While any traffic accident can be stressful, accidents involving large commercial trucks tend to be particularly overwhelming. Truck accident litigation can be significantly more complex than legal claims involving passenger vehicles.
Here’s a breakdown of how truck accident cases and car accident cases can differ, and why it’s often in your best interests to hire a truck accident attorney in Round Rock, TX, to help you fight for compensation.
Truck Accidents Cause More Catastrophic Trauma
Trucks are a lot longer and heavier than other vehicles on the road. A fully-loaded tractor-trailer or semi-truck can weigh up to 80,000 pounds and span 80 feet. In contrast, a midsize sedan weighs between 3,000 and 4,000 pounds. Even the largest SUVs only weigh about 6,000 pounds.
The larger and heavier the vehicle, the more difficult it can be to maneuver and the more force it gathers at it speeds along the road.
That’s why it’s common for truck accidents to cause catastrophic physical injuries, including:
- Spinal cord injuries
- Paralysis
- Nerve damage
- Amputation
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Crushing injuries
- Burn injuries
- Broken bones
- Chest injuries
- Internal organ damage
- Vision and hearing loss
- Soft tissue injuries
The more serious a victim’s injuries, the more they’ll have in medical expenses, the more they’re likely to be disabled and miss time at work, and the more they’ll experience a decline in their overall quality of life. In turn, the more money they’ll likely seek through a civil legal claim for damages.
The more money that’s at stake, the harder it can be to win compensation, especially when powerful trucking companies and insurance carriers are involved in litigation. A skilled Round Rock truck accident lawyer can level the playing field against these well-resourced defendants.
State and Federal Safety Regulations Have to Be Considered
Large trucks are operated commercially, so they’re held to higher standards. Trucking companies and their drivers have to comply with strict safety regulations established by the state of Texas and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
These safety regulations affect:
- Minimum driver hiring requirements
- Driver training requirements
- Truck maintenance and inspections
- Transporting hazardous materials
- Weight limits
- Cargo placement and securement
- Driver safety practices, including restrictions on drunk driving, drug use, and distracted driving
In the wake of a truck accident, it’s critical to determine if the truck driver or the trucking company knowingly or negligently violated any state or federal trucking regulations. Violations can be used as evidence of fault and leveraged to win a civil truck accident lawsuit.
An experienced truck accident lawyer will know exactly which regulations to investigate and how to use violations to strengthen your case.
Multiple Parties Can Share Responsibility For a Truck Accident
Cars are driven by individuals. In turn, a car accident claim usually involves a single motorist and their car insurance company. In some cases, other parties may also bear liability for a car accident.
Truck accidents are inherently more complicated, since several parties are involved in the vehicle’s logistics and operation. Liable parties in a truck accident case could involve a/an:
- Truck driver
- Trucking company
- Freight broker
- Owner of the truck’s cargo
- Vehicle mechanic
- Property owner
- Cargo loader
- Vehicle manufacturer
Under Texas state law, liability is shared proportionately to fault. The more someone bears responsibility for an accident involving a commercial truck, the more they’ll be on the hook for resulting property damage, injuries, and/or wrongful deaths. A knowledgeable Round Rock truck accident attorney can identify all potentially liable parties to maximize your compensation.
Evidence Can Be More Complicated and Require More Extensive Analysis
While certain pieces of evidence can be helpful in both car accident and truck accident cases, truck accident litigation tends to involve (and require) several additional pieces of evidence.
Evidence that can be helpful in truck accident cases includes:
- Truck black box data obtained from an Electronic Control Module (ECM) or Electronic Data Recorder (EDR)
- Video footage from the truck’s black box
- Driver logs and records
- Truck maintenance and inspection records
- Trucking company hiring and training policies
- Communication between the truck driver and the trucking service
- Compliance with (or violations of) FMCSA safety regulations
- Drug test results
Knowing what evidence to look for, how to analyze it, and how it can help to prove a truck driver’s or trucking company’s liability will be instrumental in building a winning legal claim for damages. That’s why it’ll be essential to work with a personal injury attorney who has personal knowledge of and experience handling truck accident lawsuits, as well as relationships with reliable expert witnesses who specialize in these types of evidentiary issues.
Trucking Services and Insurance Companies Have Considerable Resources to Dispute Claims
While both cars and trucks have to be covered by insurance, the minimum coverage requirements for each type of vehicle are very different. Trucking companies often carry multi-million-dollar liability policies, as accidents involving their rigs can be catastrophic.
Given the potential value of truck accident claims, trucking companies and their insurance carriers will be prepared to challenge requests for benefits and minimize the amount of money that is ultimately awarded to truck accident victims.
While you might deal with a single insurance adjuster in a standard car accident claim, you might find yourself up against several skilled adjusters and insurance defense attorneys with seemingly endless resources at their disposal when you file a truck accident claim.
These adjusters and defense lawyers will be trained to find weaknesses in your claim, use delay tactics to urge you to accept lowball settlement offers, and perhaps even try to intimidate you into accepting less money than your truck accident case is worth. Having a dedicated truck accident attorney n Round Rock on your side ensures you have an advocate who can match their tactics and fight for fair compensation.
There’s a lot of money on the line, and the trucking service and its insurance carrier will go to great lengths to minimize your recovery.
Contact a Round Rock Truck Accident Lawyer After an Accident in Texas
Litigating a truck accident case successfully requires a certain level of experience, knowledge, and resources. That’s why you’ll want to call Dow Law Firm after an accident with a large commercial truck in Texas. Our Round Rock truck accident attorneys are Board Certified and award-winning litigators with a proven track record of success.
Backed by decades of experience, we’ve helped injury victims and families win millions from trucking services, insurance companies, auto manufacturers, negligent motorists, and other parties.
Now, we’re here to make a difference in your fight for compensation after a truck accident, too.
Contact a truck accident lawyer in Round Rock, TX, at (512) 240-9951 to schedule a free consultation today.