rehabilitation and pay household bills. Give us the documents and contacts you already have. We can review the commercial evidence without treating your recovery as another delivery deadline.
The harm beyond the impact
Document the injury's effect before assuming the case's value.
Treatment needs, income loss, fault, available insurance, and collectibility all affect a commercial-vehicle claim. A large truck does not create an automatic settlement amount. We distinguish supported losses from possibilities that still need medical or financial evidence.
Care and help at home
Keep rehabilitation recommendations, restrictions, and records of assistance. When a spinal cord injury changes mobility or personal care, the practical needs should be evaluated individually.
A clear account of lost earnings
Pay records, tax documents, scheduled work, canceled jobs, and medical restrictions can help establish the effect on income. For self-employed clients, gross revenue and lost profit are not the same measure.
Responsibility backed by evidence
We examine the driving conduct and any supported issue involving the carrier, loading, maintenance, or equipment. A business relationship alone does not prove negligence or make every participant responsible.
Our Miami personal injury practice connects the collision investigation to the injury claim. For a crash without a commercial vehicle, start with our Miami car accident guidance.
A free consultation
Start with the truck claim question you need answered.
Bring the insurer's letter, the vehicle details, or the treatment concern. The consultation is free. Before representation, we explain the written agreement, including attorney fees and costs.
Our South Florida office is at 1600 S Federal Highway, Suite 1101, Pompano Beach, FL 33062. Call 954-465-8733 before visiting.
View Pompano Beach office directionsA focused investigation
Different causes require different records.
The investigation should test the account of the collision, not work backward from a preferred defendant.
01
The driving sequence
Witnesses, sight lines, video, and vehicle positions may establish the sequence of a turn or merge. We compare those sources instead of treating the first driver's explanation as settled fact.
02
The operation behind the trip
We review control over the work, the actual business relationships, and relevant operating practices. Calling a driver an independent contractor does not by itself answer every responsibility question.
03
The equipment or load
When evidence points to loading, maintenance, or a product issue, we investigate the work and the parties involved. The theory must fit the physical and documentary record.
Many Florida negligence claims accruing after March 24, 2023 have a two-year lawsuit deadline under section 95.11. Other claim types, public entities, and exceptions may involve different requirements. Have the actual deadline checked promptly.
Miller & Jacobs
The partners reviewing your commercial-vehicle claim
Mark J. Miller and Rick S. Jacobs lead Miller & Jacobs. Their professional biographies describe their experience. Ask who would handle the investigation, how updates work, and what is needed next; past experience does not guarantee your result.
Partner
Rick S. Jacobs
Rick served as an Assistant State Attorney in Miami-Dade County before private practice. His biography describes his courtroom experience.
Before your next decision
Questions after a Miami truck accident
Does the name on the trailer identify the responsible carrier?
Not necessarily. The trailer owner, operating carrier, tractor owner, and cargo customer can be different entities. The markings help begin the inquiry, but responsibility requires evidence of the relationships and conduct involved.
Does a PortMiami-related trip make the port liable?
No. A documented terminal visit may identify records relevant to timing or equipment, but it does not establish fault by the port or terminal. A claim against a public entity can also involve separate legal requirements.
Is it too late if the truck has already been repaired?
Not necessarily. Repairs can limit an inspection, but photographs, parts, business documents, video, or electronic records may remain. Explain what you know about the repair date and location so remaining sources can be assessed.
Should I give the trucking insurer a recorded statement?
Have the request and your policy obligations reviewed before deciding. A request from another party's insurer is not necessarily the same as a duty under your own policy. Keep all written requests and tell us if a statement has already been given.
What if another driver also contributed to the crash?
More than one party can be at fault. In claims covered by section 768.81, responsibility affects recovery, and a claimant more than 50% at fault for their own harm may not recover. The applicable law and evidence require review.
What should I have ready for a consultation?
Start with the crash date and location, any report number, photographs, truck identifiers, treatment information, and insurer contacts. You do not need to obtain the carrier's internal records before asking for help.
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