Laredo is one of the fastest growing cities in the state. And yet as the city grows, its roadways do not expand as quickly. Historically, Laredo has been a center point for crossing goods between countries. That means that every day, large transportational vehicles pass through the city, making a Laredo commercial vehicle accident potentially more likely to occur here than elsewhere in the state.
Texas, in fact, had the highest fatality crashes out of the entire U.S. with over 3,642 tragic deaths in 2021 thus far. Commercial vehicle collisions are not exempt from these horrible findings. According to the Texas Department of Transportation Texas roads also saw a whopping 32,562 crashes involving a commercial vehicle in the same year. If you or a loved one has been in an 18 wheeler accident due to the negligence of another in one of such crashes, you deserve justice and compensation. An experienced attorney at Carabin Shaw can help.
What Constitutes a Commercial Vehicle?You may have an idea of a commercial vehicle as only an 18 wheeler or big truck, however, smaller automobiles can qualify as commercial vehicles as well. So how does one know what exactly falls under the category in our Texas?
The Texas Department of Public Safety defines a commercial vehicle as any “self- propelled or towed vehicle, other than a farm vehicle with a gross weight, registered weight, or gross weight rating under 48,000 pounds, that is used on a public highway to transport passengers or cargo.” Chapter 6 of the Safety Manual also states that vehicles weighing more than 10,000 pounds are subject to the same rules and regulations as a commercial vehicle.
If you’ve been involved in a commercial vehicle collision, you may be wondering how the commercial vehicle classification changes the outcome of a claim. Laredo truck accident lawyers know that Texas standards for commercial vehicles are, understandably, higher than for other road entities. This means that there are more possible errors for owners to make, and therefore more regulations for them to break.
This is why it’s important to keep in mind that even if you fear you were at fault, a commercial vehicle driver, company, or manufacturer may have broken the law by not meeting state law requirements.
Do I Need a Truck Accident Attorney?Even a car accident between two smaller vehicles is a serious matter. There are many factors to consider after a wreck — from simpler driver responsibilities as put forth by state law, to more complex legal contracts drivers agree to by the mere act of using a road. When a big truck or another commercial vehicle is involved, navigating a claim and constraints of fault and compensation is much more difficult. Organizations that own these vehicles also usually hire an extensive legal team to represent them in case of such accidents. A competent lawyer can be a crucial piece in successfully assessing any wrongdoing and getting a fair claim.
How Much Will a Truck Accident Attorney Cost?Many times, victims hesitate to hire a lawyer out of the fear of a large expense upfront. Coming up with a large sum of money after hospital bills and other expenses (that an insurance claim didn’t cover) is a high order.
Our Texas personal injury attorneys at Carabin Shaw understand that clients often do not have a large sum of money for legal services. That is why we won’t ever charge our clients a cent unless their case is won by our legal professionals. We don’t expect anyone to commit before meeting us, so we offer a free case review / initial consultation as well.
Carabin Shaw Helps Victims and Their FamiliesIf you’re undecided about finding legal help, a firm with extensive experience and transparent practices is rare. We understand trust is crucial in a client-attorney relationship, which is why we have Carabin Shaw’s client reviews easily found on our site.
You can call toll-free: 800-862-1260 at your convenience to schedule your free initial consultation. Our phones operate day and night. Ofrecemos servicios completamente en Español.