Who Pays Me for My Texas Truck Accident Injuries?
Texas plays a significant role in the U.S. supply chain, with our shipping ports and freight routes handling a significant percentage of the nation’s goods. While Americans rely on tractor-trailers to transport goods, large trucks are capable of causing catastrophic injuries and property damage when they cause crashes. Preliminary 2023 data from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration reports 19,531 truck crashes in Texas, responsible for 11,386 injuries and 764 fatalities.
If a truck crash injures you, who is liable for paying compensation? How do you know if you qualify to file a claim? The skilled lawyers at Burress Injury Law must investigate your accident to answer those questions. Call us today for your free consultation to learn more.
How Is Fault Determined in Big Truck Accidents?
Before filing a compensation claim, you must establish how and why your commercial truck collision happened. Most personal injury claims start by filing an insurance claim against the at-fault party or parties, and no insurer will pay you without evidence of their policyholder’s wrongdoing. Common contributing factors in truck crashes include:
Determining fault in a commercial truck accident is a complex process that requires the expertise of qualified personal injury attorneys. Your legal team will thoroughly investigate the circumstances of the collision to uncover how and why it happened. This is an essential first step before pursuing compensation, as insurers will not pay without clear evidence of their policyholder’s negligence or wrongdoing.
Common contributing factors in truck accidents that your attorney may uncover include:
- Speeding and other negligent driving behaviors
- Driver fatigue
- Cargo shifts that cause drivers to lose control
- Tire blowouts
- Truckers being unable to see vehicles in their blind spots
- Motorists merging too closely in front of trucks
- Overweight cargo
- Distracted drivers
- Alcohol or drug impairment
By partnering with an experienced personal injury attorney, you can ensure that every potential cause is investigated, evidence is preserved, and fault is clearly established. This allows your attorney to build a strong case on your behalf and pursue the compensation you deserve.
Even if you are deemed to share part of the blame for causing the collision, in Texas, you can recover compensation from other at-fault parties if your degree of fault is 50 percent or less. The best way to determine whether you are eligible for compensation is to discuss your situation with Burress Injury Law.
Who Is Liable for Paying My Damages?
With commercial vehicles like large trucks, the driver is not the only potentially at-fault party. An investigation is often required to establish liability. Potentially at-fault parties for semi-trucks include:
- Drivers who can commit negligence
- Trucking companies that require drivers to work past hours-of-service regulations
- Cargo loaders who fail to balance or secure loads correctly
- Truck maintenance companies that fail to repair or replace worn parts and make other necessary repairs
- Parts manufacturers that produce defective tires
Government entities may also share liability if poorly maintained roads contributed to causing your truck crash. Lay people do not have the expertise to conduct thorough investigations and develop and preserve evidence. However, Burress Injury Law can properly protect your interests in this regard so that you can focus on healing.
What Damages Are Available for Truck Collisions?
Truck crashes typically produce severe injuries, such as traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, organ and soft tissue damage, broken bones, and extensive bruising. Injured victims often require extended time away from work to recover, meaning they are without income while medical bills continue to rise. The accident can also cause intangible losses, like pain and suffering, physical impairment, mental anguish, loss of consortium, and disfigurement.
There is no way to determine how much compensation you might obtain without evaluating your circumstances. However, you may collect damages for your medical costs, ongoing care, property damage, lost wages, and the intangible ways your accident impacted your quality of life. Damages for truck accidents are usually high, making liable insurance companies even more reluctant to pay. You can count on Burress Injury Law to effectively build the damages model in your case and fight to hold all responsible parties fully accountable, allowing you to recover the most money possible.
Call Our Dedicated McKinney, TX Truck Accident Lawyer
To achieve the best possible case result, you need an experienced lawyer from Burress Injury Law advocating for your best interests. Call us at 214-726-0016 today for your free consultation with one of our qualified Collin County, TX safety attorneys.