A minor car accident can be an inconvenience, but a truck accident can cause significant injury or loss of life. If you have sustained injuries because of a negligent truck driver, you may be eligible to pursue compensation.
Recovering from something so devastating can be time-consuming, expensive, and painful. You should not have to bear those costs alone without a Houston truck accident lawyer fighting to hold the liable parties, such as trucking companies, accountable.
Our Houston personal injury lawyers at Lowe Law have decades of combined experience advocating for our clients in the courtroom and in settlement negotiations. Call us for a free consultation.
How a Houston Truck Accident Lawyer Supports Your Case
Truck accidents are complicated legal matters that often involve multiple legal and factual issues and, in some situations, may involve multiple parties.
- Gather evidence of what happened: Our investigators will find out what really happened in your accident, including all the causes. They will look at black box data, camera footage, maintenance logs, and more.
- Determine all parties at fault: We then gather all data to determine who is at fault. That could be just truck drivers, but it may also include the trucking companies, cargo loaders, or others. If there are violations of the federal hours of service or maintenance records, we will know who to blame.
- Calculate all of your losses: We will look at your physical, emotional, and financial losses and build a strong, evidence-based claim to fight for recovery.
- Negotiate with insurance companies: Our lawyers handle all negotiations with insurance companies, advocating for fair settlements and pushing back against attempts to undervalue claims.
- Going to court when necessary: We have extensive experience fighting for our clients through these complex accident claims and hearings.
When you hire an experienced lawyer from our firm, you get support throughout the process, with a professional who understands the law, Texas deadlines for personal injury lawsuits, and federal regulations. Along with personal injury claims, our lawyers also handle wrongful death cases involving commercial trucks and similar vehicles.
Types of Truck Accidents
Truck accidents can occur in a variety of ways, often resulting in severe damage and serious injuries due to the size and weight of commercial vehicles. Our truck accident attorneys in Houston handle various types of accident claims, including:
- Rear-end collisions: A truck strikes a vehicle from behind, often due to long stopping distances or distracted driving.
- Jackknife accidents: The trailer swings out at an angle from the cab, usually caused by sudden braking or slippery roads.
- Rollover accidents: A truck tips onto its side due to sharp turns, overcorrection, or unbalanced cargo.
- Underride accidents: A smaller vehicle slides under a truck trailer, often resulting in severe or fatal injuries.
- Wide turn accidents: A truck misjudges the turning space and collides with nearby vehicles or pedestrians.
- Blind spot accidents: A vehicle is hit while traveling in a truck’s large blind spots during lane changes.
- Lost load accidents: Unsecured cargo falls or shifts, creating dangerous roadway hazards or spilling hazardous materials; common with tanker trucks.
- Head-on collisions: A truck enters oncoming traffic, often due to fatigue, distraction, or impairment.
Trucking companies are responsible for taking measures to prevent accidents, and they may be either directly liable or vicariously liable for these types of collisions.
What to Do After a Truck Accident
Our Houston truck accident attorneys recommend taking the following steps after a truck accident:
- Call 911: The state of Texas requires a police report for any accident resulting in over $1,000 worth of property damage or the injury or death of a person.
- Seek medical evaluation: Certain injuries, such as whiplash and internal bleeding, may not be immediately evident, so it’s important to seek care right away.
- Take photos of the accident scene: Photos can be invaluable evidence in your case. If possible, take photographs of the scene, including any vehicles, damaged property, and injuries.
- Consult a truck accident lawyer: When you contact a lawyer immediately, they can take quick steps to save or recover evidence that may otherwise be discarded.
The sooner a Houston personal injury attorney is involved, the sooner you have someone who can step in by taking over communications and negotiations. This can allow you to focus on your recovery from day one.
Common Houston Truck Accident Injuries
The size and mass difference between commercial and personal vehicles means truck accidents can cause devastating injuries. The injuries caused by commercial trucks can vary from minor to fatal. Some of the more commonly seen injuries include:
- Crush injuries
- Broken bones
- Internal bleeding
- Traumatic brain injury
- Whiplash
- Spinal cord injuries
- Death
Physical injuries are common, but the emotional effects of accidents related to commercial trucks and larger vehicles like them can be just as severe.
Who Can Be Held Liable for Truck Accident Injuries?
