Were you or a loved one involved in a crash with a truck? Accidents involving 18-wheelers, delivery trucks, or other large commercial vehicles are often catastrophic, leaving behind serious injuries, totaled vehicles, and unanswered questions.
These crashes can change lives in seconds, especially when caused by negligent truck drivers. While the aftermath of a truck crash can feel overwhelming, you don’t have to face it on your own. A Texas truck accident lawyer can help you protect your rights and pursue compensation.
At The Texas Law Dog, we don’t just bark; we bite if that’s what it takes to get results for injury victims across the Lone Star State. Founded in 2018, we have years of experience focusing on helping victims like you in our shared backyard. Our Texas personal injury lawyers are ready and willing to help.
Why Hire a Truck Accident Lawyer in Texas?
Hiring a personal injury attorney after your trucking accident can improve your chances of recovering full compensation.
- Our team addresses all of your legal concerns after a crash. You can rely on us to:
- Answer all of your legal questions quickly and clearly
- Explain the steps you need to take after an accident
- Gather evidence to build your legal claim
- Handle all communication with insurance representatives and the at-fault party
- Focus on settlement negotiations
- Assist with a personal injury lawsuit when necessary
We’re ready to put our experience to work for you. Contact us now so we can focus on bringing you funds to cover your medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering, and other losses.
The Cost of Hiring a Trucking Crash Attorney
How much do truck accident lawyers charge in Texas? Typically, attorneys who handle truck crash claims work on a contingency basis, so their fees vary from case to case.
Our team will receive a percentage of your final financial award as payment for our legal fees, so our final payment depends on how much money you get from the liable party.
Finding the Right Lawyer for Your Truck Crash Claim
Wondering how to choose a truck accident lawyer? Picking the right attorney matters because your lawyer will play a pivotal role in ensuring you get maximum compensation for your losses after a collision.
In order to pick the right Texas truck accident attorney, make sure you look for a personal injury law firm with:
Experience Handling Cases Like Yours
You should select an attorney with experience taking on large trucking companies. These accident claims can become very complex, so it’s crucial that you have someone with the training and know-how necessary to handle them with confidence.
A Proven Record of Success
You should look for an attorney who has a record of successfully helping injury victims in your situation. You deserve help from a legal team that will fight to ensure you get maximum compensation for your losses.
A Readiness to Adapt to Your Needs
You need to work with a truck accident attorney in Texas who is willing to adapt to meet your specific needs after a trucking accident. Look for a lawyer who is willing to listen to you, carefully review your situation, and develop a strategy designed to address your concerns.
Texas Truck Accident Lawyer Near Me (817) 775-5364
Compensation for Trucking Accident Claims
A truck accident attorney in Texas can get to work fast to help you get fair compensation for your:
Medical Expenses
The party responsible for your collision may need to cover all of your medical bills. We understand that trucking accidents can result in catastrophic injuries and that you may need surgeries and other procedures to recover. Allow us to track all of your healthcare expenses.
Lost Income
We know that you may have to take a lot of time off work to recover after a trucking accident. We believe that the at-fault party should have to cover all of your lost wages, along with your reduced earning potential if the collision leaves you with a disability.
Pain and Suffering
Our team works tirelessly to ensure that our clients get fair compensation for their non-economic damages after a crash. These damages can include your emotional distress, mental suffering, and physical pain.
We’ll explain how much you can get out of pain and suffering following a trucking collision when you contact us for help.
Property Repairs
The liable party may also have to pay to repair or replace all property damaged in a crash. We focus on ensuring you get the money you need to fix your vehicle or any other personal property that took damage when a trucker hit you.
Will You Get Punitive Damages After a Truck Crash?
You may qualify for punitive damages after some truck collisions. Punitive damages serve as a way to punish the party responsible for your crash. The court may award these damages if the liable party acted in an especially reckless or dangerous way.
We can review your situation and give you more information about potentially qualifying for punitive damages.
Our Team Knows How to Handle Settlement Negotiations
In many cases, you can get the compensation you need after a trucking accident by allowing us to negotiate a settlement with the insurance company. We understand the tactics that work to handle these negotiations, and we’re fully ready to take over this process on your behalf.
The Value of Your Truck Crash Settlement
How much are most truck accident settlements? The value of settlements for trucking accident claims varies significantly based on the specifics of the crash. The compensation you receive will depend on the severity of your injuries and the extent of the damage done by the collision.
Our team will focus on the specific losses you sustained after a crash instead of looking at averages. We want to help you make a full financial recovery, so you can move forward with your life after a collision.
