We have all had a moment while driving on a highway where we come close to a large truck and fear we may be hit. Luckily, this moment of fear does not result in anything for most of us.
However, some people are not always as lucky and will get into a commercial truck accident. These accidents can result in high medical expenses and other losses. Fortunately, you can contact an Austin truck accident lawyer for help with legal compensation.
If a truck has injured you or a loved one we may be able to help. Call the Austin personal injury lawyers at Zinda Law Group or complete our online contact form for a 100% free case evaluation.
Should You Get a Lawyer for a Truck Wreck in Austin, TX?
Companies use commercial trucks to transport products or materials for business purposes. Commercial trucks can weigh up to 80,000 pounds, thus causing serious damage and catastrophic injuries.
Commercial truck drivers are expected to follow a different set of rules than regular motor vehicle drivers. If you have been involved in a truck accident, understanding these rules is helpful when filing a legal claim against the truck driver or responsible party.
Our team has experience with the laws that govern commercial truck drivers and may be able to help you in securing the compensation you deserve after being involved in an accident. Find out more by contacting an Austin truck accident attorney now.
For a free legal consultation with a truck accidents lawyer serving Austin, call 800-863-5312
What Should You Do After an Austin Truck Accident?
Our team can help you review your steps following a truck wreck in Austin. Depending on your situation, an Austin truck accident lawyer may recommend that you:
Get Medical Attention in Austin
After an accident, the most important thing to do is visit a doctor. Injuries can range from mild to severe, but even small injuries require evaluation by a healthcare professional.
Doctors can also play an essential role in documenting your injuries, which can be used as evidence for your claim.
Report Your Austin Truck Accident
It is crucial that you contact law enforcement immediately. The police help get emergency dispatch to the scene to tend to injured parties and play a big role in recording information about the accident.
The police can file an official report on the accident. This report can be beneficial later on when your truck accident lawyer in Austin, TX, files a truck accident claim.
Document the Scene in Austin
Preserving necessary evidence is critical to prevailing on your claim. Beyond speaking with the police and getting a medical professional to evaluate your injuries, do everything you can to collect information about the scene of the crash.
This can include getting pictures or making quick notes of important memorable details. Memories fade as time goes on. Therefore, successfully documenting the accident scene as soon as possible will help your Austin truck accident lawyer immensely in proving your claims.
Contact an Austin Truck Accident Attorney
Those filing personal injury claims can get easily taken advantage of by insurance companies. If a truck has hit you, the best way to ensure you are being offered fair compensation is to hire an experienced attorney.
Our Austin truck accident lawyers at Zinda Law Group may be able to help.
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What Are Austin Truck Accident Statistics?
According to the Texas Department of Transportation, Texas has been in the top five for recorded semi-truck accidents in the country for the last ten years.
Crash data from the Texas Department of Transportation shows that Austin had over 15,000 motor vehicle crashes in 2017 alone. Over 1,000 of those motor vehicle crashes involved commercial motor vehicles, otherwise known as large commercial trucks.
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What Types of Truck Accident Claims do We Handle?
There can be many different types of claims that result from trucking accidents. A few of the claims an Austin truck accident lawyer will work with include, but are not limited to:
- Semi-truck accident claims
- Commercial truck accident claims
- Tractor-trailer accident claims
- Negligent hiring of truck driver claims
- Negligent operation of truck claims
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What Causes Austin Truck Accidents?
Several things can lead to a commercial truck collision or another type of truck accident. Here are a few of the common causes of truck accidents in Austin:
- Distracted driving
- Texting
- Speeding
- Improper commercial truck training
- Mechanical failure
- Fatigue
Your Austin truck accident attorney can dig into the causes of your collision to determine the causes in your case. We focus on your unique needs when you reach out to us after an Austin traffic crash.
How do You File an Austin Truck Accident Lawsuit?
Your Austin truck accident lawyer can walk you through each step of seeking compensation after a wreck with a big rig, 18-wheeler, semi-truck, or another large commercial vehicle. Take these steps:
Call an Austin Truck Accident Lawyer
If you cannot agree with the opposing party about fault and compensation, you may want to consider consulting an attorney. Trucking companies and insurance providers that represent them are much different than the typical insurance companies you would deal with after a car accident.
The insurance companies representing commercial truck drivers will act quickly and aggressively to try and avoid liability. Having an experienced Austin truck accident lawyer on your side is the best way to ensure you aren’t taken advantage of.
A truck accident attorney will seek the maximum compensation you may be entitled to.
