If a semi-truck, 18-wheeler, or commercial truck accident has turned your life upside down, you could be entitled to significant compensation. However, pursuing a successful truck accident case is far more challenging than you would expect, especially if you’re recovering from severe injuries. Fortunately, you don’t have to handle it alone.
The San Antonio truck accident lawyers of The Patel Firm can deal with the trucking and insurance companies on your behalf while you focus on your treatment. Our lawyers have extensive experience representing victims and their families and assisting them in recovering medical expenses, lost wages, and other types of compensation.
Contact our firm for a free, no-obligation case evaluation with a highly qualified truck accident attorney in San Antonio. During your initial consultation, we’ll walk you through the truck insurance claims process and provide a general estimate of what your case could be worth. You pay nothing out of pocket for us to get started, and there are no fees unless we win your case.
Why You Should Hire a San Antonio Attorney for Your Truck Accident Claim
Hiring a truck accident lawyer in San Antonio to handle your claim is the best way to maximize your compensation. Without a lawyer on your side, the trucking company’s insurer will take advantage of you and offer a settlement well below what your case is truly worth. They do this knowing that you won’t have the knowledge and experience to fight back and advocate for yourself.
When you hire a lawyer from The Patel Firm for your truck accident claim, we’ll investigate the accident, gather strong evidence, and negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf for a fair settlement. If the insurer refuses to settle your case, your lawyer can file a truck accident lawsuit and take your case to court to seek the maximum compensation.
Another key benefit of hiring a lawyer is that nobody wants to deal with insurance companies or the legal system while injured. Your lawyer can handle your case while you focus on your recovery, removing a significant amount of stress from your life.
Contact us today to speak with a qualified truck accident lawyer in San Antonio. Your case review is free and fully confidential.
How We Investigate San Antonio Truck Accident Cases
Accidents involving big rigs are often complex. For this reason, a thorough investigation into the accident is necessary to collect the right evidence and build a strong case.
Some of the ways our truck accident law firm will investigate the incident include the following:
- Taking photographs of the accident scene that show the road conditions, skid marks, and relevant traffic signs and signals
- Obtaining traffic, surveillance, and dashboard camera footage of the accident
- Collecting eyewitness statements that corroborate your claims and the other available evidence
- Hiring expert witnesses, including crash reconstruction specialists, medical professionals, and trucking industry insiders, to testify on your behalf
- Identifying all of the at-fault parties, so we can hold each of them financially liable for their role in causing your truck accident injuries
What Compensation Could I Recover in a San Antonio Truck Accident Claim?
The truck accident compensation you could recover through your claim in San Antonio covers various types of losses related to the incident. Common losses you could seek compensation for include the following:
- Past and future medical expenses related to the accident
- Lost wages and loss of earning potential caused by injuries
- Physical pain and suffering caused by injuries
- Emotional distress, including post-traumatic stress disorder, caused by the accident
- Permanent disability accommodations and the impact the disability has on your life
- Loss of consortium, if your injuries impact your marital relationship
- Expenses related to repairing or replacing your damaged or lost property, including your vehicle
- Wrongful death in the case of a fatal truck accident
Why Are Trucking Accidents More Complicated Than Other Motor Vehicle Crashes?
Trucking accidents are more complicated than other motor vehicle crashes for several key reasons, including the severity of injuries caused, the number of parties involved, and the role federal trucking regulations play.
Typically, injuries caused by truck accidents are more severe than those seen in car crashes due to the significant forces involved. Trucks are far heavier than personal vehicles, meaning when they collide with your car, the impact can have an even more devastating effect on your body.
Additionally, trucking accidents often involve multiple at-fault parties, including the driver, the trucking company, and the cargo loader. They may also involve several injured parties. The more parties involved in a case, the more complicated it becomes by default.
What Are the Federal Trucking Regulations?
When seeking compensation for injuries sustained in a truck accident, it’s crucial that you work with a lawyer with extensive experience with federal trucking regulations established by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
Some of the most important trucking regulations are the hours of service regulations, which limit how long a truck driver can be behind the wheel without a break. These regulations are in place to prevent fatigued driving, which is a major cause of accidents.
There are also cargo securement regulations, which identify the types of securement devices and the number of tiedowns required for various kinds of cargo. Failing to follow these regulations could lead to cargo shifting or falling during transit.
And there are special insurance requirements for commercial trucks, which vary based on their weight and the type of cargo they transport. These trucks must have between $300,000 and $5 million in liability insurance.
Who Could Be Held Liable for a Truck Accident in San Antonio?
Depending on the circumstances of the truck accident, several parties could be held liable. When there are multiple liable parties, which is often the case with truck accidents, each party is typically only liable for their percentage of fault.
Parties commonly held liable in San Antonio truck accident cases can include the following:
- Truck drivers
- Trucking companies
- Cargo loaders
- Maintenance providers
- Truck manufacturers
- Government entities
- Other motorists
At The Patel Firm, our lawyers can identify all at-fault parties and gather the necessary evidence to prove their liability, whether it’s data from the truck’s onboard computers showing the driver was speeding or evidence that the cargo loaders failed to follow federal securement regulations.
Could I Recover Compensation if I’m Partly to Blame for a Truck Accident?
If you are partly to blame for the truck accident that caused your injuries in San Antonio, you may still be eligible to recover compensation.
Texas uses a proportionate responsibility rule, also known as modified comparative negligence. Under this rule, you can still recover compensation as long as you are less than 51 percent at fault for the accident. However, your awarded compensation will be reduced by your percentage of fault.
For example, if a jury awards you $100,000 but determines that you were 40 percent at fault for the accident because you were speeding, you could still recover $60,000, which is 40 percent less than the jury award.
How Long Do I Have to File a Truck Accident Lawsuit in Texas?
Texas’s statute of limitations for truck accidents only gives victims two years to file lawsuits against the parties responsible for their injuries. Filing after the deadline passes will result in the court dismissing your case without a hearing.
By working with an experienced truck accident lawyer from The Patel Firm, you can eliminate the risk of missing this strict deadline. However, it’s essential that you speak with a lawyer as soon as possible, so they can begin building your case before the deadline approaches.
What Are Common Types and Causes of Truck Accidents in San Antonio?
Understanding the type of truck accident you were involved in can play a crucial role in determining who is liable for the incident. Common types of truck accidents and their causes include the following:
- Head-on collisions caused by the truck straying into oncoming traffic due to driver fatigue, intoxication, or distraction
- Rear-end collisions caused by the truck not stopping in time due to driver inattention or overloaded cargo increasing its weight
- Underride accidents, where a smaller vehicle gets caught under the truck’s trailer after the truck fails to yield the right of way and turns in front of oncoming traffic
- Jackknife accidents caused by the truck driver slamming on the brakes while speeding or in slippery conditions
- Rollover accidents caused by the truck taking a turn too quickly or improperly secured cargo shifting during transit, causing a weight imbalance
Roads in and around San Antonio where truck accidents are most likely to occur include I-35, Loop 1604, Loop 410, I-10, U.S. Route 90, and Culebra Road.
What Are Typical Injuries Resulting from a Truck Collision?
Typical injuries resulting from a truck collision can be catastrophic, leading to permanent disability or, in some cases, death. Truck accident injury types that are commonly seen in these accidents include the following:
- Traumatic brain injuries caused by severe blows to or shaking of the head
- Spinal cord injuries resulting in chronic pain or paralysis
- Broken bones, including the femur, which is the strongest bone in the body
- Crushing and amputation injuries caused by limbs being caught in the wreckage
- Internal organ damage due to the blunt force trauma the body experiences during the crash
- Soft tissue injuries affecting the muscles, ligaments, and tendons
- Psychological injuries, such as PTSD, anxiety, and depression, caused by the accident itself or the resulting physical injuries
Contact a Truck Accident Lawyer in San Antonio Today
After a serious semi-truck accident in Texas, you need a lawyer who will aggressively fight for your right to seek compensation. You need a San Antonio truck accident attorney from The Patel Firm.
Our firm has a solid track record of success for accident victims throughout Texas, and our lawyers are available 24/7 and have quick response times for calls, messages, and emails. We also emphasize strong yet personalized representation and close client relationships, so you’ll never be treated like just a case number.
Contact us today for a free, no-obligation truck accident case evaluation and to learn more about the next steps toward recovering the compensation you need. Your consultation is fully confidential, and there are no fees unless we recover compensation for you.