Commercial trucks are much larger and heavier than regular passenger vehicles. When a truck accident occurs, those involved often sustain severe injuries and extensive property damage. At Hill Law Firm, our New Braunfels truck accident attorneys have the resources necessary to handle every aspect of these claims. If you or somebody you love has been injured in an accident caused by the negligence of a truck driver or trucking company, we want to make sure that you recover the compensation you are entitled to.
Turn to Hill Law Firm for Your Truck Accident Claim in New Braunfels
- At Hill Law Firm, we have the resources necessary to go toe-to-toe with truck companies, their insurance carriers, and their legal teams.
- We have a track record of success securing millions of dollars in compensation for our clients throughout the last decade.
- We take New Braunfels truck accident claims on a contingency fee basis, meaning that our clients will not have to pay any legal fees until we recover the money they need for their losses.
Do You Need an Attorney for a New Braunfels Truck Accident Claim?
Truck accident claims are immensely complex, particularly when compared to traditional vehicle accident cases. When an attorney gets involved, they will handle the entire investigation, which will include going head-to-head with the trucking company and insurance carriers. This means gathering:
- Video and photo surveillance from the incident
- Police and accident reports
- Statements from eyewitnesses
- Truck company safety records
- Truck driver safety history
- The truck’s electronic control module
- The truck driver’s electronic logging device
By gathering all of this evidence, an attorney will be ready to handle all negotiations with the insurance carriers in order to recover full compensation for their client.
Common Causes of Truck Accidents in Texas
Information available from the Texas Department of Transportation indicates that there were 414 fatal crashes involving semi-trucks or tractor-trailers across the state during the latest reporting year. However, we have to look beyond fatalities to gain a full understanding of how often accidents involving commercial motor vehicles occur. During that same reporting year, there were more than 32,000 total commercial motor vehicle crashes across this state.
These incidents occur in a wide variety of ways, often due to the careless or negligent actions of truck drivers or trucking companies. Truck drivers can cause these collisions in a variety of ways, including:
- Failing to abide by federal hours of service requirements
- Failing to yield the right of way
- Operating too fast for conditions
- Operating while impaired by alcohol or drugs
- Operating while distracted by phones or other devices
- Failing to properly inspect the truck before a trip
- Allowing the vehicle to be overloaded or improperly loaded
If a driver is a direct employee of a trucking company, the trucking company and their insurance carrier will likely be responsible for paying compensation to a victim. Additionally, the trucking company could be directly responsible for causing these crashes if they fail to regularly inspect and maintain their vehicles, fail to implement proper background checks on drivers, or fail to train their drivers appropriately.
What Types of Compensation Are Available for a Truck Accident Case?
Victims of truck accidents in New Braunfels may be entitled to various types of compensation for their losses. At Hill Law Firm, we work with trusted medical and economic experts to properly calculate our clients’ total losses, and we are regularly able to recover the following types of compensation in these cases:
- Coverage of all medical expenses related to the crash
- Physical therapy and rehabilitation expenses
- Compensation for medical devices and prescription medications
- Lost income if a victim cannot work
- Household out-of-pocket expenses caused by the crash
- Physical pain and suffering damages
- Emotional and psychological distress
- Loss of enjoyment of life damages
In cases where the actions of a truck driver or trucking company were grossly negligent or intentional, punitive damages may also be available. The total amount of compensation available to victims of these situations will vary depending on factors related to each situation, including the severity of the injuries, insurance caps, partial liability, and more.
How Does Partial Liability Affect These Claims?
Even if a person is partially responsible for causing an accident involving a truck in New Braunfels, they may still be able to recover compensation. Texas operates under a “modified comparative negligence” system. This means that individuals can recover compensation if they are 50 percent or less responsible for causing the incident. Any person who bears 51 percent of the fault or more will be barred from recovering compensation.
Under the modified comparative negligence system, a person will receive reduced compensation based on their percentage of fault. For example, if an individual sustained $100,000 worth of damages, but it is determined they were 20 percent responsible for causing the incident, they would receive $80,000 instead of the full compensation amount.
Time Limit for Filing a Truck Accident Claim
If you were injured in a truck accident caused by the negligence of another driver, please understand that you have a limited amount of time to file your case in civil court. The personal injury statute of limitations in Texas is two years from the date an accident occurs. Additionally, the insurance carriers involved in these cases usually require that the claim be filed within a few days after the incident occurs.
Contact a New Braunfels Truck Accident Attorney Today
If you or somebody you love has been injured in an accident caused by the actions of a truck driver or trucking company in the New Braunfels, Texas, area, let the team at Hill Law Firm help you today. Our compassionate and experienced auto accident attorneys in New Braunfels have the resources necessary to handle every aspect of these claims on your behalf, and we will not back down from aggressive insurance carriers. Even if we have to go all the way to trial, our goal is to make sure that you recover full compensation for your losses. When you need a New Braunfels truck accident attorney, you can contact us by clicking here for a free consultation or calling us at (210) 960-3939.