Southlake Truck Accidents Involving Icy Roads
Icy roads are treacherous, especially in areas like Southlake, where drivers may not be used to driving in icy conditions. When accidents happen in poor weather conditions, determining who is at fault can be challenging.
The stakes are heightened when one of the involved vehicles was a semi-truck, because truck accidents tend to cause more severe injuries, and trucking companies vigorously defend claims against them. You need a capable 18-wheeler crash attorney to ensure you receive full compensation for your losses.
When you are hurt in a Southlake truck accident involving icy roads, contact a local injury lawyer immediately. They can investigate the wreck, determine whether negligence contributed to the incident, and work to help get you the maximum compensation available under the circumstances.
Proving Someone Was Negligent When the Weather Was Bad
People sometimes believe that dangerous weather conditions are an act of God and no one is responsible if an accident occurs on icy roads. Although nobody can control the weather, every driver can control how they respond to it. A driver is responsible for an accident if their poor judgment, carelessness, or lack of skill contributed to it.
Truck drivers must meet an especially high standard. They are negligent if they do not use the utmost care to prevent injuries to others on the roads. A trucking company could be liable for an icy road collision if any of the following apply:
- The driver’s skills are inadequate to handle the rig safely in bad weather
- Delivery schedules were not flexible enough to allow the driver to avoid the bad weather
- The vehicle was not properly maintained, and maintenance issues contributed to the wreck
- Pressure to meet an unreasonable delivery schedule caused the driver to miss rest breaks or exceed legal work hours
These are common causes of truck accidents, but a skilled legal professional could find the trucking company violated its obligation to use the utmost care in other respects.
Parties other than the truck driver and trucking company are often partially responsible for truck accidents on icy roads in Southlake. Potentially liable parties could include:
- Other drivers
- Vehicle manufacturers
- The local government where the accident occurred
- Road crew contractors hired to plow and salt or sand the roads
According to Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 33.003 each negligent party is proportionately responsible for an injured person’s damages.
Resolving a Bad Weather Truck Accident Claim
Many people handle car accident claims themselves without hiring a lawyer; however, when someone suffers a severe injury in a truck wreck, representation from an experienced accident attorney is crucial.
The trucking company and their insurer often arrive at the scene of a truck accident within hours. Their purpose is to find evidence that limits their liability for the crash. An injured person trying to settle a claim alone often faces aggressive attempts by the truck’s insurance company to shift blame for the crash onto others, even the victim themself.
A proactive legal professional could investigate the crash to gather evidence of negligence on the part of the trucking company and others. They then could engage the insurers in negotiations to help the injured party obtain a settlement that provides appropriate compensation for their losses. If the responsible parties do not make an adequate offer, bringing a lawsuit can force them to negotiate in good faith.
Compensation Available in Semi-Truck Crash Cases Involving Icy Roads
When someone suffers losses due to another party’s negligence, the law allows the injured person to seek compensation. In most cases, the insurance company for the at-fault driver or other responsible party pays the injured person’s losses, also called their damages.
An injured person is entitled to reimbursement for their out-of-pocket losses. These include lost income, property damage, and medical expenses. When the person cannot return to work due to their injury, damages include their lost earning capacity. Similarly, for individuals who require ongoing medical treatment, damages will include a sum to cover their future medical costs.
Non-economic damages are payments to acknowledge the suffering the accident caused. An injured person could receive damages for their:
- Emotional trauma
- Physical pain
- Scarring
- Disability
- Other impacts on their quality of life
A Southlake attorney could discuss the effects of the injury with the accident victim and their family to determine how much they should claim in non-economic damages following a truck crash involving icy roads.
Get Help from a Southlake Attorney After a Truck Accident Caused by Icy Conditions
Truck accident injuries are often far more severe than injuries from accidents involving only passenger vehicles. For this reason and others, settling a tractor-trailer collision claim requires a skilled professional, especially when bad weather is a factor.
Contact a local injury lawyer when you are injured in a Southlake truck accident involving icy roads. They will use their knowledge and experience to help you receive appropriate compensation. Schedule a consultation today.