San Antonio Truck Injuries
At The Ammons Law Firm, we handle all cases related to truck accidents. Truck accident cases are complex because there are often multiple parties involved who share responsibility. In fact, you may have been involved in a crash with a big rig and think you might be at fault. However, commercial truck accidents are very complex and involve many factors. It is best to consult with a trained and experienced lawyer to help determine who is responsible for your injuries.
- If you are unsure whether the trucking company is legally responsible for your injuries, let us investigate your case to determine if the trucker contributed to the crash.
Because of the risk trucks pose on our roadways, truckers are regulated by strict rules and must operate their vehicles with the highest standard of care. Additionally, trucking companies must adhere to strict safety, maintenance, and repair standards designed to prevent accidents.
When you are in a crash with an 18-wheeler, you need to know what the trucker and the company were doing before the crash to determine liability. At The Ammons Law Firm, we immediately begin the investigation by gathering all records of the driver’s conduct to ensure crucial evidence is not destroyed. Additionally, we take action to preserve the 18-wheeler to ensure the electronic data—speed, braking distance, steering movements, etc.—from before the crash is downloaded. To hold the wrongdoers accountable, the evidence from the crash must be preserved.
- We need to inspect the truck and all records as soon as possible to make sure the evidence is not lost or destroyed by the trucking company.
Dangers of 18-Wheeler Accidents
Examples of commercial motor vehicles (CMV) include:
- Big rigs (also known as semis, tractor-trailers, or 18-wheelers)
- Box trucks (also known as single-unit or straight trucks)
- Cargo vans
- City, coach, or school buses
- Delivery vans
- Dump trucks
When accidents involve commercial trucks, the passengers in the non-commercial vehicle are 6 to 10 times more likely to suffer injury or death than passengers in the truck. Collisions with trucks kill more people than accidents involving planes, trains, ships, and interstate buses combined. Unfortunately, these tragedies are no stranger to our roadways. In 2020, Texas led the nation in truck accident fatalities.
Receiving Financial Compensation for San Antonio Truck Accident Injuries
If you are involved in an 18-wheeler crash, you have the right to bring a personal injury lawsuit against the party responsible for your injuries and recover compensation for your harm. Under Texas law, this right to recover compensation entitles you to receive both economic and non-economic damages.
Economic Damages in Tractor-Trailer Crashes
Economic damages are best thought of as the financial harm or out-of-pocket expenses caused by your injury. When you suffer an injury, hospital bills, doctor bills, physical therapy, and prescription medicines are all economic damages.
Economic damages also include lost wages or changes in your future income.
A trained truck accident attorney will help you identify all economic damages you are entitled to and hold the wrongdoer responsible for all financial harm you suffered by their actions.
Non-economic Damages in Tractor-Trailer Crashes
Non-economic damages include the emotional, mental, and physical harm recoverable under the law. These damages are often substantial and include your physical pain and suffering, emotional and mental anguish, and even changes in your quality of life. To properly hold the wrongdoer responsible for non-economic damages and get the maximum compensation you are entitled to, you will need a trained lawyer with experience handling truck crashes.
18-Wheeler Wreck Attorneys Help Increase Damages Recovered
Working with a trained truck accident attorney can significantly increase the total damages you recover. To recover damages, you must be able to identify and prove the harm caused by the wrongdoer’s actions. While this may seem simple, reducing feelings of sadness and sensations of pain to a dollar value is complex and requires trained experts.
At The Ammons Law Firm, we work with economists, psychologists, life care planners, medical doctors, and other industry experts to make sure all harm you have suffered and will continue to suffer is accounted for and properly valued under the law.
You are entitled to compensation under the law as long as the wrongdoer was at least 50% responsible for your injuries
Additionally, a trained lawyer will help you recover compensation in difficult cases where you may be partially responsible for the accident. Under Texas law, you can recover from the wrongdoer for the harm you have suffered even if you are partly responsible as long as the wrongdoer is at least 50% responsible for the accident.
For example, if it is determined that you are 30% responsible and the trucking company is 70% responsible, the trucking company is liable for 70% of your damages. Further, there are many times when the trucking company is responsible, even when you think you caused the crash.
For instance, we handle cases for clients across the country who run into 18-wheelers stopped on the shoulder of busy highways. At first, it might seem our clients are responsible for hitting a parked truck; however, truckers cannot park anywhere they want without taking federally regulated precautions because, on a busy highway, it is only a matter of time before their truck will be hit by a passing vehicle.
