How Can a Lawyer Help You with a Heavy Vehicle Accident?
Heavy vehicles, such as trucks, cause most of the catastrophic accidents that occur on Texas highways. The interstate highways running across Texas, such as Interstate-10, are known for accidents caused by large trucks that travel in the thousands along these highways. They cause damage to property, injuries to the involved, and even fatalities, which leads to hundreds of personal injury cases each year against the trucking companies. Victims are forced to fight against these companies and the insurance providers, who become defensive; hence, hiring the best Texas truck accident lawyer is advised.
It is important to hire the best attorney to protect the victim’s rights and ensure fair compensation, but before hiring a lawyer, it is crucial to understand the subtleties of a heavy vehicle accident.
Understand the accidents
Accidents with trucks can happen for several reasons, such as overloading, driver error, and bad road conditions, but the most relevant factor for such accidents is the difference in size and weight between a fully loaded truck and a passenger vehicle. This substantial difference in weight and size means that if a collision occurs between the two, the results will be devastating, causing not only damage but also severe injuries.
Reasons for accidents
- Driving error:
Many times, the accident is caused by the negligence and fault of the driver, such as drunk driving, sleepy driving, performance error, etc.
- Speeding:
Sometimes, speeding passenger cars lead to accidents, as it is difficult for trucks to stop in time to avoid collisions. Moreover, this can also lead to more damage due to its weight and size.
- Poorly secured cargo:
Poorly secured cargo can sometimes move from its place and create a weight imbalance, causing accidents.
- Bad weather:
Adverse weather, such as heavy rain, snow, or fog, makes driving dangerous. It causes difficulty in stopping in time and maneuvering problems, leading to accidents.
- Bad road conditions:
Bad roads are another major reason for truck accidents. This makes maneuvering the truck difficult, given its size and weight, and can lead to accidents.
- Poor vehicle maintenance:
As trucks are responsible for carrying heavy loads, they require regular maintenance before all trips. Cutting corners on maintenance or negligence and causing the trucks to break mid-transit and cause accidents.
- Faulty parts:
Defective parts and mechanical failure due to these parts while driving can also contribute to accidents.
Liable parties in a truck accident
- Truck driver:
Truckers are liable as their negligent driving could have caused accidents because of fatigue, distractedness, or speeding. They have strict restrictions on the number of hours they can drive, and failing to adhere to them makes them liable. They are also responsible for inspecting the truck and cargo loading to ensure that the truck is safe to be driven. If an accident occurs, they can be held responsible.
- The trucking company:
The carriers could be held responsible in the case they fail to hire and train their drivers. Sometimes, trucking companies try to save money by stretching the dollars on maintenance and inspections and forcing truck drivers to work over their mandated hours of service limits.
- The local government:
The local government and contractors are responsible for maintaining the roads to ensure that they are safe for driving and do not have any hazards that can cause accidents. If the roads are in poor condition and are responsible for the accident, then the local government could be held liable.
- Cargo owner:
When heavy cargo loaded in the trucks moves from its place due to not being secured properly, it imbalances the truck, causing it to lose its balance, leading to accidents.
- Maintenance company:
Trucks need regular maintenance, which is mostly provided by third-party maintenance companies. If an accident is caused by mechanical faults that occur during maintenance, then the company responsible may become liable for damages.
- Manufacturer of the truck:
If the accident is caused due to faulty parts and manufacturing defects, the manufacturer, along with the designers and distributors, can be held partly responsible.
Need to hire a lawyer
Truck accidents are complicated, and several parties are involved depending on the reasons. This creates unique challenges that need an experienced and skilled lawyer to deal with the legal aspects of your case.
There are other reasons why you must consider hiring the best Texas truck accident lawyer, such as:
- Involvement of multiple parties as defendants, such as truck drivers, manufacturers, carriers, cargo companies, etc.
- There can be multiple victims of the accident suffering severe damages and injuries that could be long-term or lead to permanent disability.
- Complications with insurance settlements can occur. Insurance companies are known to get aggressive and offer settlements that are well below your needs.
- Truck companies must follow strict federal regulations. Violation of these regulations can affect your case significantly, but it is hard to prove. Hiring the best Texas truck accident lawyer will help you prove such violations.
Conclusion
Truck accidents can be severe and cause serious damage and sometimes death. However, due to the involvement of several parties and legalities, it can become difficult, confusing, and frustrating to deal with. This is why you need the best Texas truck accident lawyer to help you with your unique circumstances.