Garbage trucks spend most of their time in residential neighborhoods. This is why they pose such a threat to regular passenger cars, pedestrians, and cyclists in crosswalks, sidewalks, and driveways. Their huge size and significant lack of maneuverability pose serious safety concerns.
Adding that negligence or carelessness on the driver’s part, the probability of injuries and possibilities of death increases dramatically. If you or a loved one were injured in a truck accident, you should immediately seek legal help from an Arlington truck accident lawyer from
The Texas Law Dog with decades of combined trial experience. A knowledgeable Arlington garbage truck accident lawyer could help you seek compensation for your damages.
How a Garbage Truck Collision Could Occur
Not all garbage trucks are equipped with backup cameras, making it difficult for drivers to see what’s behind them when backing up. That is concerning, considering trash trucks in residential neighborhoods that pass through the streets where kids play.
So, it is already hard to see cars, but small children are completely invisible to garbage trucks without a backup camera.
Truck Imbalance
Trash trucks may also be more likely to roll over, as they are enormously top-heavy, which can make them difficult to balance. Depending on the type of cargo and what the truck’s hauling, the trash truck could also be an increased fire risk due to improperly disposing of hazardous or flammable materials.
If you were injured in a rollover accident, you should consult with an Arlington personal injury lawyer from The Texas Law Dog to advocate for your right to compensation due to injuries, pain and suffering, loss of earning potential, and more.
Dangerous Weather Collision
Motorists are expected to drive carefully in dangerous weather conditions. However, since garbage trucks often have more trouble slowing down due to the heavy loads, especially in inclement weather, the risk of catastrophic injuries are high. If the garbage truck driver failed to drive as safely as possible, given the weather conditions, you may have grounds for a legal claim.
Poor Vehicle Maintenance
Crashes also result from poor vehicle maintenance. Daily maintenance is important for the safe operation of a motor vehicle, including garbage trucks. And while they are maintained by private companies in our area, some aspects of that are left up to the driver to look after.
It is always a responsibility that the truck be kept in a good, safe, and operable condition. If a garbage truck’s poor maintenance was a factor that led to an accident, such as failing brakes, an Arlington garbage truck accident attorney can leverage this fact in your case. Our investigation will determine the truth.
Falling Debris and Equipment
Garbage trucks hauling trash to landfills can scatter debris at high speeds if the truck is overfilled or the load is not properly secured. These falling articles of debris can cause serious accidents when encountered at high speeds. By contacting a garbage truck accident lawyer in Arlington, you can hold the parties responsible for fallen debris or equipment that caused your accident.
What is Driver Negligence?
Driver negligence contributes to a number of these garbage truck accidents because, on the roadways, the drivers may be fatigued, impaired, inattentive, speeding, or distracted.
The driver may neglect to signal to back up without adequate warning, speed, drive on the wrong side of the road, pull out in front of someone without looking, or fail to brake for traffic. If you were involved in a garbage truck accident due to driver negligence, call a garbage truck accident attorney in Arlington today.
For a free legal consultation, call (817) 775-5364
The Garbage Truck Accident Claims Process
You may initially feel hesitant about moving forward with your garbage truck accident claim, but once you do, you are more likely to feel empowered as you take back control of your life. Understanding how the claims process unfolds is the first step. Here is a general overview of how the claims process works:
- Investigating the accident – We start by investigating how the garbage truck accident happened. We will look for compelling supporting evidence, such as witness testimony, video of the collision, photos from the accident scene, and reports from our accident reconstructionists.
- Identifying liability – Throughout the course of our investigation, we should be able to determine who is responsible for causing your garbage truck accident. This could be the garbage truck driver, the garbage truck company, the owner of the garbage truck, or even government agencies or municipalities.
- Quantifying damages – We need to determine how much compensation you should be awarded. We must carefully evaluate your economic and non-economic damages to ensure we have accounted for every loss.
- Dealing with the insurance company – We will most likely have the opportunity to file a claim with the insurance company. The insurer should provide you with compensation for a portion of your damages as described in the at-fault party’s insurance policy.
- Bringing your case to trial – If the liable party does not have enough insurance coverage or is uninsured, your case may need to go to trial. Fortunately, you will not face the same restrictions that come with an insurance claim filing when your case goes to court.
Keep in mind that every case is different, so some people may be able to settle with the insurance company or liable party outside of court. In contrast, others would be better served by pursuing maximum compensation in court.
However, in either case, it is imperative that you get started on your claim as soon as possible, as the statute of limitations is already counting down. As described under Tex. Civ. Pract. & Proc. Code § 16.003, you generally have just two years to file your claim before the deadline expires.
Arlington Garbage Truck Accident Lawyer Near Me (817) 775-5364
Arlington Garbage Truck Accident Lawyer
If you were injured in a collision involving a garbage truck, call The Texas Law Dog now. Our Arlington garbage truck accident lawyer will investigate the cause of the accident and help you seek compensation.
Contact an Arlington catastrophic injury lawyer at our firm today for a free consultation to discuss your legal rights and options.
Call (817) 775-5364 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
