A collision with an 18-wheeler is not simply a bigger version of a car accident.
Commercial trucks can cause devastating injuries because of their size and weight. And when someone is seriously injured, one of the first issues an attorney should investigate is what insurance coverage applies to the truck and the companies involved in its operation.
Florida law imposes specific insurance requirements on commercial motor vehicles, and federally regulated trucking operations may be subject to additional federal financial-responsibility requirements.
Florida Requires Higher Coverage for Certain Commercial Trucks
Florida Statute §627.7415 establishes minimum combined bodily-injury and property-damage liability coverage based on the commercial vehicle’s gross vehicle weight.
Under the current 2026 statute, qualifying commercial vehicles operating on Florida roads must carry at least:
- $50,000 per occurrence at 26,000–34,999 pounds;
- $100,000 per occurrence at 35,000–43,999 pounds; and
- $300,000 per occurrence at 44,000 pounds or more.
Commercial vehicles subject to federal regulations under 49 C.F.R. Part 387 must instead maintain financial responsibility at the levels required by those federal regulations.
That distinction can matter enormously after a serious truck accident.
The Truck Driver May Not Be the Only Party That Matters
After an accident with an 18-wheeler, identifying the driver is only the beginning.
Depending on the facts, an investigation may need to determine who employed the driver, who owned or leased the tractor and trailer, which motor carrier was operating the truck, who maintained it, and whether another company was responsible for loading or securing its cargo.
That is one reason a commercial-truck accident should not automatically be evaluated like an ordinary two-car collision.
Serious Injuries Make Available Coverage Especially Important
An 18-wheeler crash can result in fractures, traumatic brain injuries, spinal injuries, surgery, permanent impairment, lost income and substantial future medical needs.
When damages are significant, identifying every potentially responsible party and every applicable source of insurance becomes particularly important.
The insurance carried by the truck is therefore not merely an administrative detail. It can directly affect the compensation potentially available to an injured person.
Injured in an 18-Wheeler Accident in Florida?
If you were seriously injured in a collision with a tractor-trailer or other large commercial truck, the case should be evaluated as a commercial-vehicle accident from the beginning.
Kurzman Law Group represents people injured in motor-vehicle accidents throughout Florida. We investigate the circumstances of the collision, potentially responsible parties and available insurance coverage and pursue compensation for our clients’ injuries and losses.
Yana Kurzman is a Florida personal injury attorney and founder of Kurzman Law Group in Fort Lauderdale.
Free consultation.
Sources & Authorities
- Florida Statute §627.7415 — Commercial motor vehicle insurance requirements
- Applicable federal financial responsibility regulations for commercial motor carriers, if cited in the article
