A Semi-Truck Hit My Car: How to Get an Accident Lawyer
If you have been injured in a crash involving a semi-truck, it is in your best interest to contact an accident lawyer to help with your claim. Semi-truck crashes are often devastating, resulting in serious property damage and potentially life-altering injuries. An accident lawyer can help you receive financial compensation for the damages you have suffered.
What Makes Semi-Truck Accidents So Dangerous
A semi-truck alone can weigh between 10,000 and 25,000 pounds. Once hooked up to a fully loaded trailer, the combined weight of the truck and trailer can reach 80,000 pounds. To compare, the average car weighs about 4,095 pounds.
With those numbers, you can see why semi-truck crashes are so dangerous. The average motorist stands little chance of escaping injury when their vehicle is struck by a negligent truck driver. The faster the semi is going, the greater the impact and the more catastrophic the damage.
Common injuries suffered by victims of semi-truck accidents include:
- Traumatic head injuries (TBIs)
- Neck injuries
- Spinal cord and back injuries
- Fractures and broken bones
- Soft tissue injuries
- Facial injuries
- Wrongful death
Who Can I Sue if a Commercial Vehicle Hit Me?
It may seem obvious who is at fault for your crash. However, in semi-truck accidents, the truck driver’s employer or other parties may be negligent as well. This is a concept known as “respondeat superior.” In simple terms, this means an employer can be held liable for the actions of their employees if the employee were acting within the scope of their job.
So, while an accident lawyer may pursue a claim against the truck driver, they might also seek compensation on your behalf from the driver’s employer. This could occur if:
- The truck company failed to conduct a thorough background check on the driver
- The company failed to conduct random drug and alcohol testing on driver
- The truck company did not properly maintain its fleet of trucks
- The driver’s employer failed to suspend or fire drivers for violations of FMCSA regulations, laws, or driver fitness requirements
In addition to the driver and their employer, a truck accident lawyer may also sue truck manufacturers or manufacturers of vehicle parts if a faulty component contributed to your crash.
Work truck accidents are subject to similar regulations even if they are not “large trucks” like tractor-trailers.
How Will a Lawyer Help Prove Negligence?
If you choose to work with a lawyer after being hit by a commercial truck, your lawyer’s primary responsibility will be to establish negligence. This is the basis by which you will be able to seek compensation from the truck driver and their employer.
To establish liability, a lawyer may:
- Collect evidence dealing with the circumstances that led to your accident
- Gather witness testimony
- Consult with expert witnesses, including medical professionals and experts from the trucking industry
- Research the laws and regulations that may apply to the truck driver and their employer
- Serve as your representative in settlement negotiations or in trial
Behaviors that Can Result in a Semi-Truck Accident
Negligent or reckless driving behaviors can greatly increase the chances a semi-crash will occur. These include:
- Tailgating or driving too closely to the car in front of you (this may be the case if you were rear-ended by a commercial vehicle)
- Speeding
- Unsafe lane changes or turns
- Failure to use turn signals
- Failure to check blind spots before changing lanes or merging
- Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol
- Driving while fatigued
- Distracted driving
- Aggressive driving
Depending on the severity of your crash and the behavior of the truck driver, some of these behaviors may result in legal charges. If the truck driver or their employer faces criminal charges, this will not prevent you from filing a civil lawsuit. You are still able to seek compensation for your injuries and damages.
How to Get an Accident Lawyer for Your Semi-Truck Accident
If you were injured in a crash with a semi-truck, call Thomas J. Henry Law today. We have represented truck accident victims for nearly 30 years. Our firm has secured record-breaking verdicts and settlements on our clients’ behalf, and we remain committed to holding negligent truck drivers and trucking companies accountable.
We have lawyers in cities across Texas to assist you with your claim. Also, because we work on a contingency fee basis, you pay us nothing unless and until we win your truck accident lawsuit. Call now for your free case consultation. Our semi-truck attorneys are standing by 24/7 to assist you with your claim.
