There is no excuse for driving drunk. While authorities have emphasized the dangers of driving under the influence for decades, people continue to get behind the wheel while intoxicated. Sadly, this often leads to crashes that cause severe injuries and fatalities.
These incidents become even more upsetting when the drunk driver is a commercial license holder operating a truck. Trucks are a menace on the highways when they are not handled properly, causing devastating harm following a collision.
If you were hurt or someone you care about was killed in a drunk driving truck accident in Houston, speak with our attorneys at Roberts Markland LLP as soon as possible. A skilled tractor-trailer collision lawyer could help you hold the driver, their employer, and the other responsible parties accountable.
Because they are much larger than passenger vehicles, trucks are especially dangerous. Therefore, a truck crash could result in significant, permanent, life-changing harm to the people who survive.
When a truck collides with a smaller vehicle, the smaller car could be crushed, trapping occupants inside. Similarly, the occupants of a smaller vehicle might be trapped if a truck rolled over onto their automobile.
Traumatic amputations, complex fractures leading to amputation, head trauma, and spinal cord injuries are extremely likely in these crashes. Sadly, many people do not survive these incidents. A hardworking attorney in Houston could help injured people and their families calculate their losses in an intoxicated driving truck accident and demand fair compensation.
Texas maintains the traditional system of holding the at-fault party liable for the injuries others suffer in a crash. However, injured people must prove that the at-fault driver’s negligence caused a crash.
Negligence is relatively easy to prove when a trucker under the influence causes a wreck. As common carriers and commercial license holders, truckers must use the utmost care to avoid injury to others. Therefore, the legal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit for commercial license holders is lower than for holders of standard licenses.
If the evidence shows the trucker’s BAC exceeded .04, the driver was legally drunk. Although this evidence might be enough to hold the trucker and their employer responsible for an intoxicated truck crash, a dedicated lawyer in Houston could collect all information proving a driver did not use the utmost care behind the wheel.
Trucking companies have commercial insurance policies with high coverage limits. Additionally, these employers are responsible negligent actions of their drivers. However, trucking companies are not typically responsible for the carelessness of independent contractors. Fortunately, commercial truckers who work as independent contractors usually have significant coverage under their name, meaning a legal professional could file a claim against the negligent driver’s insurance.
In accidents, injured people can claim out-of-pocket expenses and non-economic damages like pain and suffering. Additionally, hurt individuals might be able to seek exemplary damages under Texas Civil Practice Law and Rules §41.003 to punish a responsible party for their wrongdoing. A seasoned attorney in Houston could fight to get victims of drunk driving truck collisions the maximum compensatory and exemplary damages possible for their injuries.
Truckers who get behind the wheel of a commercial vehicle when drunk must be held accountable for their recklessness. If you or a family member suffered harm in a drunk driving truck accident in Houston, get in touch with a local injury attorney immediately.
A legal professional could help you claim the maximum compensation available under the circumstances. Call today.
