Looking for an 18 Wheeler Accident Lawyer San Antonio?
Why should you hire one?
How can the accident attorney help you?
Keep reading as we have gathered exactly the information that you need!
Let’s see who is a San Antonio truck accident attorney and why it’s important!
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Table of Contents
What Does A 18 Wheeler Accident Lawyer San Antonio Do
An 18 wheeler accident lawyer in San Antonio is a legal professional specialized in the laws applicable to trucks in the event of an accident, understands personal injury laws, and has experience in dealing with legal disputes involving the same.
In other words, when you hire a San Antonio truck accident attorney, you are looking to potentially file a claim in regards to damages you suffered resulting from a truck accident or you may want the attorney to defend you against a claim.
Lawyers can specialize in many areas of the law.
If you are dealing with a truck accident, traffic collision with a big rig, or any type of truck, you’ll want to work with lawyers who have knowledge in the trucking laws, personal injury laws, and other relevant laws but also have experience dealing with matters involving 18-wheeler accidents.
This means that truck accident attorneys San Antonio not only have the legal qualification to provide you advice and representation but also handle cases primarily related to San Antonio truck accidents.
Why Hire An 18 Wheeler Accident Lawyer San Antonio
Getting into an accident with an 18 wheeler in San Antonio can be quite a devastating, scary, and dangerous experience.
A collision with a truck, big rig, or any type of truck can result in more destruction, injuries, and even fatalities, than a collision with another car.
If you get into an accident with a truck, you may want to contact a trucking accident attorney San Antonio today to better understand your legal rights and obligations.
In some cases, you may decide not to hire an attorney as the accident was relatively small, there may have been no damages, or you may want to handle the claim yourself.
In other cases, you will want to hire a San Antonio truck accident lawyer to provide you with competent and qualified legal advice and representation.
The main reasons why you want to work with an 18 wheeler accident lawyer is to:
- Get legal advice on your rights and obligations
- Review the evidence to assess the merits of the case
- Review and understand medical records
- Review police reports
- Find missing evidence or gaps in the case
- Define a claim strategy
- Deal with insurance companies and handle insurance claims
- Draft and file a lawsuit to claim damages
- Go to trial and handle a truck accident litigation
In case you are not sure if an attorney can help you or not, in many cases, the San Antonio truck accident attorneys will offer an initial consultation at no charge to you to evaluate your case.
Most accident claims must follow a specific process for the claim to be valid and admissible.
If you do not follow the required steps, you may lose your rights to compensation or reduce your chances of getting any settlement compensation.
You may want to contact a few lawyers and truck accident law firms in your area to speak with them and see how they can bring you value.
Common Causes of Truck Accidents
What are the common causes of truck accidents in San Antonio?
Every year, countless drivers get into transportation accidents.
For many, they can walk away from the accident suffering property damage but being physically unharmed.
However, others may get into severe accidents that can potentially lead to deaths.
Here are the most common reasons why trucks get into accidents on the road:
- Failure to look at their blind spot
- Excessive loads
- Driver fatigue
- Reckless driving
- Poor truck maintenance
- Truck defective parts
- Excessive speeding
- Tire blowouts
- Mechanical failures
- Failure to obey traffic laws
- Distracted driver
- Texting while driving
- Failure to keep log of hours
- Dangerous lane changes
- Improper turns
- Aggressive driving
In some cases, the driver of the truck is at fault while in other cases, others may be at fault (like product manufacturers for defective parts).
If an accident results in personal injury or damages, you may have a personal injury claim to pursue.
It’s best that you call a truck accident attorney San Antonio to present the facts and seek legal guidance.
Where San Antonio Truck Accidents Occur The Most
Although you can have 18 wheeler accidents anywhere in San Antonio, you’ll often see accidents involving tractor trucks and big rigs in the highways and interstates in San Antonio.
You have Interstate 35 (the PanAm Expressway) where traffic flows from the North and South where many commercial trucks and vehicles pass through.
You then have Interstate 10 that runs through central San Antonio connecting East and West Texas.
Interstate 10 is often congested and truck drivers that are not careful can end up smashing into slow traffic at high speeds.
Then, there’s Interstate 37 being the main road used by commercial traffic to move between San Antonio and Corpus Christi in Texas.
The more trucks and commercial vehicles on the road, the more there are increased risks of an accident.
Finally, you have Loop 410 or the Connally Loop being a beltway around San Antonio where you have trucks, 18-wheelers, tractors, and big rigs moving around town.
What To Do After A Truck Accident
If you get into an accident with a truck in San Antonio, you must make sure that you follow certain steps to ensure that you protect your legal rights.
Keep in mind that under Texas laws, a negligent truck driver will need to compensate you for the damages and injuries you suffered.
If the driver has insurance, then you may be able to obtain compensation from the insurance company.