Let a Lawyer Investigate Your Claim
Initiating a prompt and thorough investigation into the truck accident is a crucial step to gathering valuable evidence to fight your claim. Acting quickly after an accident is essential to gather the physical evidence resulting from a truck accident while it is still fresh.
In addition to documenting physical evidence, it is essential to interview witnesses, file official reports of property damage and physical injury, and consider hiring an accident reconstruction expert.
Consider Settlement Offers
Often the insurance provider for the trucking company will offer the victim of an accident a monetary amount if the victim agrees to cease pursuing further legal action. However, these settlement offers can often be minimal and inadequate.
If you refuse a settlement offer from an insurance company, you can pursue further legal action to receive the compensation you deserve.
Who Is Responsible for an Austin Truck Wreck?
Drivers who handle commercial trucks are expected to practice reasonable care when they drive on Texas roadways. A party who fails to exercise reasonable care will likely be deemed negligent and thus are liable for the accident.
When it comes to truck accidents, a lawyer may push forward with a case against:
The Austin Truck Driver
The court may hold a truck driver held liable if they fail to follow the rules and regulations used by their employer or the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
They may also be held liable if they are operating as an independent contractor, which limits their employer’s liability of the truck driver.
The Austin Trucking Company
Truck drivers are expected to follow specific local, state, and federal regulations, but so are their employers.
A lawyer may hold a trucking company liable for failing to obey these regulations, for negligent hiring or retention, or for engaging in practices that cause their drivers to engage in unsafe behavior. Your truck accident lawyer in Austin, TX, can review the company’s liability.
CASE RESULTS
Can You Cause an Austin Truck Wreck?
As mentioned above, truck accidents are often caused by a party’s negligence. This means that a truck driver, who owed a duty of care to other motorists, breached that duty and caused harm to another driver. However, sometimes, the blame can be attributed to both drivers.
Courts and insurance companies will analyze this under a theory of comparative negligence. If you are found to be partially at fault for your truck accident, this may affect your ability to recover.
How does Modified Comparative Fault Work?
Under Texas law, if you are at fault in a truck accident, you cannot receive 100% compensation for your damages. Texas follows a rule known as a modified comparative fault.
This rule allows a court to reduce the amount of your compensation based on your role in causing or failing to prevent the accident. If you are found to be more than 50% at fault for the accident, you may be barred from receiving any compensation.
Find out more about liability for these collisions with an Austin truck accident lawyer.
What Compensation Will You Get for Your Wreck?
You may be able to recover both economic and non-economic damages for your truck accident injury claim. Economic damages compensate you for your medical bills, property damage, lost wages, and other financially based injuries.
Non-economic damages are damages for your pain, suffering, and reduced quality of life. Calculating pain and suffering is not an exact science, but often attorneys multiply your economic damages by a number that represents the severity of your suffering.
Your truck accident attorney in Austin, TX, can focus on all the losses you sustained.
How Long do You Have to File After an Austin Truck Accident?
The statute of limitations is the legal time limit in which you are permitted to file a lawsuit for a specific type of lawsuit. For example, each state has a different statute of limitations for personal injury claims.
In Texas, you have two years from the date of your truck accident to file a claim for compensation for your injuries. However, once this date expires, you will no longer be eligible to recover compensation. Therefore, you must contact an Austin truck accident lawyer quickly.
Speak to Us About Your Austin Truck Accident
At Zinda Law Group, our team has helped thousands of injury victims get their lives back on track after a crash. We can help you pursue maximum compensation for medical bills, lost income, property damage, pain and suffering, and much more.
We also believe an injury victim should never have to worry about their ability to afford legal representation. That is why we offer 100% free consultation and why you will pay nothing unless we secure a favorable settlement, judgment, or verdict for your trucking accident case. That’s our No Fee Guarantee.
If you or a loved one has been injured in an 18-wheeler crash, call Zinda Law Group to receive your free consultation. Then work with an Austin truck accident lawyer now.
Our Awards
AWARDED TO JOHN C. (JACK) ZINDA BY THE NATIONAL TRIAL LAWYERS ASSOCIATION (2016-2020)
AWARDED TO JOHN C. (JACK) ZINDA (2009, 2011-2012, 2014-2021), JOE CAPUTO (2019-2021), BURGESS WILLIAMS (2019-2020), & NEIL SOLOMON (2020-2021)
AWARDED TO JACK ZINDA (2016-2020), JOE CAPUTO (2016 – 2020) & BURGESS WILLIAMS (2016-2017)
LIFETIME MEMBERS JOHN C. (JACK) ZINDA & JOE CAPUTO
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