Truck Accidents Caused by Unsafe Lane Changes in Southlake
Under Texas law, tractor-trailers traveling on local roads in the Lone Star State can stretch up to 59 feet long from the cab’s front bumper to the rear of the trailer attached to it. This means the average semi-truck is several times longer than the average commuter car and needs several times more space to safely merge onto highways, take exit ramps, and change traffic lanes—something which not every truck driver is responsible enough to take into account every time they make one of those maneuvers around other traffic.
Truck accidents caused by unsafe lane changes in Southlake can often serve as the basis for civil litigation if they result in a commuter car driver or passenger suffering a serious injury. That said, successfully building and pursuing this type of case can be more difficult than you might expect. You may have slim odds of achieving a successful resolution if you try to file without the support of a seasoned truck accident lawyer.
Do Unsafe Lane Changes Count as Negligence?
In addition to addressing how long tractor-trailers are allowed to be, Texas state law also specifies that all drivers operating any kind of vehicle must use their turn signal to alert nearby drivers before changing lanes or merging into traffic. Failing to signal properly in accordance with this law is treated as a moving violation. It can result in a traffic ticket, as well as other administrative sanctions, depending on the ticketed person’s history of other traffic convictions.
This is important to emphasize in the context of truck accidents caused by unsafe lane changes in Southlake because it means that changing lanes improperly qualifies as a “breach” of the duty all drivers have to obey traffic laws at all times behind the wheel. Proving that such a breach was the main and direct cause of an otherwise avoidable accident is the foundation on which virtually every successful truck accident lawsuit is built, as an experienced attorney could explain in further detail.
Building a Strong Civil Claim Around an Unsafe Lane Change Truck Crash
In some situations, proving that a truck driver directly caused an accident in Southlake by making an unsafe lane change is as simple as referencing the report produced by police officers who responded to the crash scene. If that report includes a citation issued against the truck driver for failing to signal properly before merging or switching lanes, that could be extremely compelling evidence to present to an insurance provider or civil court to illustrate that the truck driver in question was the person mainly at fault for causing the wreck.
Most of the time, though, it will be necessary when filing suit over this sort of incident to establish “negligence” through a wide variety of evidence from multiple sources beyond just a police report, including:
- Eyewitness testimony
- Data from a truck’s black box
- Dashboard/surveillance camera footage
- Input from accident reconstruction experts
Support from a dedicated legal professional can be vital to tracking down, preserving, and effectively using all available evidence related to a particular collision.
A Southlake Attorney Could Help File Suit Over a Truck Accident Caused by an Unsafe Lane Change
Any truck driver who does not signal a change of lanes or that they are about to merge into or out of the flow of traffic has acted irresponsibly to a degree, which could justify a civil lawsuit if their actions result in a crash. Just because you have standing to file a civil claim, though, does not guarantee you will get a favorable result from that claim through private settlement negotiations or a court trial, especially if you try to file all by yourself.
Help from a knowledgeable lawyer can make all the difference in how civil cases based on truck accidents caused by unsafe lane changes in Southlake play out. Call today to discuss your legal options.