Be Cautious of the First Settlement Offer
Should you accept the first settlement offer after a trucking accident? Generally, our team recommends against taking the first offer made by the insurance company.
These companies want to protect their profits, and that usually means trying to undervalue the losses of injury victims, especially with their first offer.
Allow us to carefully review the terms of any agreements offered by the insurance company before you sign them to ensure that you get the funds you deserve.
Make Sure You Get a Good Settlement Offer
What’s a good settlement offer for a truck accident? We only consider offers that fully cover all of your losses, “good” offers. Our team will carefully go over any settlement deals made by the insurance company and compare them against the economic and non-economic damages you face as a result of the crash.
We’ll push back on subpar deals, negotiating for more funds on your behalf. If the insurance company refuses to negotiate fairly, we can discuss other options that can help you get fair compensation for your losses.
We Help You Identify Good Settlement Offers
What are the signs of a good settlement offer? Generally, a good settlement offer will address all the losses caused by your crash. Signs of this type of settlement could involve a clear acknowledgment of your expenses and information about the precise amount of compensation you’ll receive.
Our team can carefully go over the details of all settlement offers made by the insurance company to ensure that they fairly cover your losses before you sign any legal paperwork.
We’re Here to Help with Your Personal Injury Lawsuit
Sometimes, the insurance company will refuse to make a fair settlement offer after a truck crash. In this situation, you can count on our team to step in and handle litigation on your behalf.
We’re fully prepared to present your case in front of a judge and jury, working tirelessly to secure a verdict in your favor.
We’ll also explain the chances of winning a truck accident lawsuit when you turn to us for assistance.
Deciding Whether to Sue After a Trucking Crash
Is it worth suing after a truck accident? If the insurance company refuses to make you a fair offer after a crash, then it’s often worth it to file a personal injury lawsuit against the liable party.
Our team can assess your claim and help you determine whether to move forward with a lawsuit. We’ll go over all the available evidence and prepare you to go before a judge and jury to seek the compensation you deserve.
Timeline for Handling a Truck Accident Lawsuit
How long does a truck accident lawsuit take? Going through the process of filing a lawsuit against the at-fault party after a trucking accident can take a year or more. Generally, this process takes longer than going through settlement negotiations with the insurance company.
Why Choose Our Law Firm After a Truck Collision?
Our team at The Texas Law Dog believes in putting clients first, and we’re here to provide the steadfast support you deserve every step of the way when you’re dealing with the aftermath of a truck crash.
We communicate openly at every stage of the legal process and keep you up to date on the steps we’re taking to resolve your claim. We have the resources and training to stand up to big trucking companies and the insurance firms that represent them.
You can count on us to really listen to you and any concerns you have about your claim. We adjust our services to fit the needs of each client and never stop fighting to ensure you get the compensation you need to make a full financial recovery.
Common Causes of Truck Accidents in Texas
Truck accidents can stem from a wide range of factors involving the driver, the trucking company, the cargo, or road conditions.
Some of the most common reasons for trucking crashes include:
- Driver fatigue: Despite federal rules limiting driving hours, fatigue remains a top cause of truck accidents. Drivers may exceed hours-of-service limits to meet delivery deadlines or in response to pressure from their employers. Unfortunately, fatigue impairs reaction time and decision-making abilities.
- Speeding and aggressive driving: Trucks require more time and distance to stop. When truck drivers speed or follow too closely, they increase the risk of rear-end collisions, particularly in high-traffic situations or adverse weather conditions.
- Distracted driving: The use of cell phones, GPS devices, or in-cab systems can divert a driver’s attention away from the road. Even momentary distractions can have serious consequences at highway speeds. We’re ready to help with your distracted driving claim.
- Improperly loaded or secured cargo: Overloaded or unbalanced trailers can cause rollovers and jackknife accidents. Cargo that shifts or falls off the truck can also create road hazards for other drivers.
- Mechanical failures and poor maintenance: Tire blowouts, brake failure, steering problems, or lighting issues often result from poor maintenance. Trucking companies are legally required to inspect and maintain their vehicles regularly.
- Driver inexperience or improper training: Texas requires a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) to operate large trucks. Still, not all companies properly vet or train drivers before putting them behind the wheel of heavy equipment.
- Impaired driving: Although less common than in passenger vehicle crashes, drug or alcohol use by truck drivers can lead to devastating collisions. We’re here and ready to help after any collision caused by drunk driving.
