Driving a commercial work truck in San Antonio, Texas, involves a high level of skill and attention to the roads. A commercial truck driver must always be sharply aware of speed, blind spots, and the space around the truck. For these reasons, truckers must undergo specialized training and follow regulations that protect their safety and that of other drivers.
Truck accidents can still happen for many reasons, even with proper training and rules. If you or a loved one were hurt in a commercial truck accident in San Antonio, TX, you may have legal options. These include the right to financial compensation for your injuries. Costs such as medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more can be recovered in a personal injury claim. A San Antonio commercial work truck accident lawyer can help you understand your options.
Contact George Salinas Injury Lawyers for a free case evaluation with a San Antonio commercial work truck accident attorney. Call us at (210) 225-0909
How George Salinas Injury Lawyers Can Help After a Commercial Work Truck Accident in San Antonio
George Salinas Injury Lawyers has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation for injured clients. If you were injured in a commercial work truck accident, our San Antonio truck accident attorneys are also prepared to fight for you to receive justice.
When you hire our San Antonio personal injury lawyers, we can do the following:
- Investigate your case
- Discuss your options
- Handle communications with insurance companies and defense attorneys
- Negotiate for a fair settlement agreement
- Represent you in court
Contact our law office in San Antonio, TX, to learn more about how our San Antonio commercial work truck accident attorneys can help with your case.
What Is a Commercial Truck?
There are many different types of trucks on the roads in Texas, including commercial vehicles.
Commercial trucks can include:
- Cement mixer trucks
- Dump trucks
- Asphalt pavers
- Transit mixer trucks
- Crane trucks
- “Cherry Picker” trucks
- Other large construction or utility trucks.
All of these trucks and other commercial trucks are dangerous due to their large sizes and heavy weights. When a large commercial truck carrying cement, asphalt, or heavy equipment strikes a typical passenger vehicle, the results can be disastrous.
How Can Commercial Truck Accidents Happen?
Most commercial work trucks are made to do specific tasks, like hauling heavy loads or lifting cranes for workers that need to reach tall heights. To achieve these tasks, a truck relies on built-in equipment that tends to distribute weight unevenly within the truck. This can make a truck more prone to certain types of accidents.
Typical accidents associated with commercial work trucks can include:
- Rollovers
- Jackknife accidents
- T-bone accidents
- Tire blowouts
- Wide turns
- Blind spot accidents
- Head-on collisions
- Rear-end crashes
- Accidents due to mechanical failures or defects.
Any of these accidents can have devastating impacts on those involved, including other drivers and pedestrians. At times, these can be true accidents, but in other situations, carelessness or negligence can be involved. If the truck driver was negligent in any way, they or their employer can be liable for damages.
What Damages Are Available to Commercial Work Truck Accident Victims?
As you can see, a truck accident can be caused by many different factors. Some cases require extensive investigation to find out who is liable and who should pay for the victim’s damages. Damages after a truck accident can include economic damages such as medical bills, lost wages, and property damage. They can also include non-economic damages like pain, suffering, or loss of companionship.
A Texas truck accident lawyer can investigate the facts of the crash, hire expert witnesses, and negotiate with at-fault parties and their attorneys – all in effort to get what you deserve after a devastating accident.
Who Is Liable in a Commercial Work Truck Accident?
Liability in a commercial work truck crash is usually more complicated to determine than in standard passenger vehicle accidents. The exact cause of the crash must be determined to establish fault. For example, if a truck driver falls asleep at the wheel, one would assume the driver alone was responsible for the crash. However, if an investigation finds the driver was pressured by the trucking company to log more hours per day than federal regulations allow, the employer could be found liable.
In any truck accident case, different people or entities could be responsible or even share liability.
Negligence could be assigned to:
- The truck’s driver. A driver owes a duty of care to other drivers to operate the truck safely. This means following the rules of the road, paying attention, avoiding reckless traffic maneuvers, and not driving when impaired by alcohol or drugs.
- The trucking company. Truck companies have a duty to hire properly trained drivers and to screen their employees for any issues. They are also responsible for keeping their trucks maintained properly and fixing known issues with their vehicles. Failure to do either one of these can have serious consequences and lead to legal liability for the truck company.
- The truck’s manufacturer. Design flaws and mechanical defects start with the truck manufacturer. Drivers and their employers can’t be presumed to know about a hidden defect in the truck’s design or manufacture. If a crash stems from a dangerous defect within the truck itself, the manufacturer can be responsible for paying the accident victims.
- Tire manufacturers. In some cases, neither the driver, truck company, or even the truck manufacturer is responsible. Tire blowouts are a leading cause of truck accidents. At times, these are due to normal wear and tear on the tire. On the other hand, blowouts could be caused by negligence by the tire’s manufacturer. Investigations can lead to a faulty tire being the cause of a serious truck crash.
- Third-party maintenance crews. If a maintenance crew fails to perform proper care and maintenance on the truck, dangerous issues can be overlooked. Potential problems like faulty brakes and loose bolts can lead to a truck crash even if the driver is using care and caution on the road.
Contact Our San Antonio Commercial Work Truck Accident Lawyer for a Free Consultation
If you or a loved one has been injured in a truck accident in San Antonio, Texas, George Salinas Injury Lawyers will use our knowledge and resources on your behalf. To learn more about your next steps and legal options in a truck accident case, contact our San Antonio commercial work truck accident attorneys and schedule your free consultation today.