Big Truck and Large Commercial Vehicle Accidents Overview

If a Large Commercial Vehicle or a Big Rig wreck into a passenger vehicle, the results can be catastrophic. In many cases, these wrecks cause horrific wrongful deaths and/or personal injuries. If you have been injured or suffered the tragic loss of a loved one because of a collision or accident due to a big rig or other commercial vehicle, your family, or you, may be legally entitled to collect damages.

Damages which are common in these types of accident include medical costs, burial costs, pain and suffering, mental anguish, lost wages, future damages, bodily impairment, future costs and damage to your personal property or vehicle. In some specific cases punitive type damages may be available.

Safety on our highways is an important issue to most people in Texas. Our lawyers at Carabin Shaw bring with them the experience needed for cases involving trucking accidents and trucking safety. Big Rig and other Large Commercial Vehicles accidents bring with them unique and specific issues which usually don’t come up in more typical vehicle accidents. Some of these differences may include:

• Federal regulations
• Unique insurance coverage issues
• State regulations
• Other Governmental regulations
• Drug testing
• Trailer maintenance
• Tractor maintenance
• Trucking Records and Logs
• Negligent maintenance claims
• Negligent hiring and supervision claims
• Greater likelihood of serious injuries or deaths

Due to the vast expansion of trucks on our Texas highways, wrecks between semi-trailer trucks and personal vehicles are increasing. Trucking accidents frequently happen when large trucks get loaded unsafely or travel unsafely. These problems can cause wrongful deaths and horrible injuries.

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) was created 30 years ago to try to limit the rising and unacceptable cases of unfortunately fatal truck accidents happening on highways across the nation and in Texas.

Laws have been passed prohibiting truck operators from maintaining more than one driving license. By 1992, semi-truck operators had to meet a set of minimum standards, applied nationally, to keep a license to operate a heavy tractor trailer. After a potential driver meets these legal standards, they can get a Commercial Driver's License to operate a heavy truck.

Today, to reduce fatal truck accidents, every driver must keep up their license in the State in which they principally reside. Also driving records have to be maintained in a centralized database to permit access by every state to all records.

These new laws required every state to put in place uniform standard testing for potential commercial drivers before they are licensed. A Commercial Driver’s License is a requirement to drive these vehicles.

• If the Gross Combination Weight Rating of a vehicle under tow exceeds 10,000 pounds, the CDL is required for any combination of vehicles with a gross combination weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds;

• Any motor vehicle, size being irrelevant, designed and equipped for transport of at least 16 people requires a CDL; any type of vehicle which is federally regulated is required to be marked while it transports hazardous materials.

Do note that the operators of the following vehicles do NOT have to possess a CDL:

• Persons operating farm equipment;
• Persons operating vehicles being used to transport supplies or equipment to a farm or carrying farm products;
• Any vehicle used within a 150 air mile radius of farms;
• Any vehicle not being used by a contract carrier in its operations; and
• Vehicles used primarily for personal or specialized use such as military vehicles, recreational vehicles and firefighting equipment.

Special endorsements are required for certain vehicles. The following possible CDL endorsements require testing.

1. Multiple trailer towing
2. Vehicles which carry passengers
3. Tank truck type vehicles
4. Hazardous materials endorsement for semi-trucks
5. Any combination of tanker truck and hazardous material transport
6. Any vehicle which has air brakes

Our attorneys at Carabin Shaw understand all of these details. If you are in Corpus Christi, or were in an accident in Corpus Christi, that involved a big rig truck, give us a call. We can help sort out all of these details and get to work getting you the compensation you deserve. Do not delay. Give us a call.

Are you in Corpus Christi? Have you been in an accident with an 18 wheeler or other big rig?

Give Carabin Shaw a call. We can help. Call us at 361.444.1111, local if you’re in Corpus.