Arlington Truck Accident Lawyer
A truck accident is not something that should be treated lightly. Truck accidents can be life altering and even life ending.
It’s physically impossible for a large truck weighing 80,000 pounds and traveling at 55 mph to stop as quickly as a smaller car, such as a Toyota Corolla that is carrying a driver and a passenger, especially if the road is wet. That 18-wheeler truck is far less maneuverable than the Toyota too, and it has large blind spots all around it. For this reason, and others, truck accidents can be very dangerous.
According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, every day, there are 11 fatal semi-trailer and commercial truck accidents. These truck accidents are responsible for the deaths of more than 4,000 people per year. Additionally, almost 100,000 people are injured in truck accidents each year.
The Arlington truck accident lawyers at Allbee Law Firm are committed to representing victims of serious injuries and the families of those who tragically perished in large truck and 18-wheeler crashes.
Common Causes Of Truck Accidents
Serious truck accidents mean big financial exposure for a truck insurer. They’ll often dispatch their own investigative team to a truck accident scene. The investigators might even arrive before the wreckage is even cleaned up. Since about 85 percent of all large truck accidents are caused by truck drivers, the investigators’ job is to try to shift some of the fault for the crash onto you. Shifting the fault to you will decrease the value of your injury and property damage claims. By working with an experienced Arlington truck accident lawyer, you can hold the driver and trucking company accountable for their negligence.
Some common causes of large truck accidents include:
- Distracted driving by texting or otherwise using a cellular device
- Drowsy or fatigued driving in violation of hours of service rules
- Following a vehicle ahead of the truck too closely
- Failing to obey red lights or traffic signs
- Excessive speed that significantly increases stopping distances
- Unsafe or improper lane changes
- Improper maintenance and equipment failure
- Improper loading or overloading of cargo
Trucking Company Liability
A careful investigation by a truck accident lawyer might reveal that a trucking company is partially or completely at fault for a truck accident. That trucking company can be included in any claim or lawsuit against the driver. The trucking company might have:
- Had an employer and employee relationship with the driver rather than a contractual relationship
- Hired or otherwise retained a driver with a history of unsafe driving and accidents
- Implemented policies that foster unsafe driving or violations of hours of service regulations
- Inadequately maintained their trucks and trailers
- Improperly loaded or overloaded trailers
Truck Accident Catastrophic Injuries
Given the gigantic size and weight of 18-wheelers, victims of large truck crashes often suffer injuries that are far more severe than they would experience in a crash involving two passenger vehicles. The American Medical Association (AMA) classifies an injury as being catastrophic if it includes a permanent brain or spinal cord injury, an amputation, paraplegia, quadriplegia or other injuries that result in 55 percent impairment under AMA criteria. Catastrophic injuries usually leave a victim suffering from permanent disabilities for the remainder of his or her life, and their life expectancy is often shortened.
Mike Allbee is a dedicated, compassionate and respected Arlington truck accident lawyer who can be instrumental in obtaining the compensation that catastrophic injury victims and their families deserve.
Other Injurries
Many Texas truck crash victims that retain the Allbee Law Firm are still injured and recovering. Some of the more common truck accident injuries include multiple fractures, dislocations, spinal disc displacement or herniations, rib fractures with internal organ damage, lacerations, contusions, and abrasions.
Talk with Texas truck accident lawyers at Allbee Law Firm about how you might receive compensation for your injuries. We’ll listen to you carefully, and then advise you of all of your options.
Damages
Every truck accident injury case is different, and the damages suffered by victims will vary depending on the nature and extent of their injuries. There are many factors to be considered when calculating an appropriate settlement sum after a major accident. Just some of the damages that are generally admissible into evidence in a Texas truck accident personal injury case include:
- Past medical bills in connection with the crash along with future medical bills reasonably expected to result from it
- Past lost earnings in connection with the crash along with earnings reasonably expected to be lost from it in the future
- Any permanent disfigurement or disability resulting from the accident
- Pain and suffering resulting from the wreck and pain and suffering reasonably expected to be experienced in the future
- Loss of a normal life
Medical Evidence Is Important In A Truck Accident Claim
After being involved in an accident, your top priority is seeking the appropriate medical attention. Even if you don’t believe you have been injured, it’s always a good idea to get the opinion of a licensed medical professional. Some injuries are not immediately apparent, but may start to manifest some time after the accident.
Medical evidence is crucial in personal injury matters. Your Arlington truck accident lawyer will use medical reports, magnetic resonance imaging, X-rays and other forms of medical evidence in support of your claim for compensation
What Is a Treatment Gap and How Does It Impact My Personal Injury Claim?
During personal injury settlement negotiations and lawsuits, several factors can affect the success of your claim. One major consideration is whether there is a significant period of time between the accident and the first visit to a doctor or hospital. This is known as a treatment gap. A treatment gap can also happen during the course of recovery if you miss follow-up appointments or fail to attend physiotherapy.
It’s important to seek medical attention as soon as possible after an accident, even if you do not immediately appear to be seriously injured.. While it’s understandable that you may need a day or two before visiting a doctor, a larger treatment gap can be detrimental to both your health and your personal injury case.
Wrongful Death Truck Accidents
You’re 10 times more likely to die in a crash involving an 18-wheeler than in a crash with a passenger vehicle. Only about six percent of the fatalities in large truck accidents are the truck drivers themselves. If your family member died as a result of a large truck crash, you’ll want to talk with Texas truck accident lawyer or wrongful death lawyer at our firm. We understand both the emotional and financial devastation that you and your family are experiencing.
Make sure that you talk with us sooner rather than later. Witnesses can vanish into thin air, and evidence can disappear or be disposed of. By talking to us sooner, you’re more likely to uncover the whole truth surrounding the crash rather than allowing the people responsible for your family’s loss sufficient time to hide it. Damages typically recoverable in Texas wrongful death cases include:
- Pecuniary losses like the loss of care, maintenance, support, services, and contributions from the decedent
- The loss of companionship and society that the decedent would have provided had he or she lived
- The emotional pain, suffering, and anguish caused by the loss of the decedent
- The loss of the value of the estate of the decedent had he or she lived until a natural death
Truck Accident Survival Actions
If a person survives a truck crash, even for just a few moments, a claim known as a survival action can be brought. It’s called a survival action because it allows the action to survive the decedent. Damages in a survival action would consist of:
- Medical bills in connection with the accident
- The decedent’s conscious pain and suffering before his or her death
- Funeral and burial expenses
Should I Give A Statement After My Truck Accident?
A representative from an opposing insurance company might contact you “just to see if you’re getting along any better now.” He or she might seem friendly enough, but then that individual will ask you to give a recorded statement about the circumstances surrounding the crash. Never give any kind of a statement to an opposing insurance company. Texas law doesn’t require you to give a statement, and we strongly recommend that you politely refuse to give any statement at all. That insurer will only try to use your own words against you in the future in an effort to attack your credibility.
Free Consultation With An Experienced Arlington Truck Accident Lawyer
Allbee Law Firm is a personal injury law firm serving Arlington and the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex. Our firm represents victims of serious truck accident injuries and the families of those who died in truck crashes throughout Texas.
You can contact our truck accident lawyers by email or by calling (817) 244-6453 to arrange for a free consultation and case evaluation. If you’re bedridden in a hospital, or you can’t leave your home, we’ll come visit you.
No legal fees are ever due unless Allbee Law Firm obtains a settlement or verdict for you. There’s no reason not to contact the Allbee Law Firm about any Texas truck accident.
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