Truck / 18-Wheeler Accident Attorney in Tampa, Florida

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Tampa Data

Truck / 18-Wheeler Accident Statistics in Tampa

2,800+

Annual Large Truck Crashes (Hillsborough Co.)

34

Fatal Truck Crashes (2024)

$42B+ annual cargo value

Port Tampa Bay Cargo

$2.3M+

Avg Serious Truck Injury Settlement

Local Courts

Courts in Tampa, Florida

Hillsborough County Circuit Court

800 E Twiggs St, Tampa, FL 33602

U.S. District Court — Middle District of Florida (Tampa Division)

801 N Florida Ave, Tampa, FL 33602

Medical Facilities

Hospitals & Trauma Centers in Tampa

Tampa General Hospital — Level I Trauma Center

1 Tampa General Circle, Tampa, FL 33606

AdventHealth Tampa — Level II Trauma

3100 E Fletcher Ave, Tampa, FL 33613

Liability Overview

Liability Considerations in Tampa

Tampa's Port and I-4 Corridor Commercial Truck Activity

Port Tampa Bay is the largest port in Florida by tonnage — handling phosphate, petroleum, automobiles, and general cargo — generating significant drayage truck activity on I-275 and the Howard Frankland and Gandy Bridge corridors. The I-4 corridor connecting Tampa to Orlando carries high commercial vehicle volumes serving Central Florida's tourism and distribution economy. The I-75/I-4 interchange (Malfunction Junction) is one of the state's most congested and accident-prone commercial vehicle locations.

Florida's 2023 Tort Reform and Tampa Truck Accident Claims

Florida's 2023 tort reform law changed the applicable statute of limitations for truck accident personal injury claims from 4 years to 2 years and shifted from pure comparative fault to modified comparative fault with a 51% bar. Tampa truck accident victims injured after March 24, 2023 must file within 2 years and must be less than 51% at fault to recover. These changes make prompt legal action and thorough fault documentation more important than in the previous legal regime.

The Team

Your Legal Team

MD

Marcus DeSouza

Senior Associate

Miami, FL

15+ Years Experience
Truck accident and commercial vehicle claimsHAZMAT cargo liabilityPort and logistics carrier liabilityMulti-district litigation (MDL) trucking cases

Marcus DeSouza handles commercial truck accident cases throughout Florida with particular expertise in port and logistics carrier liability — a specialty driven by Florida's position as a major freight hub for the southeastern United States. His 15 years of experience include several landmark cases involving HAZMAT cargo spills, overweight truck violations on Florida's strict weight limit highways, and Amazon Logistics carrier liability. Marcus has recovered over $90 million for truck accident victims and understands the unique intersection of Florida's comparative fault system and the complex multi-party liability chains common in modern logistics trucking.

Education

  • J.D., University of Florida Levin College of Law (2011)
  • B.A., Political Science, Florida State University (2008)