San Antonio Truck Wreck Injury Lawyers

The San Antonio Truck Wreck Injury Attorneys at Carabin Shaw have dealt with truck wreck cases all over the area and have seen the injuries these accidents can cause and the seriousness of them. There are a number of reasons why large trucks, often referred to as 18-wheelers or tractor-trailers, pose such a danger on Texas and United States roadways.

Do You Really Need a San Antonio Area Truck Accident Lawyer?

To ensure that evidence is properly preserved and that your rights are protected, you should consult with an experienced Trucking Accident Injury Lawyer at your earliest convenience if you have been a victim of a commercial vehicle or trucking accident in Texas, The companies that own commercial vehicles and the drivers will not look out for your rights.

The size of these vehicles seriously extends their necessary braking distance and limits their visibility. Also, the difference between large trucks’ and passenger vehicles’ size results in accidents that are often catastrophic, serious injuries and even death more likely.

Because of these facts, large trucks can be a huge danger on the road agencies like the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration set rules and regulations that limit what the drivers and trucking companies can do.

Limits, like how long and far truck drivers are allowed to drive, are crucial to make roads safer and are also helpful to show a jury how a driver or trucking company failed to meet those rules.

However, a surprisingly large number of accidents continue to take place every year, even though the regulations are in place to reduce truck accidents and improve the safety of truck drivers. The following statistics show accidents involving 18-wheelers according to FMSCA for 2013:

• 3, 341 fatal accidents in 2011;
• 88,000 injured traffic crash victims in 2011;
• 3, 757 killed traffic crash victims in 2011;
• 60,000 injury accidents in 2011;

There are a large number of dangerous and potentially deadly trucking accidents in Texas. Many of them are caused by a lack of oversight by trucking company’s improperly maintained equipment, poor drivers, and many other reasons that had nothing to do with the individual who was injured by the 18-wheeler. Some of the more common causes of trucking accidents in Texas include:

• Driver distraction, including Texting, Cell phone and Internet Usage
• Drug and Alcohol Use
• Incompetent and Poorly Trained Drivers,
• Overweight or Improperly Secured Loads
• Driver Fatigue
• Equipment Problems

Often, the companies’ drivers are not properly trained or supervised and are encouraged to drive faster and longer to quickly move their load and make more profit, and their 18-wheelers on the road are improperly maintained.

There can be many causes attributed to a truck accident if you consider the amount of equipment issues possible the number of entities involved, and the variety of loads hauled. Our San Antonio 18-wheeler injury attorneys are highly experienced in dealing with the details of a case with heavily regulated trucking companies and their accidents.

Because the trucking companies’ and insurance carriers’ representatives will be doing the same, our personal injury lawyers will work quickly to protect and preserve the integrity of the available evidence and you deserve a fair fight.

Our 18-wheeler accident lawyers will investigate the accident and vehicles involved in it, and they will also obtain statements from witnesses as soon as possible after the accident to record important details of the incident.

After the process begins, any documents that involve the vehicle, driver and facts regarding the accident should be gathered with the help of a Texas 18-wheeler accident lawyer. Often times, certain paperwork can make or break a case against a company. These include:

• Trip Report - detailed facts about the trip that could strengthen your case and be compared with onboard computer.
• Bills of Lading - document required to be issued as receipt of goods and can help identify parties.
• Freight Bill – document that helps establish important facts for your case like whether driver was on side trip or if any special instructions given.
• Driving Records – includes any previous internal accident or investigation reports or any record that must be kept by trucking company.
• Logbook – THE MOST IMPORTANT to help prove negligence case and has information about miles traveled, hours of service, on/off duty status, or any other info about trip during 24 hours.
• Schedule from Motor Carrier – This can help prove an encouragement to violate rules and regulations and is a proposed schedule for the trip including where the driver is going and when they have to be there.

Also, some 18-wheelers may be equipped with an on-board computer designed to monitor the vehicle’s and driver’s performance and a GPS to track the trucks location. It is important to have a Texas 18 Wheeler injury lawyer to present all of the above documentation to get you the settlement you deserve.

A truck accident lawyer is also important because some documents only have to be kept by the trucking company for six months. If it is sought after 6 months, it may be too late to get the evidence relevant to your case.

Conducting extensive discovery will go a long way to establish liability against the trucking company and their driver. It is always best to ensure that no other potential defendants exist. It is possible to extend liability to an entity that did not drive the truck, hire the driver, or load the cargo.

To properly do so, one must show that the wrongdoer was actually a part of the company that injured you and no barriers exist between the defendant and the wrongdoer. The two ways to go about this are:

1. Show that under the doctrine of piercing the corporate veil known as single business enterprise and alter ego, the wrongdoer and the defendant are actually one in the same; or
2. Show the wrongdoer and the defendant were involved in partnership like activities when conducting the events that caused the damages, under the doctrines of joint venture and joint enterprise.

18- Wheelers are a part of life and if you have been injured by an 18-Wheeler semi-truck, you need seasoned Texas 18-Wheeler Accident Lawyers to help. Yes, they help move goods across the country, and are an integral part of the economy, but they are also one of the largest hazards on the roadway.

Call 210-222-2288 to speak with us and schedule your free consultation with one of our Texas 18-Wheeler Injury Lawyers.

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