18-Wheeler Accidents

Trucking or trailer accident can be any accident involving a commercial vehicle.  A commercial vehicle is a truck trailer or vehicle that is used for the purpose of commerce. A commercial vehicle is defined by the type of cargo, the overall weight of the unit, whether it is designed to transport certain types of materials, transport people, and among other things. Commercial vehicles are not limited to 18-wheelers or trailers, there are also single unit commercial vehicles. Some examples are:

    • Passenger van (+ 15 persons).
    • Bus.
    • Trailer.
    • Concrete mixer.
    • Garbage truck.
    • Truck with cargo box.

Accidents involving a truck or tractor-trailers (a.k.a “18-wheelers”), are often tragic due to the vehicle’s weight and force, often ending in permanent injury, paralysis or even death.

In 2018 in the U.S. 4,136 people were killed in large truck crashes
(U.S. Department of Transportation’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), December 2019).
Texas is the state with the most fatal crashes involving large trucks. In 2018, 664 people died in Texas due to such crashes
(Trends Table 30. Fatal Crashes Involving Large Trucks by State, 2008-2018, FMCSA).

A semitrailer and trailer can weigh more than 10,000 pounds. The force of a fully loaded truck is immense, even when traveling at low speeds. Because of the potential to cause great harm to others, truck drivers are held to more rigorous standards of care than drivers of smaller vehicles – in other words, they have to be more careful than you and me.

There are several events that can lead a truck driver to cause an accident. These causes can include, but are not limited to:

  • Negligence on the part of the truck driver.
  • Negligence on the part of the company that owns the truck.
  • Negligence on the part of the company that owns the cargo.
  • Negligence on the part of another automobile.
  • Negligence on the part of the truck manufacturer.

As you can see, there are many points to evaluate and investigate, the best way to find out what may have caused a truck accident is to hire Pastrana & García Injury Law, accident attorneys with more than 30 years of experience in this type of cases.

Texas Negligence Law and 18 - Wheeler Accidents

When involved in an accident with an 18-wheeler, Texas negligence laws almost always apply. To have a successful negligence claim, you must establish all of the following elements:

  • That the driver of the 18-wheeler or the trucking company had a responsibility or a duty of care to the victim.
  • The driver or the company breached this duty.
  • The breach is the cause of the injuries.
  • Damages created by this breach to the victim.

Texas law allows injured persons to recover damages for many different types of injuries. Some of those damages include:

  • Medical treatment (past and future).
  • Lost income (past and future).
  • Mental anguish.
  • Pain and suffering.
  • Disability (permanent or temporary).

One of the reasons why it is necessary to hire an experienced personal injury attorney for these types of cases is that each element, listed above, is legally defined and a lay person, without any legal training, will have difficulty knowing what type of damages to seek and the correct strategy to use to calculate them.

In addition, an experienced attorney will provide invaluable information to determine what is fair compensation for each of these elements.

If you or a loved one was injured in an accident with a truck or trailer, it is VERY IMPORTANT that you involve Pastrana & García Injury Law, personal injury lawyers as soon as possible, we have the experience necessary to secure your compensation. No matter your immigration status, consultations are free and confidential.
If you do not involve an experienced personal injury attorney in your recovery process, you could be frustrated and confused in a complicated legal system, and they may even take advantage of your lack of legal knowledge and affect your compensation.

At Pastrana & García Injury Law we are Hispanic lawyers, we fully understand how difficult and frustrating it can be to navigate the United States legal system, we have over 30 years of experience recovering compensation for our clients.

You pay no fees unless we recover your compensation!

Remember, if you are the victim of a truck or trailer accident,
YOU ARE NOT ALONE, CALL US, AND ASK FOR YOUR FREE CONSULTATION!

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