Commercial Vehicle Accident Lawyer

Commercial vehicles can include garbage trucks, cement trucks, semi-trucks, utility vans, delivery vans and trucks, buses, limos, and taxis. If you have been injured in an accident involving a commercial vehicle, you need the help of a commercial vehicle accident lawyer Texas. An experienced attorney will have the resources and skills to go head-to-head with insurance companies and the company’s legal team or commercial carrier, on your behalf.

Who Should Be Held Liable?

Commercial companies and commercial carriers may be held liable for economic and non-economic damages caused by the driver. The medical bills associated with this type of accident can be enormous, as can the cost of pain and suffering, lost wages, and other types of life-changing damages.

Some commercial vehicle drivers, such as truck drivers, drive vehicles that are insured in the millions.

In this type of case, multiple parties can be held responsible for the driver’s negligence. A lawyer will identify the different lines of insurance, which can be a complex process. A truck and the trailer are usually insured by different companies with both possibly guilty of negligence.

An attorney will hire expert witnesses and investigators to identify all of the parties responsible and hold them accountable.

How a Lawyer Proves Fault

A lawyer will begin their investigation by gathering records that are related to your claim. This can include insurance policy information, medical bills, and medical records. These documents can help a lawyer understand the extent of the victim’s injuries and can help them build a case for compensation.

An attorney and their legal staff will also search for other available evidence. They may look at police records and security camera footage and speak to any witnesses.

Negotiations

A lawyer will negotiate with the defense, outside of the courtroom. The purpose of these negotiations is to get a fair settlement for the accident victim, without a costly trial. However, if the negotiations are not successful, a lawyer will be prepared to go to court and present the case in the strongest possible form.

Leading Causes of Commercial Vehicle Accident

Learning what caused the accident can help a lawyer determine which parties should be held liable for compensation.

Fatigued Driver

Driver error is one of the leading causes of commercial vehicle accidents. Long-haul truck drivers often drive fatigued to reach mileage goals that have been set by their employer.

Lack of Maintenance

Trucks and other types of commercial vehicles are typically driven thousands of miles every week. If these vehicles are not cared for properly, they can be very dangerous on the road. A cracked windshield or worn brake pads on a commercial vehicle can lead to a major traffic accident.

Defective parts on a commercial vehicle may not be the driver’s fault, but this type of situation can quickly turn deadly.

An attorney will be able to determine if a manufacturer or employer should be held liable for an accident, in addition to the driver.

Improperly Loaded Cargo

Loading a trailer must be done carefully, to prevent the cargo from shifting during transport. Cargo that’s loaded incorrectly can shift or spill out onto the road. If it’s determined that the loading company did not load the vehicle’s cargo correctly, then they can also be held liable for the accident.

Why Commercial Accidents are Different from Passenger Vehicle Accidents

A commercial truck can weigh over 70,000 pounds, which is twenty times the weight of your average passenger vehicle. Some regulations exist that ensure a commercial vehicle driver doesn’t drive more than fourteen consecutive hours per shift, however, the financial incentives available for traveling long distances faster can directly impact the safety of other drivers.

Large Insurance Policies

Some commercial vehicles have insurance policies that are fifty times larger than a passenger car accident policy. This equals a total value in the millions of dollars, which is why insurance carriers that are named in a suit do everything in their power to prove the driver was not liable. An experienced insurance adjuster will be called in to use tactics meant to get the victim to say something that can be detrimental to their case. They will also offer a payout that may seem large but considering the extent of injuries the majority of victims sustain in this type of serious accident, it’s not enough to cover all past, present, and future medical expenses.

Injuries

The injuries that are common in passenger vehicle accidents are far more severe in a commercial vehicle accident and can include extensive medical care and costs. From fractured bones to the loss of limbs or brain trauma, the injuries that occur in this type of accident are often life changing.

Additionally, the length of time spent in a hospital is often much longer than passenger vehicle accident-related injuries. A victim of a truck accident will not be able to return to work for weeks or months, if at all. An attorney who specializes in these types of accidents can accurately calculate the victim’s current and future medical costs and pain and suffering to obtain the compensation the accident victim deserves.

Contact a Commercial Vehicle Accident Attorney in Texas Today

Commercial vehicles such as trucks, buses, and utility vans, have strict safety regulations for good reasons-because their weight, size, and activities make them the most dangerous vehicles on the road. Often, accidents that involve passenger cars and commercial vehicles have catastrophic results.

The dedicated legal team at the Ben Dominguez Law Firm understands how devastating these accidents can be. Their team of experienced commercial vehicle lawyers Texas has the commitment, knowledge, and skills to tirelessly fight for their clients to win compensation. These lawyers also have decades of experience and know exactly what strategies to use during negotiations or in the courtroom. To learn how we can help, contact the firm today to schedule a consultation.