Houston Truck Accident Lawyers With Proven Results

Houston Truck and 18-Wheeler Accident Lawyer

Our top-rated truck accident lawyers have been winning serious injury and wrongful death 18-wheeler accident cases for over three decades and have an unparalleled track record of success. Our approach is based on personal service as we limit the number of new trucking accident cases we accept to provide the best representation to our clients injured by commercial vehicles.   Our incredible success in 18-wheeler semi-truck accident lawsuits is due to our 35 years of experience, dedication to our clients and our proven approach to truck accident lawsuits.

If you have been hurt in an accident with a semi-truck- Click Here to contact us online or call 281-587-1111 for a Free Consultation.

Houston is a hub of trucking activity for many industries. With the Port of Houston and the fastest-growing population in the United States, the trucking industry is thriving in Texas. Truck companies usually pay by the mile, so truck drivers have an incentive to deliver the load as quickly as they can. Unfortunately, this part of the trucking industry can encourage excessive hours and other unsafe activities. If you have an injury accident due to the negligence of a trucker, you should contact a truck accident attorney.

Why Hire a Truck Accident Lawyer?

When you’ve been hit by an 18-wheeler or another passenger vehicle, often it is difficult to know what you should do to protect yourself and your family. The first step should be doing research on finding the best attorney for a truck collision case. After that, the following are guidelines for what to do after being hit by an 18-wheeler. Here are tips on what to do after an injury accident with a big rig 18-wheeler.

After a truck wreck, certain evidence should be preserved. This would include evidence regarding the scene of the wreck, such as damage to the vehicles, debris or skid marks on the highway, and computer data from the big rig. Our 18-wheeler accident attorneys maintain a quick response team for appropriate serious injury or wrongful death cases. By putting our trucking accident lawyers to work on your case early, we can combat the insurance carriers and the trucking company on an equal footing. Many trucking companies maintain their own quick response teams dispatched to the scene of the crash within hours of the occurrence.  Several recent truck wreck cases we have handled involved defense lawyers at the scene of the crash while the officers were still investigating. Getting critical data such as measurements and preserving the big truck for inspection are very important steps often. The sooner you hire the best attorney for a truck accident the better for your case.

With catastrophic injuries or wrongful death crashes, the investigating officer will usually thoroughly examine the scene itself. This would include measurements and documenting by photographs. For truck accidents where the injuries are not devastating, the investigating officer might do a detailed scene analysis. If you can take photographs with your cell phone at the scene on your own, do so. Especially important would be photographs of the motor vehicles in their final resting positions and also any skid marks or debris that indicates the direction of the large truck before or after impact.

Usually, the defense attorney will hire an accident reconstruction expert that will attempt to shift the blame from the trucking company and its driver onto the innocent injury victims or other third parties. Documenting the scene by photographs can help combat this defense technique. If you contact a trucking accident lawyer early on, the truck accident lawsuit can be less complex.

Preserving your own vehicle when the injuries have been severe can be important if your vehicle may have had a defect that contributed to the accident or the injuries. Also, your own vehicle may be important to help determine how the accident occurred. You should always talk with a personal injury lawyer before your vehicle is totaled out or repaired if catastrophic injuries were involved.

Early Investigation by an 18-Wheeler Lawyer Required

One cannot overstate the importance of an early investigation by a truck accident lawyer in Houston, after a truck accident. The condition of the big rig, the accident scene, officer’s findings in the investigation and compliance with the federal regulations all should be investigated early after a tractor-trailer crash. It is important that the truck accident lawyer you select has vast experience in truck accident litigation. The Baumgartner Law Firm has been handling high-profile, multi-million truck accident negligence cases for over 35 years.

Contact an Experienced Commercial Vehicle Accident Lawyer

Trucking companies carry commercial policies that protect the company for driver negligence claims for personal injury or wrongful death. These insurance policies generally carry seven-figure liability coverage amounts and so the stakes are substantial for the insurance carrier. This exposure makes the insurance carrier fight harder to protect their money and pay little on the claim. You will need a personal injury attorney who has had great success in litigating with trucking companies over the years. You do not want a personal injury lawyer learning on the job on your case.

The earlier you contact an 18-wheeler accident attorney the better able he or she will be to fight for your justice in your semi-truck crash lawsuit.

Always thoroughly investigate the trucking accident law firm you are considering hiring for your truck wreck case before you sign paperwork with that personal injury lawyer.

