Establishing Who is at Fault in a Truck Accident Case
Each truck accident case is unique and presents its own set of circumstances. As such, truck accident victims should consult an experienced legal team at the earliest opportunity. Qualified truck accident attorneys have the expertise required to assess all the details of a truck accident case to accurately determine which party or parties should be held liable.
Many truck accidents have straightforward circumstances that make determining liability easy to do. For example, many truck accidents are caused by distracted driving on the part of the truck driver. Distracted driving cases may involve things like texting & driving, speaking on the phone & driving, or eating & driving. A distracted truck driver may speed, ignore road and traffic signals, or drive dangerously. In these circumstances, some or all blame is likely to fall squarely on the shoulders of the truck driver.
Similarly, Texas truck accidents are often caused by drunk driving or driving under the influence. When a driver has been drinking and driving or driving under the influence, they are more likely to drive in an unsafe manner, fall asleep at the wheel, or miss important traffic signals. In these circumstances, the decision to drive under the influence makes for a relatively straightforward case and leaves truck drivers facing both criminal and civil consequences for their actions.
Some truck accident cases, however, may have more complicated circumstances and causes. This can sometimes lead to a murky line of determining liability. In these situations, more than one party may be at fault. For example, truck accidents are frequently caused by overloaded vehicles. An overloaded truck is difficult to control and can lead to serious accidents. While truck drivers are often held liable for these accidents, trucking companies may also be at fault.
Similarly, when a truck accident occurs due to improper or irregular vehicle maintenance, more than one party may be at fault. It is the responsibility of both truck drivers and trucking companies to ensure prompt and proper truck maintenance.
Finally, truck accidents are sometimes caused by faulty equipment. In these circumstances, liability may be extended beyond truck drivers and trucking companies to include manufacturers as well.
Often, truck accidents are caused by a combination of straightforward and less straightforward circumstances, making it difficult to determine who is at fault. Additionally, the different parties involved will sometimes try to shift the blame onto the other parties. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance that truck accident victims work closely with an experienced legal team to ensure that justice is served.
Let Us Help You
Our lawyers have a successful track record of serving truck accident victims compassionately and effectively. While we cannot go back in time and prevent a truck accident from occurring, we can and will fight for your rights to maximum compensation.
Navigating the legal system can be a complex affair and we want to help. Our process is designed to help victims get everything that they rightfully deserve. This begins with a free and detailed consultation to help our team understand the unique circumstances of your truck accident case. This consultation will be transparent and conducted with the utmost integrity to help you understand next steps and the likelihood of winning your case. Our team has excellent experience in gathering as much supporting evidence as possible to help build a strong case. Evidence in truck accident cases can include things like police reports, medical reports, eyewitness testimony, expert testimony, and photographs, or videos. After we have built a strong case, we will work to negotiate with the legal team for the defense. Whenever possible, we will work hard to arrive at a fair settlement that accurately reflects the pain, suffering, and trauma that you have endured. If a settlement is not possible, however, we will take your case to court and fight for your rights as we have throughout this entire process.
The Massive Impact of a Truck Accident
Truck accidents are often serious and cause immense pain and suffering to victims. Any accident that involves a truck is more likely to cause serious injury or death than accidents involving only cars. Truck accidents can be debilitating to survivors physically, emotionally, and financially. The power of these large vehicles means that truck accidents have significant potential for fatalities, which leaves family members devastated and forever changed.
When victims do survive, they often must deal with terrible, life-changing injuries. Beyond broken bones, fractures, cuts, and contusions, truck accident victims often suffer brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and internal bleeding. The more serious physical injuries resulting from a truck accident can leave survivors paralyzed or in chronic pain. Often, truck accident victims need costly medical interventions including surgeries, rehabilitation, and home care. Truck accident survivors also face severe emotional distress, mental anguish, and sometimes suffer from PTSD.
Laws to Understand
The federal government has enacted many laws to help keep roads safe from powerful vehicles like trucks. In addition, the state of Texas has put into place its own laws intended to protect motorists and pedestrians from trucks.
These federal and state laws outline important criteria and standards for truck drivers and trucking companies to follow. These include things like ensuring that drivers obtain special commercial licenses prior to operating a truck and that they check-in regularly at weighing stations during a trip. Strict regulations around vehicle maintenance and repairs have also been put into place. These measures are intended to catch and prevent issues before accidents occur. Additionally, trucking companies must face regular compliance reviews to ensure that safety standards are being met.
While these laws and regulations are designed to keep our roads safe, the sad reality is that truck accidents are still common occurrences. Unfortunately, after a truck accident occurs, sometimes the only recourse that victims have is to consult an attorney and file a truck accident lawsuit.
Your Next Steps
You must secure the assistance of a qualified attorney to help you in your fight for justice. Our legal team offers 100% free consultations to help you determine appropriate next actions. We urge you to reach out to us for help in analyzing, fighting, and settling your truck accident case today. You have suffered through enough; let us be your advocates from here on out.
More Information
Some location-specific truck accident content can be found in the links below: