Dallas 18 Wheeler Accident Lawyer

According to the Texas Department of Transportation, over 250,000 people were injured in motor vehicles accidents in Texas last year. Most of those injuries were from typical car accidents and involved minor injuries that healed quickly. Simple car accident cases with minor injuries can easily be handled by neighborhood attorneys with limited skills and experience, but 18 wheeler cases with severe or catastrophic injuries require a much higher level of legal know-how in order to get what victims are entitled to. The Uvalle Law Firm, Lawboss.com is a BBB A+ rated 18 wheeler accident attorney that Texans trust. Call 1-800-LAWBOSS for a free consultation today, so that an investigation can begin before evidence is destroyed.

Why 18 Wheeler Cases Are More Complicated

Simple car accidents with minor injuries can usually be settled within the $30,000 per person, $60,000 per incident minimum policy limits required under Texas law. Commercial vehicles are subject to the much higher policy limits set forth by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMSCA) that vary by the type of commercial vehicle and its cargo. For catastrophic injuries, the insurance coverage for the 18 Wheeler might still be inadequate to fully take care of a victim, making it important to fully investigate the facts of the accident to uncover deep pockets that can be sued. For example, a thorough Uvalle Law Firm, Lawboss.com investigation can determine that improper design of the truck’s brakes contributed to the accident, giving rise to a claim against the truck’s manufacturer. The city or state may be liable for faulty road design or poor maintenance of the roads that contributed to an 18-wheeler accident. Truck accidents are often multi-car crashes that involve vehicles from several states or other countries, making them challenging to investigate and prosecute. Car accident victims are usually able to take photographs of the scene, but truck accident victims are often too severely injured to investigate the cause of the accident on their own, requiring medical removal to a trauma center. That’s why it’s important to hire the Uvalle Law Firm, Lawboss.com, the heavy lifter law firm that can get to the scene quickly to commence an investigation, and that knows how to handle the toughest cases.

Potential Defendants and Deep Pockets for Truck Accident Cases

These are some examples of parties that can be responsible for serious injuries caused by truck accidents:

• Truck Drivers and Owners
• Truck Manufacturers
• Truck Parts Manufacturers
• Maintenance Companies
• Other Vehicles Involved and

To turn up all possible defendants, it’s important to call Uvalle Law Firm, Lawboss.com for a free consultation as soon as possible after the accident.

Trucks Often Have “Black Boxes”

Trucks often contain “black boxes” that will record many aspects of a crash that can help determine primary fault and contributing factors such as:

• RPM’s
• Speed
• Brake Application Timing and
• Gear Shifts and Changes

“Black boxes” are triggered by an event, such as slamming on the brakes, to begin recording. Most trucks also record detailed GPS information that can pinpoint the truck’s exact location at point of impact. This type of information is extremely helpful for determining liability for an 18 wheeler accident, but it’s only going to come into play if you hire an experienced Texas 18 wheeler attorney that has experience handling truck cases.

Other Evidence For Truck Accident Cases

An important part of the claim process for truck accident cases is called discovery. That’s when attorneys collect evidence held by the parties to help prove a client’s claim. These are some examples of the types of evidence that can be helpful for a truck accident case:

• Employee file for truck driver containing qualifications, training, or any disciplinary proceedings
• Truck inspection and maintenance records
• Mobile phone records
• Drug and alcohol screening records
• Delivery paperwork
• “Black box” speed indications
• Weight tickets and bills of lading
• Maps of potholes reported to a municipality and
• Complaints about poor design of highway.

This evidence can be used to prove who is at fault but can also help prove the severity of an injury. Mobile phone records can show that the driver was distracted by talking on the phone and might even show that he was texting while driving. For example, evidence that proves that the truck was driving 80 mph can be used to prove how heavy the impact was and explain why your injuries are so severe.

Inspection and Documentation Requirements for 18 Wheelers

The FMSCA also requires strict compliance with inspecting and documentation regulations. For example, there are specific pre-trip and post-trip inspections that must be properly documented, requiring that the documentation be retained for at least six months (or longer for some situations.) There is also a requirement that all repair and maintenance records be retained for a period of time showing that all laws and regulations have been complied with. The Uvalle Law Firm, Lawboss.com is aware of these rules and monitors changing in the law, as violations can be helpful for showing negligence and proving liability with third parties. These records can be subpoenaed as long as they exist, so it’s important to act quickly before they are destroyed.