Determining liability in a truck accident is often more complex than in a standard car crash because multiple parties may share responsibility. Depending on the circumstances, such as if commercial trucks were involved, several individuals or entities could be held legally liable, including:
- The truck driver: A truck driver may be responsible if the crash was caused by speeding, distracted driving, driver fatigue, impairment, or violating federal trucking regulations set by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
- The trucking company (carrier): Commercial trucking companies can be liable for negligent hiring, inadequate training, pushing drivers to meet unsafe deadlines, or failing to maintain proper safety standards. Trucking companies are also vicariously liable for accidents resulting from truck driver negligence.
- Cargo loaders or shipping companies: If improperly loaded or unsecured cargo contributes to the accident, the company responsible for loading may share liability.
- Truck or parts manufacturers: Defective components such as brakes, tires, or steering systems can make manufacturers or parts suppliers responsible under product liability laws.
- Maintenance contractors: Third-party maintenance providers hired by trucking companies may be liable if poor repairs or missed safety issues contributed to mechanical failure.
- Other drivers: In some cases, another motorist may have caused the truck driver to react unsafely, contributing to or triggering the crash.
In many truck accident cases, liability is shared among multiple parties, usually between the trucking companies, truck drivers, and other drivers, which is why a thorough investigation is often necessary to identify all responsible parties and pursue compensation, based on the details of the case.
Potential Compensation Available After a Truck Accident
When you work with a Lowe Law truck accident attorney, we can discuss the specifics of your case and determine if you are eligible to recover compensation for your losses. Some of the more common types of compensation we may recover include:
- Medical bills (past and future)
- Lost wages from missed work
- Loss of earning capacity
- Loss of consortium
- Pain and suffering
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Property damage
- Punitive damages
For all types of damages, our legal team can gather evidence to document what those losses are and their severity based on how they will impact your future. With the help of our truck accident attorney in Houston, you can seek fair compensation.
Do I Need a Lawyer for a Truck Accident Personal Injury Case?
Truck accident cases are often challenging because of the severe injuries involved and the multiple parties that could be held responsible. When commercial trucks are involved, trucking companies usually have corporate insurance companies and teams of defense attorneys ready to protect their interests.
Trucking companies and their legal teams often begin working immediately to reduce their liability, which can make it difficult to file a claim or hold the right parties accountable. An attorney can help by gathering evidence, such as black box data, maintenance logs, and driver records, to determine the cause of the accident.
They can also investigate whether potential violations of federal safety regulations, vehicle maintenance issues, or negligence by the truck driver played a role in your accident-related injuries. Working with a Houston truck collision lawyer gives you a better chance of fighting back against efforts to minimize your payout or outright deny your claim.
How Soon Should I Contact a Houston Truck Accident Attorney?
Trucking companies and their insurance companies have rapid-response teams working to protect their interests immediately after an accident, which puts you at a disadvantage if you delay seeking legal help.
It’s better to reach out to our truck collision attorney as soon as possible so we can begin our investigation, which may include issuing demand letters or subpoenas for necessary, time-sensitive evidence.
You also have a limited time to file a lawsuit, so the sooner you begin the legal process, the better we can protect your right to take legal action against the liable parties.
Statute of Limitations in Texas
Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code § 16.003(a) states that you generally have two years from the date of the accident to file a lawsuit seeking damages. For wrongful death cases, Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code § 16.003(b) also establishes a two-year limit, which begins on the date of the victim’s passing. Missing these deadlines will likely result in the court dismissing your case.
However, this time limit may be shorter or longer, depending on the details of your case. For example, cases involving government entities can have shorter filing deadlines. Another reason to get started on your case sooner is the fact that many cases begin with an insurance claim, but entering settlement negotiations does not stall your deadline for filing a lawsuit.
Our Houston truck crash lawyers are prepared to file your case within the applicable deadlines to preserve your rights to seek fair compensation.
No Upfront Fees to Get Started
You do not need to save up money over a long period of time to hire an attorney. The attorneys at Lowe Law work on a contingency fee basis. This means you won’t pay any upfront fees to begin your case. Instead, we only get paid if we recover compensation for you.
By contacting our Houston truck crash lawyers as soon as possible, we can begin fighting for compensation without adding any more financial risk to your situation. Prompt action puts you in the strongest position to seek the compensation you deserve.
Call Our Truck Accident Law Firm in Houston Today
If you have been injured in a truck accident, you may be confused, overwhelmed, and uncertain about what to do next, especially if you are recovering from injuries.
You deserve to have someone on your side fighting for your right to recover damages. When you call Lowe Law, we’re on your side. Don’t take a chance on your future by trying to handle your case alone.
Contact us today to access a free case consultation. Our team works on a contingency fee basis, meaning you don’t owe us anything until we recover compensation.