Many of these issues point not just to driver error but to the systemic practices of the trucking companies themselves, which may create unsafe working conditions or fail to enforce safety policies.
We carefully investigate the specific causes of your truck crash so we can identify the at-fault party and gather evidence that backs up your claim. The sooner you contact us after your crash, the more evidence we’ll have a chance to collect on your behalf.
Types of Truck Accidents
Truck crashes take many forms, each with its own set of risks and legal implications. For instance, here are examples of common types of crashes involving trucks:
- Rear-end collisions: Due to the size and stopping distance of trucks, rear-end crashes can easily crush a smaller vehicle, causing severe injuries or death.
- Jackknife accidents: When the truck’s trailer swings out to the side and forms a 90-degree angle, it can block multiple lanes of traffic and cause multi-vehicle pileups.
- Rollover accidents: These occur when a truck flips onto its side, often due to making sharp turns, speeding, or shifting cargo. Rollovers are extremely dangerous for nearby vehicles.
- Underride collisions: In these crashes, a smaller car slides under the back or side of a trailer, often resulting in fatal head or neck injuries. Rear underride guards are required, though they might fail or be missing.
- Wide-turn accidents: Trucks making right turns may swing too wide and move into adjacent lanes, potentially crushing vehicles or forcing them off the road.
- Lost load incidents: Cargo that falls from a trailer due to improper securement can strike other vehicles or create obstacles in the road, leading to secondary collisions.
Each type of accident may involve different liable parties, such as the driver, the trucking company, the cargo loader, the maintenance provider, or the parts manufacturer. Your Texas truck accident lawyer can look into the details of your case and help you identify what caused the crash.
Determining Liability in Texas Truck Accidents
As your Texas truck accident attorneys, we will take responsibility for proving fault. Texas follows a modified comparative fault system under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 33.001, which means a party can recover damages only if they are less than 51% responsible for the crash.
The court will then reduce any compensation awarded by the injured person’s percentage of fault. Establishing liability in a truck accident often involves identifying multiple responsible parties, such as the following:
- The truck driver: This might apply if the driver was speeding, distracted, fatigued, or impaired at the time of the crash.
- The trucking company: Companies can be held liable for negligent hiring, training, supervising, or forcing drivers to violate HOS rules. They may also be liable under the legal doctrine of respondeat superior, which holds employers responsible for employees’ actions while they are on duty.
- The truck owner or leasing company: Some trucks are leased and maintained by third parties, who may bear responsibility for mechanical failures.
- Cargo loaders or shipping companies: If improperly loaded or secured cargo caused or contributed to the crash, cargo loaders or shipping companies could be found liable.
- Truck or parts manufacturers: These parties might be responsible if a defective tire, brake system, or other component failed and caused the accident.
Trucking companies often respond to crashes quickly, sometimes dispatching investigators to the scene before law enforcement arrives.
These businesses are often well-prepared to defend themselves and shift blame elsewhere, especially when the evidence is complicated or technical in nature. However, our truck accident lawyers in Texas know how to advocate on your behalf.
Time Limits on Truck Crash Claims
You have limited time to get the funds you deserve after a truck collision. Generally, Texas gives injury victims two years before the statute of limitations runs out on personal injury claims. However, the specific deadlines associated with your claim will vary based on your circumstances.
Our team will review your situation and give you precise information about how long you can wait to take action after a collision.
How Long Does it Take to Resolve a Truck Collision Claim?
The time it takes to fully resolve your claim after a trucking crash will vary. In many cases, the main consideration is the method we use to bring you compensation. Generally, it will take less time for us to resolve your claim if we negotiate a settlement instead of going through the court system.
We do everything possible to expedite the legal process when you turn to us for help. We want to minimize the time you have to wait to get compensation to cover all of your losses after a collision.
You can reach out now to allow us to begin the legal process.
Reach Out to Us After a Trucking Accident in Texas
If you or someone you love sustained injuries in a truck-related collision, you don’t have to go through the aftermath all on your own. These crashes often lead to devastating physical injuries, confusing insurance negotiations, and lasting emotional trauma—but you’re not alone in this fight.
Instead, reach out to The Texas Law Dog. Our truck accident attorneys in Texas have the experience and determination it takes to stand up to the at-fault parties and pursue the compensation you need. You’ve been through enough. Let us help you move forward.
Don’t wait to take action. The sooner you contact our Texas truck accident law firm, the sooner we can start building your case and demanding accountability from those responsible. Contact us today for your free case consultation.