Driving in Houston can be dangerous for even the most responsible driver. With congested roads and highways, collisions are a common daily occurrence. But when a passenger vehicle is involved in an auto accident with a semi-truck, the results are often devastating. If you were injured in a truck accident with a negligent driver, a Houston truck accident lawyer at the Ben Dominguez Law Firm can help you recover the compensation you deserve for your medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages.
We understand how complex these types of accident claims can be and we want to help you fight for your right to fair compensation. At the Ben Dominguez Law Firm, our legal team is ready to take on the insurance company and help you obtain the settlement or award that will make you financially whole and allow you to move on with your life.
A Houston truck accident lawyer can help by investigating the accident, consulting with experts, reviewing insurance policies, handling all communication with the insurance company, negotiating with the claims adjuster, or filing a lawsuit, if settlement negotiations are not successful.
Investigating the accident
A Houston truck accident lawyer will investigate the accident, gathering the following types of evidence to strengthen your claim, establish liability, and prove your demand for compensation.
The types of evidence that can help your truck accident claim includes:
The trucker’s qualification file
The trucker’s training file
Hours of service logs
Drug and alcohol test results
Vehicle inspection records
Black box data recorder information
Cargo and load information
Delivery documents
Phone records
Photos of the accident scene and damage done to all vehicles involved
Photos of your injuries
Medical records and bills
Police report
Witness statements
Expert testimony
This evidence can help your Houston truck accident attorney determine if the trucking company or truck driver compiled with safety laws and industry regulations. This evidence can point to specific reasons that could have played a major role in the cause of the collision.
Consulting with Experts
At the Ben Dominguez Law Firm, we have the resources to work with an extensive network of experts. If you sustained life-changing injuries, we may consult experts such as neurologists, life care planners, physical therapists, economists, and forensic accountants to learn more about your injuries and the cost of future medical treatment. Consulting with experts, we can also determine the compensation you’re owed for loss of earning capacity or loss of future wages.
Because truck accidents are complex and liability is often disputed, working closely with an accident reconstructionist can be invaluable. An accident reconstructionist can recreate the accident to determine how, what, and who caused the collision. Your attorney can then use the accident reconstructionist’s report to establish liability.
Reviewing Insurance Policies
Truck accidents often involve multiple parties, which means multiple insurance companies. We will review all insurance policies to determine the amount of compensation available, ensuring we pursue the fair settlement you deserve from all liable parties.
Because truck accidents are complex and liability is often disputed, working closely with an accident reconstructionist can be invaluable. An accident reconstructionist can recreate the accident to determine how, what, and who caused the collision. Your attorney can then use the accident reconstructionist’s report to establish liability.
Handling All Interactions with the Insurance Companies
An insurance company may quickly contact you after the accident, offering a fast settlement. If you don’t accept their offer they may start calling several times a day, pressuring you to accept the settlement and claiming it’s the only offer you’ll get. When you hire a truck accident lawyer at the Ben Dominguez Law Firm, they will take over all communication with the insurance company, preventing them from contacting you by phone, mail, or email. When you work with a Houston truck accident lawyer on our legal team, the harassment will stop.
Negotiating with the Claims Adjuster
Insurance companies are a business, out to make a profit. Their claims adjusters are trained to look for ways to deny a claim or minimize payout. At the Ben Dominguez Law Firm, our truck crash lawyers have extensive experience negotiating with claims adjusters and will not be intimidated by their aggressive negotiating tactics. Our legal team will provide strong evidence that proves the severity of your injuries and your demand for compensation.
Filing a Lawsuit
Not every case will go to trial. In fact, most truck accident cases are settled out of court. However, if the insurance company refuses to make a reasonable settlement offer, you Houston truck accident lawyer at the Ben Dominguez Law Firm will file a lawsuit on your behalf and represent you in court.
During this difficult time, a truck accident lawyer will guide you through each step of the claims process, conducting an in-depth investigation and consulting with experts to help prove liability and the severity of your injuries. Your attorney will act as a barrier between you and the insurance companies, to prevent them from pressuring you into accepting a lower settlement than what you deserve.
Testimonials
A Houston truck accident lawyer will handle all communication with the insurance company, including settlement negotiations. Texas requires a minimum of $750,000 in liability coverage for commercial trucks. Because so much money is at stake, an insurance company will fight every step of the way to minimize payout or deny a claim. An experienced truck accident attorney at the Ben Dominguez Law Firm is familiar with the tactics and strategies insurance companies use to minimize payout.
Our legal team will not back down and will work tirelessly to help you recover maximum compensation for your losses. If the insurance company refuses to make a fair offer, your attorney will file a lawsuit on your behalf and present your case before a judge and jury. Most truck accident cases are settled out of court. Once an insurance company is notified that a lawsuit has been filed, they are often more willing to make a reasonable settlement offer.
The compensation you can recover after a motor vehicle collision involving an 18-wheeler will depend on many factors, such as the severity of your injuries, your prognosis, and how much time you’ve missed at work.
In many cases, the victim of a truck accident can pursue compensation for the following types of economic and non-economic damages:
These damages can compensate you for the physical pain and emotional distress you suffered due to your injuries.
If you sustained a life-changing injury, your truck accident lawyer will pursue compensation that will cover the cost of past and future medical care, including physical therapy, occupational therapy, medical devices, in-home care, surgeries, and more.
If you missed work as you were recovering from your injuries, a Houston truck accident lawyer will pursue compensation to cover the cost of lost wages. If your injuries have forced you to switch careers or you are unable to ever return to work, your attorney may pursue compensation for loss of earning capacity or loss of future earnings.
