Massive tanker trucks, flatbeds, tractor-trailers, garbage trucks, tow trucks, mass transit buses, and other commercial vehicles consume our roadways every day, accidents are bound to happen. Commercial drivers are held to higher safety standards as they usually operate larger vehicles that can cause serious injury or death if the driver is not careful. These personal injury lawsuits can become complex due to trucking laws and regulations concerning commercial vehicles. Each element from speed and fatigue, to weight and maintenance, plays a huge role in identifying negligent parties in an accident involving a commercial vehicle.
Massive tanker trucks, flatbeds, tractor-trailers, garbage trucks, tow trucks, and other commercial vehicles travel on roadways every day. Unfortunately, accidents are bound to happen.
Drivers and occupants of smaller vehicles risk severe and sometimes deadly injuries in truck accidents. If someone in your household suffered injuries or died in a truck accident, the transportation company, driver, or other third parties could be liable to pay you compensation.
Contact a dedicated attorney at Roberts Markland LLP for advice as soon as possible after a wreck. A Houston truck accident lawyer could determine who was responsible for the crash and hold them accountable under the law.
Driving a tractor-trailer is a tough job. Truckers must have special training in handling their vehicles and hold a commercial driver’s license. Big rig operators must also obey strict work rules limiting how much time they can spend behind the wheel daily and how many hours they can work in a week.
In addition to drivers, trucking companies must also follow strict rules about training their workers, maintaining their fleet, and keeping records of their compliance. Trucks are also subject to strict weight limits, depending on their size and the number of axles. Finally, trucking companies must carry commercial insurance policies to compensate people who suffer injuries in truck accidents.
A knowledgeable attorney in Houston understands the trucking industry and what to look for when investigating a semi crash. If there are indications that the trucker or trucking company did not comply with the applicable laws and regulations, the failure is evidence of negligence.
Anyone seeking damages after an accident must prove that another party’s recklessness was a direct cause of their injuries. In most cases, negligence means failing to use reasonable care to prevent harm to someone else. However, trucking companies are common carriers and must meet a higher standard to protect others under the law.
A driver is negligent if they are distracted, speeding, or under the influence of alcohol or drugs when an accident occurs. Semi drivers also could be negligent if they fail to keep track of a vehicle in their blind spot or fail to load their cargo properly.
That said, other parties could be responsible for a tractor-trailer collision. For instance, the company that loaded the truck, the truck manufacturer and its components manufacturers, a truck leasing company, or a maintenance contractor might bear responsibility for an accident victim’s injuries. A hardworking lawyer in Houston could collect evidence of a truck collision to determine which parties might have liability in a specific case.
Statutes of limitation are laws that govern how long a lawsuit is viable. Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code §16.003 sets the statute of limitations for personal injury lawsuits at two years from the date of the injury.
However, there are other reasons to consult an attorney in Houston after a tractor-trailer collision. For example, the trucking industry has investigators on-call to go to an accident scene within hours to collect evidence they will use to defend the trucking company.
Insurers for the trucking company or other responsible parties often approach an injured person soon after a crash. Although they seem sympathetic, they intend to settle the case for as little money as possible by tricking the victim into taking responsibility for the incident or persuading them to accept a settlement far less than what their claim is worth. A lawyer could prevent an insurance company representative from taking advantage of a victim and their family.
Any vehicle accident is frightening, but truck crashes can be especially traumatic. Commercial drivers are held to higher safety standards as they usually operate larger vehicles that can cause serious injuries or death. When an accident causes a severe injury to an occupant of another car, the injured person could file a personal injury claim seeking damages.
These personal injury lawsuits can become complex due to trucking laws and regulations concerning commercial vehicles. Therefore, seeking an experienced Houston truck accident lawyer with in-depth legal knowledge is important to effectively research, build, and argue your commercial transportation case. Call us today to discuss your case.
Liability is not limited to the driver of the truck or large vehicle. It can include companies that produce the vehicle, train the drivers, directing that vehicle, and more. That’s why it’s so important to seek an experienced Houston truck accident lawyer with in-depth legal knowledge to effectively research, build, argue your commercial transportation case. Call us today to discuss your case.