Holding the Trucking Company Responsible for your Damages
To recover damages for the harm you suffered in an accident, you must prove that the wrongdoer is legally responsible for your injuries. This is done in a court of law.
Proving that the wrongdoer is responsible for your accident and injuries requires a skilled trial lawyer with experience in the courtroom. Unfortunately, trial law is a dying skill, and many firms have never tried a case before a jury. At The Ammons Law Firm, our founding partner has been Board Certified in personal injury trial law since 1994. We handle every case as if it were going to trial, which motivates the wrongdoer to settle the claim instead of risking the company’s fate at a trial against us.
When the wrongdoer knows they are fighting true trial lawyers, they have a strong incentive to settle the case quickly and for a fair amount
You do not want to go to trial with a lawyer that has never been to trial. And you do not want the wrongdoer to know your lawyer is not a real trial lawyer. At The Ammons Law Firm, you can have confidence that your case will be handled with care and prepared as if it were going to trial from the moment we begin working on your behalf.
Truck Driver Actions That Can Hold the Company Responsible
There are unlimited situations that can lead to a truck accident. However, some of the more common causes of big rig wrecks we see include:
- Distracted Driving
- Driver fatigue and Hours of Service Violations
- Speeding, improper lane changes, and other traffic violations
- Violation of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations
- Failing to maintain and inspect the vehicle properly
- Inadequate training
- Parking on the side of the road
- Drug use and intoxication
Many of these potential causes are difficult to identify at the time of the crash and require a detailed investigation following the accident to identify and prove. At The Ammons Law Firm, we immediately take the steps necessary to discover information related to each of these common causes to make sure all wrongdoing is identified and accounted for.
Product Defects and Other Parties that May be Responsible
Although the majority of 18-wheeler crashes are caused by driver error, there are many accidents caused by factors outside the control of the driver or the company. Product defects occur when a product does not perform as intended, causing severe injury and death.
One of the most common product defects we see on 18-wheelers is defective tires. Tire blowouts occur for many reasons and can be the result of defects present from the time the tire was manufactured. This is a serious risk that causes accidents across the nation.
If you are injured in a truck accident, it is important to have the truck inspected by truck accident attorneys for defects that contributed to or caused the accident. Manufacturers are liable for all harm caused by a defective product.
Injuries Suffered in 18-Wheeler Crashes
Trucks are much larger than standard passenger vehicles and often cause catastrophic injuries and death to innocent victims.
No matter the injuries you have suffered, you are entitled to compensation from the wrongdoer. At The Ammons Law Firm, we help clients who suffer life-altering injuries.
- Spinal Cord Injuries
- Head and Brain Injuries
- Burn Injuries
- Amputation Injuries
- Back Injuries
- Fractures and Broken Bones
Common Truck Crashes in San Antonio
Because of the weight and length of an 18-wheeler, trucks pose a greater risk on San Antonio’s roadways than standard passenger vehicles. At The Ammons Law Firm, we have handled truck accident cases for over thirty years and have found that truck crashes tend to follow a similar pattern. Specifically, there are five types of accidents that we see on a repeated basis:
- Jackknife Truck Accidents
- Rear-end Collisions
- Underride Wrecks
- Shoulder-of-the-Road Crashes
- Rollover Accidents
If you have been involved in an 18-wheeler accident, our attorneys will identify all wrongdoers and hold them accountable for all harm you have suffered.
Statute of Limitations in Truck Accident Lawsuits
Under Texas law, personal injury claims are subject to a two-year statute of limitations. While there may be exceptions to this rule depending on the facts and circumstances of your case, under most situations, your claim for recovery must be brought within two years of the date of injury. Failure to file a claim within the two-year period prevents you from bringing your claim.
While the law provides two years to file a claim for personal injuries, it is generally wise to begin the legal process as soon as practicable following your injury. As mentioned above, holding the responsible parties liable for your injuries is an information-based process. The quicker information is secured from the wrongdoers, the less likely the information will be lost or destroyed.
Contact an Experienced San Antonio 18-Wheeler Accident Attorney
At The Ammons Law Firm, we aim to help every client receive the financial compensation they need to move forward from a life-altering accident without financial stress. We are dedicated to our client’s interests and work tirelessly to see every client receive the compensation they deserve. If you have been injured in an 18-wheeler accident and want to recover maximum compensation under the law, contact our San Antonio truck accident lawyers today.
