Our Truck Accident Attorney Discusses Fatal Semi Accidents

Commercial trucks in Texas log thousands of miles each year between industrial and commercial destinations. You’ll see thousands of these trucks on the roads and highways, carrying loads in all compass directions. Unfortunately, our firm also has seen in many instances where the stage is set for a fatal truck accident.

The vehicle drivers may be inexperienced, poorly trained, and compelled to meet unreasonable delivery schedules simply in the name of profits for the trucking firms. They are made to work with faulty equipment. They are given unreasonable deadlines and have to drive while tired. They weren’t properly vetted or they take substances that impair their driving. The commercial trucks were overloaded or improperly loaded.

Many times, these and other factors result in a commercial truck crashing with a passenger car. And sadly, few accidents involving commercial trucks and tractor-trailers result in minor injuries. Negligent operation of big rigs results in thousands of injuries and deaths each year, including neurological damage, disfigurement, decapitation, fires – ultimately this leads to hurt bodies, hurt families and hurt lives. This is because truck accidents are uniquely different from other types of vehicle accidents for the following reason. Accidents with commercial trucks usually cause serious injury or death – because of the impact involving heavy tonnage. In the United States our firm witnesses more than 500,000 truck accidents each year. Of these total truck accidents, a high number end in fatalities, with statistics putting the number of deaths due to truck accidents at about 5,000 each year. Fully 12 percent of all traffic fatalities in the United States are caused because of truck accidents, according to the NHTSA in Washington, D.C. Commercial truck accidents are especially dangerous.

While driving under the influence of alcohol plays a role in some fatal truck accidents like the ones our firm sees so many times, alcohol only plays a role in about 1% of all fatal truck accidents. Vehicle driver fatigue, however, plays an important role in fatal truck accidents. Commercial vehicle drivers driving without getting enough rest and the required amount of sleep, NHTSA reports, caused fully more than one in three of all fatal truck accidents. Almost invariably commercial truck accidents result in death for those in cars as opposed to the vehicle driver. In such truck accidents, an alarming 98% of the time, the passengers or driver in the other vehicle is killed as opposed to anyone in the truck. Nationwide, there were 58,512 fatal auto crashes in one year alone, of which 4669 were of fatal truck accidents. This is more dangerous in smaller towns than in big cities like Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio.

Our firm is telling you this because this should show you that your loss was probably preventable, and that action has to be taken to make sure that drivers and trucking firms are held accountable when they act negligently or flout federal regulations designed for safety on the highway. Our firm knows you’re here because a family member has been the victim of a fatal truck accident and you’re seeking answers. You’re hurt, angry, depressed and you’ve been assaulted emotionally and financially.

Our fatal truck accident attorneys know your anguish and our team has twenty years of experience stepping in to take the load off you. Our knowledgeable fatal truck accident attorneys are ready to step in to help you seek justice for having you’re loved one taken from you and to seek some just relief from the monetary burden of your loss. Telephone our Law Office for a free consultation and our firm will listen to your story. Our firm will answer your questions and explain your rights as you try to cope with these hard of times. More on this website

Why You Need To Hire An Attorney To Protect You

As our firm has discussed, there are many different forms of carelessness that could lead to a fatal truck accident such as driving under the influence, reckless driving, speeding, running a red light or stop sign, falling asleep at the wheel, failing to load cargo properly, and failing to repair or maintain the truck.

Did You Know?
Our Texas attorneys have won hundreds of 18-wheeler accident cases. Call us today to discuss your case.

To build an effective lawsuit, the first thing you should do is call a knowledgeable fatal truck accident lawyer. The last thing you want to do is talk with the responsible party’s insurance representative about your accident. The insurance adjuster for the insurance carrier, whose job is to minimize the amount of money the responsible party may have to pay as a result of the wreck, is looking for ways to shift the blame to you or someone else. Statements given shortly after the collision many times are not complete due to the stress of the injuries or death that occurred. Later when asked the same questions under less stress, many times more details are given which creates the impression of inconsistency and may lead to suspicion or doubt about your recollection. Do not provide any statements to the responsible party’s insurance adjuster, even if they suggest you do so. You should not sign any statement or release that would permit them access to your health care or employment records before you consult with a lawyer.

Most insurance carriers will hire attorneys or have them on staff and they will start to work on defending the lawsuit right away. Time is of the essence. To protect you, the scene must be secured. Photographs and witness statements must be taken as soon after the accident as possible so that important pieces of physical evidence are not lost, misplaced, or worse purposely destroyed.

Self-Representation is Not a Smart Idea

Even if your lawsuit looks open and shut, it is a bad idea not to have a professional evaluate your lawsuit. Even attorneys who handle normal auto accident claims aren’t prepared for the complexity and high stakes of a fatal truck accident. No trucking firm or insurance firm, no matter how black and white the facts are, will rollover. This is true even if you have multiple cameras that record every step that led to the fatal accident and a vehicle driver who, after the accident, is arrested and tested with .20 blood alcohol and signs a confession to the police. Our firm has seldom if ever, heard of a non-attorney taking a wrongful death lawsuit to successful completion and this is not a chance you should take. Even if you don’t hire our office, our firm urges you to engage a lawyer because you are at your most vulnerable and you need someone on your side. Your own monetary future, as well as that of your family, could be at stake here and you don’t want to undermine your own quest for justice and compensation.