To speak with a real truck accident lawyer click here or call (281) 587-1111 for a FREE consultation. What Compensation is Available to Trucking Accident Victims

Legal damages for victims in a truck accident lawsuit can include the following in Texas:

• Reasonable and necessary medical expenses both past and future
• Physical pain and mental anguish, both past, and future
• Lost earning capacity both past and future
• Physical Impairment
• Exemplary or punitive damages in appropriate cases
• Wrongful death and survival damages

Free Consultation with A Top-Rated Truck Accident Lawyer- Call (281) 587-1111

We strictly limit the number of cases we accept to provide the best representation to our clients. Our truck accident attorneys have won countless multimillion-dollar settlements for our 18-wheeler accident clients and have the reputation, skill, and experience to fight to obtain the maximum compensation for your injury or loss of a loved one.  Call a semi-truck accident attorney for a free no-obligation consultation (281) 587-1111.

Some of Our Victories in 18-Wheeler Truck Wreck Cases

We have helped accident victims in the Houston area and across Texas after an accident injury or wrongful death truck crash case for over 35 years. Some cases we have handled included representing a truck driver seriously injured and later died after he lost control of his semi and jackknifed across the roadway killing two people. After many depositions, we recovered more money for our client truck driver and his family than the attorneys for victims in the other vehicle recovered for the families of the two people killed. Many of our incredible wins are confidential by the demand of the trucking company to prevent others from knowing how much they had to pay our clients. You can view a few recent victories by visiting our results page.

Truck Drivers and Trucking Companies and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations

Both truck drivers and truck companies must follow the safety laws contained in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations. One such rule limits the time a commercial vehicle driver can be behind the wheel or on the clock.  The hours of service regulations for commercial drivers specify the time a truck driver can actually be behind the wheel.

• 14-hour duty limit (minimum 10 hours of rest after 14 hours on duty)
• 11-hour driving limit (minimum 10 hours rest after 11 total driving hours)
• 60/70-hour duty limit

Professional drivers often feel pressured to deliver the load as quickly as possible either to benefit financially or to appease the company. Driver fatigue can easily occur for truck drivers to follow the rules and is almost a given for those who do not follow the safety regulations. It is critically important that the 18-wheeler truck accident law firm you select has substantial experience in investigating driver fatigue and violations of the federal regulations.

Important evidence after a tractor-trailer crash can include:

• Logbooks
• Black box or computer event data
• Documents evidencing the load and prior deliveries
• Inspection of the tractor-trailer
• Inspection of the accident scene
• Poor Training

Many 18-wheeler drivers have a commercial driver’s license and are simply turned loose on the highways to deliver their loads. At the Baumgartner Law Firm, we believe that simply having a CDL is insufficient safety training for a commercial driver operating a vehicle that can weigh 80,000 pounds. Motor carriers have a duty to ensure that their drivers are properly trained and able to safely operate the big rigs. Ongoing safety training must be a part of all motor carrier (trucking companies) operations.

Truck Crash Attorneys Know About Dangerous Equipment on Big Rigs

Trucking companies also must ensure that the trucks on the highway or in safe and proper operating conditions. Drivers must inspect their tractor-trailers every day and also inspect their loads to ensure that they are properly secured. Further, the federal regulations require truck drivers to inspect the truck prior to beginning any trip. The truck driver must inspect:

• Air Lines and compressor
• Brakes
• Fuel system
• Lights
• Steering
• Safety equipment
• Axles
• Coupling devices
• Wheels and tires
• Numerous other equipment

When the trip ended the commercial vehicle driver must then re-examine each item covered in their driver’s daily vehicle inspection reports. All dangerous conditions or defects must be in such reports and reported to the motor carrier before taking the big rig out on another trip. Failure to inspect or act on inspections can be powerful evidence of negligence. An inspection after a personal injury or fatal truck accident can be an important part of an 18-wheeler accident lawsuit by a Houston truck accident lawyer.

Houston Truck Accidents In The First Quarter of 2017

Where Fatal Houston Truck Accidents Take Place [Interactive Map]

The map below shows where fatal truck accidents have taken place between 2010 and the first quarter of 2017. A large majority of the fatal accidents involving truck collisions that occur in Texas happen in the large metropolitan areas of Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio. In this map of accidents in Houston, we see that a large number of these occur on Interstates 64 and 610. This is because semi-trucks are found more often on the interstate than they are driving around the city itself.

Texas Semi-Truck Accident Statistics [Infographic]

Further Readings

Using a Life Care Planner Following an Incapacitating Truck AccidentFinding a Trucking Company at Fault for an AccidentBig Rig Accidents and Truck Driver Training: Is Commercial Truck Training Enough?Truck Safety in TexasTrucking Industry Rules and Regulations and Protecting Evidence After a Semi-Truck AccidentTruck Accidents in Adverse WeatherOverview of Spinal Cord Injuries and Truck AccidentsHow Trucking Companies Are Using Technology to Reduce Wrecks