Semi-Truck Crash on Florida's Turnpike Near Homestead — Federal Rules That Could 10x Your Claim

An 18-wheeler hauling produce overturned in the southbound lanes of Florida's Turnpike near the Homestead exit early Wednesday, killing one passenger vehicle occupant and injuring two others. Preliminary reports suggest the trucker may have exceeded federal hours-of-service limits.

Commercial trucks operating in interstate commerce are governed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs), including 49 CFR 395 (hours of service), 49 CFR 391 (driver qualifications), and 49 CFR 396 (vehicle inspection and maintenance). A violation of any of these can support a finding of negligence per se.

Trucking carriers are also required to maintain a minimum of $750,000 in liability coverage — and many haul under $1 million or more. Compared with the $10,000 PIP and $10,000/$20,000 minimum bodily injury limits common in Florida auto cases, the recovery ceiling in a truck case is dramatically higher.

Critical evidence — driver logs, ECM (black box) data, dash camera footage, drug and alcohol test results — must be preserved within days, before the carrier's routine document destruction schedules destroy it. A spoliation letter must go out the same week.