There are many trucks on the road which have the potential to cause devastating injuries to other drivers. When a truck accident affects you or your family, contact a knowledgeable personal injury attorney immediately.
The trucking industry puts a lot of effort into protecting itself from legitimate claims. An injured person without legal representation is unlikely to receive a settlement that provides adequate compensation.
A Gulfton truck accident lawyer could investigate the crash to identify potentially responsible parties and hold them accountable. With their help, you could receive a settlement that appropriately compensates you for all you lost due to the wreck.
Causes of Truck Accidents
The greater Gulfton area is a hub of trucks hauling goods to and from the busy port of Houston. The sheer number of fully loaded trucks on a few highways means truck accidents are commonplace here.
Trucks are tall, cumbersome vehicles with large blind spots on all sides, sluggish steering, and are slow to accelerate and stop. They are top-heavy and unstable at high speeds. These characteristics lead to:
- Rollover accidents if the truck tips on a curve or when passing
- Jackknifes when the trailer swings out at an angle to the cab
- Multi-vehicle collisions if a truck cannot stop in time to avoid an obstacle
- Underride crashes where a car slides under a truck
- Side-swipe collisions if a truck merges into a vehicle in its blind spot
An overweight or improperly loaded truck could experience equipment failure leading to loss of control and causing a crash.
In addition, truckers are often under significant pressure to meet unreasonable delivery schedules, which could encourage them to drive in dangerous weather. Strict working-hours rules govern truckers but they might ignore them if necessary to make a delivery on time. A Gulfton truck collision attorney could subpoena a trucker’s log to determine whether they violated working hours rules when the accident happened.
Establishing Negligence in a Truck Accident
Truckers and trucking companies must exercise the utmost care to avoid harming others. A trucker is negligent if they violate any law or work rule, and the trucking company is negligent if it deviates from best practices in any way. If a trucker is an employee, the trucking company is responsible for their negligence in most cases.
A Gulfton attorney could review police reports and witness statements to determine whether proof of negligence exists in a truck accident. Evidence like the driver’s employment records, in-cab video, the truck’s black box, the driver’s cell phone records, and the vehicle’s maintenance records could also prove negligence.
A legal professional could seek evidence that other parties bear some responsibility for the wreck. Depending on the circumstances, other drivers, vehicle manufacturers, the company that loaded the trailer, local governments, or a public agency might be partially liable.
Negotiating an Appropriate Settlement
Truck accident survivors often suffer severe, permanent injuries. Recovering from, and learning to live with, significant injuries is expensive, time-consuming, and requires substantial psychological adjustment.
The negligent parties that contributed to the crash are responsible for compensating all the losses that a truck accident survivor suffered. If several parties contributed to the wreck, but one of them is more than 50 percent responsible, Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 33.003 allows an injured person to collect 100 percent of their damages from that party.
Economic Damages
The negligent parties must pay for all reasonably necessary medical treatment, including surgery, hospitalization, rehabilitation services, medical equipment, therapeutic drugs, and other incidental expenses. The negligent parties must reimburse the injured person’s lost wages and diminished opportunity to earn in the future.
Non-Economic Damages
The most devastating aspect of a severe injury is often the impact on the victim’s quality of life. Non-economic damages offer financial compensation for the loss of the injured person’s former lifestyle. These damages could include sums to acknowledge pain, emotional trauma, disability, disfigurement, lost ability to enjoy life, loss of companionship, and loss of consortium.
Rely on a Gulfton Truck Accident Attorney to Handle Your Claim
Being in a truck accident could change your life forever. A Gulfton truck accident lawyer could provide invaluable help in obtaining a settlement that allows you to move forward and live the fullest life possible after your injury. Call us today to schedule a free consultation.