Commercial Drivers Are Held To A Different Standard

In order to successfully negotiate or try a case involving an 18-wheeler, it’s crucial for your attorney to be fluent on the standard of care that applies to commercial drivers. Holders of a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) are held to a much higher standard when operating any type of motor vehicle on the road. Trucks carrying tanks, triple trailers and hazardous materials may be subject to even higher state licensing and care standards. The FMCSA imposes strict regulations on 18 wheeler drivers including:

• How many hours they may drive before resting
• Lower limits on blood alcohol levels than for regular drivers and
• Restrictions on the use of all handheld devices.

Violations of the standard of care or regulations will enhance the success of your case, so it’s important to retain a firm with the resources to step in quickly to preserve evidence that may be crucial in determining whether laws were broken. Deadlines can be short, and evidence can be destroyed, so it’s important to call 1-800-LAWBOSS today for a free consultation.

Injuries From Truck Accidents Can Be Catastrophic

Commercial trucks weighing more than 80,000 pounds tend to cause much more serious injuries when they are involved in a crash. These are some examples of the types of injuries that are more common for truck accidents than simple car accidents:

• Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) can be especially devastating. The impact from a truck accident can cause a blow or jolt to the head that can cause severe permanent brain damage from blunt or penetrating trauma. Severe TBI’s can require treatment in an ICU and immediate surgery. Survivors often have long lasting deficits in physical and mental abilities as well as emotional and personality changes.
• Spinal Cord Injuries (SCI) are caused by violent trauma to the spine that fractures, crushes, compresses or dislocates the vertebrae. These injuries can be extremely painful and/or cause temporary or permanent, full or partial paralysis.
• Burns can range from mild first degree burns that heal on their own to severe third and fourth degree burns that require skin grafting or amputation of a limb. Third and fourth degree burns can also cause internal injuries that are life threatening.
• Disfiguring Scars in cosmetically sensitive areas, such as the face, can result from lacerations or puncture trauma caused by a truck accident. Plastic surgery can sometimes improve the cosmetic result, but the most severe cases may require bone grafting and leave the victim with permanent disfiguring scars.
• Compound Fractures are the most severe types of broken bones that pierce through the skin. These fractures always require surgical intervention and sometimes need multiple surgeries to correct. Even with aggressive treatment, many victims are left permanently fully or partially disabled.
• Amputation and Limb Loss can be caused by a truck accident due to crushing, severe lacerations, puncture wounds and burns. A traumatic amputation is when the limb is severed during the accident and a surgical amputation is when the limb is so badly damaged that it must be amputated. It’s sometimes possible to surgically reattach a traumatically severed limb, but loss of function can be expected. If the limb cannot be saved, a prosthetic can sometimes be used to restore the ability to walk or use one’s hands.

How To Prove Damages For A Truck Accident

Truck accidents often cause severe, catastrophic, or fatal injuries that can result in very large settlements and verdicts. That’s why it’s important to aggressively prove each and every cause of action for damages so that the victim can collect what they’re entitled to. There are two main types of damages that can be collected: economic and non-economic. Economic damages are calculable sums to pay for actual costs and losses. These are some examples of economic damages:

• Current and future medical treatment, including hospitals, doctors, therapists and testing
• Current and future long term care and home health care
• Property damage to vehicle
• Lost earnings
• Lost future earning capacity
• Home modifications
• Medical equipment and
• Transportation to medical treatment

Non-economic damages are subjective and cannot be quantified. These are some examples:

• Pain and suffering
• Mental anguish
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Humiliation and
• Disfigurement

There is no cap on the in Texas on the amount of non-economic damages that a victim can collect. That’s why it’s important to hire an experienced firm like Uvalle Law Firm, Lawboss.com that can help you get what you deserve.

The Uvalle Law Firm, Lawboss.com Is A BBB A+ Rated 18 Wheeler Truck Accident Attorney In Texas

If you or a member of your family has been severely, catastrophically, or fatally injured in a truck accident, it’s important to get the highest quality representation possible by hiring an attorney with experience handling 18-wheeler truck accident cases. There are many car accident attorneys that will try to handle your case, but they won’t have the experience to get you the best results. You don’t pay extra to hire a high-quality firm like Uvalle Law Firm, Lawboss.com, so there’s no benefit in hiring a less experienced neighborhood firm for this type of complicated claim. The Uvalle Law Firm, Lawboss.com has a team of experienced truck accident attorneys that have a track record for successfully representing clients. At Uvalle Law Firm, Lawboss.com you don’t pay anything until we collect a settlement for you because we retain clients on a contingency fee. We answer all of your questions quickly and address all of your concerns promptly. Please call 1-800-LAWBOSS as soon as possible after a truck accident for a free consultation.

If you’ve been injured in an 18 wheeler, trucking or semi accident, call 1-800-LAWBOSS today to see what your case could be worth