Nonetheless, following an accident with a truck, you must:
- Call the police and file a police report
- If you are injured or someone is injured, seek medical treatment immediately
- Get the information of the other drivers involved in the accident
- Get the information of any witnesses on the scene
- Take pictures or video of the scene of the accident
- Obtain the other driver’s insurance information
Once you’ve got the medical attention that you need, it’s best that you collect all the evidence and documents relating to your case and consult with an 18-wheeler accident lawyer San Antonio to assess your legal options.
Common Types of Truck Accident Injuries
Unlike car accidents, truck accidents are generally more serious, may result in greater property damage, and potentially more serious injuries (even death).
Here are the most common types of truck accident injuries:
- Brain trauma
- Severe lacerations
- Whiplash
- Broken bones
- Post-traumatic stress
- Spinal cord injuries
- Disfigurement
- Burns
- Paralysis
- Death
- Disc injuries
- Ligament injuries
- Limb loss
- Organ damage
- Internal bleeding
- Wrongful death
- Paraplegia
- Quadriplegia
- Amputation
- Nerve damage
This list is not exhaustive.
It’s important to consult with a good lawyer to assess the injuries suffered and see if you can pursue the at-fault party or any involved insurance company for compensation.
Damages Resulting From San Antonio Truck Accident
What are the damages that you can claim following a San Antonio truck accident?
In accordance with personal injury laws, generally speaking, a person is entitled to seek compensation to repair the damages suffered.
An injured driver or motorist can claim the following types of damages:
- Economic damages
- Non-economic damages
- Punitive damages
Economic damages are damages awarded to reimburse the victim’s actual financial losses such as:
- Medical bills
- Vehicle repair costs or replacement costs
- Lost wages
- Transportation expenses
- Medical equipment costs
- Physiotherapy
- Future medical bills
Non-economic damages are damages awarded to a person to compensate him or her for pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, anxiety, stress, loss of consortium, loss of companionship, or other types of non-financial damages.
Finally, in some extreme cases, punitive damages may be awarded to punish those drivers that acted in a socially irresponsible and reckless manner.
The assessment of damages in every case may be different and so there’s no cookie-cutter approach in evaluating how much each case will potentially be worth in damages.
Overall, a personal injury attorney is qualified to evaluate the case and assess how much damages you may get as fair compensation for the injuries suffered.
Who May Be At Fault
We immediately assume that a truck accident is naturally caused by the truck driver (this being a fair assumption).
However, in some cases, when the facts of the case are analyzed, you may find that other parties may be responsible for the accident.
When working with truck accident and 18-wheeler attorneys in San Antonio, you will be able to identify who may be at fault and seek compensation from the right party.
If you do not file a claim against the right person who may be at fault, it’s possible that you lose a perfectly valid claim on such unfortunate technicalities.
Here are some of the parties that may be responsible or liable to compensate you for your damages:
- The truck driver
- The truck driver’s employer
- The truck manufacturer
- Truck parts manufacturers
- The government
There are particular and unique statutes, laws, and regulations that may apply to trucks and truck drivers.
It’s important to have a good understanding of all the applicable laws to ensure that the right party is held accountable to compensate for your damages.
Truck Accident Statistics In Texas
According to the Texas Department of Transportation, semi-trailers and tractor trucks accounted for nearly 25,000 accidents in Texas in 2017.
3,300 of the truck accidents resulted in injuries up to an including incapacitating injuries.
Unfortunately, 433 of such accidents resulted in at least one or more death or fatality.
There’s no doubt that trucks pose a significant risk on the road.
The more the population in Texas grows, the more the economy will grow, and the more you may see trucks and 18-wheelers on the road.
If you end up in an accident with a big truck, you may want to contact a San Antonio truck accident lawyer for guidance and legal support.
18-Wheeler Accident Lawyer San Antonio Takeaways
So there you have it folks!
Getting into an accident with a large 18-wheeler can be very scary and dangerous.
In San Antonio, you have three major interstates where you see 18-wheelers quite often (I-35, I-37, and I-10).
Due to their sheer size, a San Antonio truck accident can lead to catastrophic injuries and cause significant devastation.
If you or a loved one have been injured in a truck accident, the most prudent thing to do is to immediately contact a San Antonio 18 wheeler accident lawyer or law firm to get legal advice and representation on your rights and obligations.
Whether you are the one claiming or a claim is filed against you, it’s important to know what are the legal steps to take following an accident with a big rig or truck.
In some cases, an accident is caused by the negligence of the driver (driver fatigue) but in other cases it may be the fault of a third party (mechanical failures due to product defects).
Hiring the right attorney can make the difference between getting fair compensation or potentially nothing at all.
If you find an attorney with significant trial experience, a proven track record, and adequate resources to handle your claim, you will generally be in good hands.
Let’s look at a summary of our findings.
Why Call A 18 Wheeler Accident Lawyer San Antonio (Texas)
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