HOW AN AUSTIN TRUCK ACCIDENT LAWYER CAN HELP YOU WITH YOUR CLAIM

The Austin Truck Accident Lawyers at The Patel Firm have persistently stood with those injured in a truck accident due to the negligence of others. These committed lawyers work without pause to make sure victims obtain the compensation they rightfully deserve for their injuries.

According to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), there were 598 total crashes involving commercial motor vehicles in Travis County, and the total included 17 fatal crashes killing 19 people, 25 suspected serious injury crashes causing 32 suspected serious injuries, and seven unknown severity crashes causing 43 unknown injuries. When any large truck in Texas is involved in a motor vehicle accident, the damage to the vehicles is often substantial but the people involved also suffer serious injuries.

The Patel Firm has handled many different 18-wheeler Austin truck accident claims, so we understand the most effective ways to win your cases. We will begin by conducting an independent investigation into your crash that allows us to determine who caused the accident, while also preserving all of the available evidence in your case.

The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) states that the gross vehicle weight rating limit for motor vehicles in the state is 80,000 pounds, but the limit is 20,000 for single axle vehicles, 34,000 for tandem axle groups, 42,000 for triple axle groups, and 50,000 for quad axle groups. The maximum permit weight for an axle or axle group will be based on 650 pounds per inch of tire width or the axle or axle group weight, whichever is the lesser limit, and a vehicle with six axles will be determined based on an engineering study of the equipment and measurements.

By comparison, a small automobile can weigh about 2,500 pounds while a full-size sport utility vehicle (SUV) might weigh as much as 6,000 pounds. The bottom line is that most other vehicles on the road are far smaller than commercial trucks, which often means that collisions between the two end very badly for the smaller vehicles.

People involved in truck accidents can suffer a wide variety of possible injuries. There are several costs to treating these injuries, and The Patel Firm can fight to ensure that you are able to recover everything you need and deserve.

Table of Contents

• Complex Cases
• Federal Trucking Regulations
• What Causes Truck Accidents?
• Trucking Driving Accidents and Injuries
• Truck Driving Accident Representation
• Schedule a Free Case Evaluation

Trucks move untold volumes of consumer goods across the United States every day. Thousands of these trucks create unpredictable hazards for the other motorists traveling on the country’s highways and roads. Large transport trucks weigh more than 80,000 pounds, while most motorists operate automobiles weighing approximately 3,000 pounds.

Truck accident injuries are often severe due to the difference in weight between a tractor-trailer and a small automobile. Injuries that drivers and passengers experience during these truck accidents can be fatal.

Not only are these accidents physically horrendous, but they are often financially serious as well. Endless medical bills and lost wages can quickly lead to bankruptcy if you do not retain an experienced Austin truck accident lawyer to defend your legal rights.

The Patel Firm can help you recover the financial compensation you deserve. These truck accident collisions can devastate families, and we will make sure that your legal rights are protected during this difficult time in your and your loved ones’ lives.

Complex Cases: Why Truck Accident Cases are Complex

Truck accident cases are often more complicated than other kinds of motor vehicle accident claims. Various state and federal trucking regulations govern large commercial trucks. These laws will affect your claim and how it is litigated in court.

Working with an Austin truck accident lawyer can make a significant difference to your case. Their familiarity with all relevant state and federal laws and experience in litigation will help them assess your truck accident claim, identify the at-fault party, and determine which losses require just compensation.

Proving liability in a truck accident case may prove more complicated than proving liability in a car accident case. Depending on the circumstances, the following parties may be liable for your injuries and damage when you are the injured victim in a trucking accident case:

• The driver of a third vehicle that contributed to or caused the collision
• The truck driver
• The truck manufacturer
• The trucking company

More than one of these parties may be liable for your truck accident injuries, and an experienced truck accident attorney will be able to determine their degree of responsibility. Our attorneys have experience handling cases involving large truck crashes. Their skill and knowledge allow us to make sound assessments regarding liability for each injured client.