Your Houston truck accident lawyer can help you recover compensation for vehicle damage and any personal property inside the vehicle that was damaged during the collision.
If you are unable to participate in social activities or the hobbies you once enjoyed, due to your injuries, your attorney may pursue compensation for loss of enjoyment of life.
The Houston truck accident lawyers at the Ben Dominguez Law Firm will carefully assess your damages to determine which types of economic and non-economic damages to pursue and the value of those damages. The goal of your attorney is to recover the compensation that will make you financially whole, while also addressing the cost of future losses.
The most severe injuries suffered in an 18-wheeler accident include:
Traumatic brain injuries, concussions, closed head injuries
Spinal cord damage, including paraplegia and quadriplegia
Neck and back injuries, such as bulging or herniated discs
Bone fractures and broken bones
Shoulder and knee injuries
Burns
Nerve damage
Loss of limb
Crush injuries
Chest injuries
Death
Truck collisions can occur for many reasons, often resulting from a combination of truck driver error, environmental conditions, and mechanical failures.
In Houston, common causes of big rig accidents include:
Drowsy driver
Speeding
Blind spots
Reckless driving
Aggressive driving
Inexperienced truck driver
Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol
Distracted driving
Improper loading of cargo
Brake failure
Tire blowouts
Poor road conditions
Inclement weather
According to statistics reported by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), IN 2022, Harris County experienced a total of 6,203 accidents involving commercial trucks, with 47 fatal crashes, 48 fatalities, 147 serious injuries, and 671 minor injuries.
Harris County Accident Statistics 2022
In Houston, Texas some of the most common types of 18-wheeler accidents include:
There are 3 types of underride accidents, all of which can be deadly. Rear underride accidents involve a passenger vehicle hitting the rear of an 18-wheeler and sliding underneath it. This can occur when a motorist tailgates a truck or if the semi-truck stops suddenly. Side underride crashes occur when a passenger vehicle drives into the side of a trailer or commercial truck, becoming wedged under it. Front underride accidents occur when a trucker drives over a passenger vehicle. A front override accident can occur when the trucker is distracted, is tailgating, or is driving in wet or slippery conditions.
Unfortunately, fatigued driving accidents are a common cause of truck crashes. Truck drivers are under a significant amount of pressure to deliver their loads on time. Because of this, a trucker may violate their hours of service, driving more than federal law allows. Fatigued driving can be just as dangerous as driving under the influence of alcohol, causing poor judgment, blurred vision, and slow reaction times.
During a jackknife accident, the truck’s trailer swings out to the side and forms a sharp angle with the truck’s cab. Jackknife accidents are often caused by loss of traction or sudden braking. This results in the truck blocking several lanes, which could potentially cause a multi-vehicle accident.
Rollover accidents often result in fatalities or life-changing injuries. This type of crash involves the truck rolling onto its cab or side. The most common causes of rollover accidents involving big rigs is speeding, turning too quickly, defective trailer or truck parts, or an unbalanced load.
This type of accident involves the truck losing partial or total braking power when driving downhill. This causes the truck to accelerate at an uncontrolled speed, unable to stop. Runaway truck accidents are caused by driver error or brake failure. In some cases, brake failure can be caused by a defect or lack of maintenance.
Yes. If you were involved in a truck accident that was caused by a negligent trucker, you can sue the trucking company. The trucking company can be held liable for the following reasons:
If the trucking company failed to provide proper training to its trucker and the lack of training contributed to or caused the accident, the trucking company may be held liable.
If the trucking company hired a truck driver with a history of safety violations, substance abuse issues, or other disqualifying factors, and these factors contributed to or caused the accident, the trucking company may be held liable.
Trucking companies are expected to conduct regular screenings and monitoring of their truck drivers. If the trucking company failed to perform drug and alcohol screenings, medical exams, or background checks, and this contributed to or caused the collision, they may be held responsible.
Trucking companies are responsible for properly maintaining their trucks and trailers. If the collision resulted from a lack of maintenance, the trucking company may be liable.
If the trucker exceeded the legally allowed hours of service, resulting in fatigue and contributing to the collision, the trucking company may be held responsible for encouraging these violations.
Trucking companies must comply with the federal regulations set by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Violations of these regulations can contribute to liability.
In Texas, you will have two years from the date of the accident to file a lawsuit against the negligent party. If you miss this important deadline, your case may be dismissed, which means you will be unable to recover any compensation for your accident-related losses. If you hire a truck accident lawyer at the Ben Dominguez Law Firm, you can feel confident that all paperwork will be filed correctly and within the statute of limitations.
If you were involved in an auto accident that was caused by a negligent motorist, contact the auto accident lawyers at Ben Dominguez Law Firm today to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation.
Our accident attorneys have extensive experience handling complex auto accident claims and know how to build a strong case that can help you recover compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, property damage, and more.
Contact us today to schedule your free consultation and let the legal team at Ben Dominguez Law Firm fight for the fair settlement you deserve.
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If you were involved in an accident in Houston, TX, that was caused by the negligent, reckless actions of another, a Houston personal injury lawyer at the Ben Dominguez Law Firm can help. We understand how devastating the aftermath of an accident can be, especially if you’re recovering from severe injuries, and we want to help you obtain the justice and compensation you deserve.
Contact us today to schedule your free consultation and learn how the legal team at the Ben Dominguez Law Firm can help.
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