Federal Trucking Regulations and Commercial Truck Accident Liability

Ensuring the safety of truck drivers and those carrying goods in interstate commerce is important to the federal government. Federal regulations are established by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. These regulations apply to every element of the trucking industry, including manufacturers of trucks, commercial truck drivers, or trucking companies.

Anyone who operates a commercial vehicle must be at least twenty-one years of age and speak fluent English. Commercial truck drivers must also hold a valid commercial driver’s license. These drivers must also pass a physical examination every two years. Truck drivers must also refrain from using alcohol or drugs while on duty, including any prescription drugs that may influence their ability to operate a vehicle in a safe manner.

Trucking companies should have frequent drug testing of their drivers who are on duty. They can carry this out just before or after returning from duty. These qualifications are required for truck drivers in Texas.

Trucking companies must keep accurate records of every inspection and repair associated with every individual truck. The companies must also hold regularly scheduled mechanical inspections and conduct repairs before permitting a truck to travel on a long trip. The companies must also review every truck driver’s records every year as well as verify the drivers’ records and check their references.

Commercial trucks are also not allowed to hold a load of more than 20,000 pounds per axle or exceed the maximum gross vehicle weight of 80,000 pounds. If a company fails to follow these guidelines, its drivers may cause and be responsible for a truck accident involving individuals, passenger vehicles, and other trucks.

Truck Driver Fatigue and Truck Accidents

Truck driver fatigue is a serious problem that can lead to catastrophic accidents. Truck drivers in Texas may spend too many hours operating their vehicles. The FMCSA established rules that place limits on the maximum hours that truck drivers are permitted to operate their vehicles.

Trucking companies that operate vehicles seven days a week must limit the number of hours their drivers can operate their vehicles. Drivers cannot go beyond 70 hours of driving during any 8-day period of time. Also, all truck drivers must keep an accurate log of the time spent driving their trucks.

Most companies have automated systems that will lock the ignition once a specific number of hours are reached.

If trucking companies do not operate their vehicles seven days per week, then drivers cannot go beyond a maximum of 60 hours on duty during a seven-day time period. Truck drivers also must take 10 hours off at a minimum between shifts.

Truck drivers also may not drive more than eleven hours during one single 24-hour period. The total amount of time a truck driver may spend driving must not go beyond fourteen hours.

Truck drivers may become sleepy and drive too many hours without taking a break. These drivers are likely to fall asleep while driving and shift into other lanes or cross over the dividing line. Sleep-deprived truck drivers cannot make informed, alert decisions about their surrounding situations.

Some trucking companies may ignore these regulations to earn more money. These negligent actions can cause its truck drivers to die in trucking accidents. Many fatigued truckers may take a risk and drive more hours to meet delivery deadlines that cannot be completed under the current regulatory scheme.

At The Patel Firm, we utilize forensic evidence to prove that a driver or company was negligent when lack of sleep was a factor in a trucking accident. Our truck accident attorneys evaluate the truck driving logs to discover whether the trucking accident may have occurred due to service violations or federal regulatory violations.

Our attorneys will not only use the truck driver’s logbook to determine if service violations occurred in your situation. We will explore other forms of evidence, conduct a thorough investigation, and discover other ways the trucking companies have violated Texas laws.

We can analyze a variety of differences between the truck driver logbook and other important documents. Fuel receipts, scale tickets, point-to-point mileage distance, times on bills of lading, and toll tickets are just some of the materials we check for useful information. These records can help our team understand the reason behind a trucking accident and its consequences.

Our lawyers and investigators will discover evidence of service violations that other attorneys may not be able to discover due to inadequate experience and knowledge.

What Causes Truck Accidents?

Many factors such as poor lighting and dangerous weather conditions contribute to trucking accidents. In the Austin area, most trucking accidents occur because the truck driver, trucking company, or truck manufacturer was negligent.

Trucking companies and truck drivers need to make sure others on the road are safe, but the safety protocols are often ignored by both truck drivers and trucking companies.

The majority of truck accidents are caused by many different things. Lack of truck maintenance can lead to accidents started by fires. Truck drivers may also not possess adequate training. If a truck driver is reckless or aggressive, then this behavior is likely to cause an accident.

Also, truck driver fatigue is a leading cause of trucking accidents. Those trucking companies and truck drivers who violate federal safety regulations are more likely to cause trucking accidents. Some truck drivers may abuse alcohol and drugs while operating their vehicles, and this behavior can lead to trucking accidents.

Unbalanced cargo loads and overloaded trailers can also cause trucking accidents. Truck drivers may also use their cell phones while they are driving, and this increases the risk of getting into trucking accidents.

Trucking Driving Accidents and Injuries

Passenger vehicle occupants are going to suffer more severe injuries during a trucking accident. The National Institute of Traffic and Highway Safety produced a report indicating that approximately 70% of all fatalities and injuries occurring in trucking accidents are sustained by the driver and passengers in the car hit by the truck.

Many of these trucking accidents result in catastrophic injuries and permanent disabilities. Trucking accidents cause:

• Limb amputations
• Paralysis
• Internal organ injuries
• Brain injuries
• Spinal cord injuries
• Neck and back injuries
• Broken bones
• Rib and torso injuries
• Cuts and lacerations

These types of injuries can affect a person’s life forever. They may never be able to work again due to paralysis, or they may suffer cognitive decline due to a brain injury. Some truck accident victims may require years of therapeutic rehabilitation before they recover from their injuries. Many victims will also require daily care from a nurse or other medical professional. In the worst instances, trucking accidents can even end the victim’s life.

Victims of truck accidents may be able to recover the following types of damages in a trucking accident claim:

• Pain and suffering
• Current and future medical expenses
• Mental and emotional anguish
• Rehabilitation costs
• Lost earning capacity
• Lost wages

The lawyers at The Patel Firm can help you work with medical experts who will analyze the severity of your injuries and how these will affect your life years and decades down the road. Our team of attorneys will use this information to explain to a judge or jury the exact extent of the damages you suffered as a result of your injuries. These strategies will help us recover the maximum amount of financial compensation for you.

Truck Driving Accident Representation: Why You Require a Truck Accident Attorney

Truck driving accidents are serious, and the injuries suffered by an accident victim are often catastrophic. The complexities of these cases mean that you need an experienced Austin personal injury attorney to help you recover the maximum amount of monetary compensation.

Insurance companies will try to limit the amount of compensation they want to pay out to you, but our Austin trucking accident lawyers can help you protect your legal rights. They can diligently counter the tactics used by insurance companies and handle negotiations for you, leaving you free to focus on your accident recovery.

Our lawyers have years of experience and knowledge needed to litigate complex truck accident cases. They also know the issues and laws involved in these cases, as well as which legal options to explore for getting fair insurance settlements.

We will not allow the insurance companies to reduce or deny your financial compensation. You did not deserve to suffer during a truck driving accident, and you do not deserve to suffer its effects years after your truck driving accident.

Call Our Experienced Austin Truck Accident Lawyers Today to Schedule a Free Case Evaluation

Do not rest on your rights. You need to take action today to protect your legal rights and ensure that defending insurance companies cannot argue that you delayed filing your legal claims with the court.

Our attorneys will help you throughout every step of the litigation process, offering legal advice and answering any questions about your truck accident lawsuit. There’s no need to stress the intricacies of the law or procedure because this is a service we gladly handle for all our clients.

You can recover from your injuries while we work to push your suit through to settlement or trial. We can promise that we will work with integrity, compassion, and great attention to achieve the financial compensation you and your family deserve. Call our office today at 512-883-5171 or contact us online to schedule your free consultation with an experienced truck accident lawyer in Austin.

The Patel Firm Injury Accident Lawyers
512-883-5171
611 S Congress Ave Suite 215D
Austin, TX 78704