How can I get the best Houston 18-wheeler accident lawyer? Getting a lawyer or an attorney in an 18-wheeler accident today is very important especially if you are a victim of the reckless driving of an 18-wheeler truck on Houston, Texas roads. You can file a lawsuit against the truck company or the driver of the truck. This is because of the devastating injuries one can incur from the crashes involving an 18 wheeler vehicle or larger trucks and other commercial vehicles. The driver of the truck and the passenger of the smaller vehicles are at a potential risk of experiencing severe injuries. In most cases, both parties involved in truck accident do not survive. With the help of a truck or car accident lawyer, you can be awarded a claim for your injuries and damages from the truck insurance company.
If you are already a victim who sustained injuries in a truck accident in Houston, it is time for you to find the best 18-wheeler accident attorney near me with certified experience, knowledge and capacity to handle your case and win. In this post, we will be recommending some certified injury attorneys with proven track records in Houston, Texas who can honorably represent individuals involved in trucking accidents.
Facts About 18 Wheelers
It is important you understand some facts about the 18 wheelers truck. The truck is under the categories of motor vehicles that are mainly used for towing heavy cargo such as cars, construction materials, gasoline and other smaller trucks. Normally, these types of truck are usually big in size and are made for carrying heavy loads. As a matter of fact, the special motor vehicle requires well-trained drivers.
The 18 wheeler truck weighs 80,000 pounds or 40 tons in contrast to other automobile vehicle weighing 5,000 pounds averagely. The length of the wheelbase of the tractor-trailer ranges between 245 to 265 inches with an overall length of 70-80 feet. The truck has 10 forward and two reverse gear with a 5th wheel located behind the cab. A standard height of 18 wheelers is 13’6 and a total of five axles attached to it. The tractor-trailers has a Tandem (a set of two-tires) attached to it side by side. The 18 wheeler truck is known for its Jack knife accident, an accident that occurs when the truck exceed 45 degrees when it tends to move faster than a cab. All these qualities are the reasons the truck requires well trained drivers. Despite, hiring a well-trained driver, there are still likely causes accident may occur which could be caused by the driver, Vehicle defect, the truck company, Dangerous Road Surfaces, Poor Roadway Design, poor road Maintenance, commercial vehicle and other factors.
Types of 18-Wheeler Truck Accidents
There are several types of accidents commercial vehicles can encounter which can be devastating as a result of the collision with an 18 wheeler tractor. The different types of 18 wheeler truck accident include:
- JackKnife Accidents: this occurs between a cab and the truck. This happens when the angle distance between the trail and cab exceeds 45 degrees. The trailer appears in a sliding position as it moves faster than those of cab. The cab folds like a pocketknife towards the truck. The truck driver tends to lose control of the vehicle leading to rolling over if the truck is traveling at a high rate of speed
- T-Bone Accidents: this type of accident occurs when the front of a truck slides into the side of another vehicle.
- Wide-Turn Accidents: the 18 wheeler navigate to the left before making a right turn leading to clashes with other vehicle.
- Underride Accidents: in this case, a passenger vehicle runs into the back or side of a truck.
- Lost Load Accidents: this occurs when a truck’s cargo is not loaded or secured properly.
- Rear-End Accidents: rear–end accident is caused when a smaller vehicle strikes a truck from behind.
- Head-On Collisions: this is mostly caused by traffic collision where the front ends of a truck and a smaller vehicle hits each other when driving in opposite directions.
- Side-Swipe Collisions : The sideswipe accidents occur when the truck and another commercial vehicle are driving next to each other and one of them begins moving in the other driver’s lane. It usually occurs when a commercial vehicle swipes the side of the truck.
Injuries in an 18-Wheeler Truck Accidents
There are severe injuries a truck accident victim can sustain. Examples of the injuries include:
- Truck or car accident
- Spinal cord injury
- Burn injury
- Brain injury
Likely Causes of 18-Wheeler Accident in Houston
Truck accident can be caused by several factors which include the following:
- Fatigued driving
- Distracted driving
- Speeding
- Aggressive driving
- Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
- Unsafe stopping or parking
- Poor road conditions
- Poor weather conditions
- Inadequate truck driver training
- Vehicle Equipment failure like brakes, steering, tires, etc.
- Improper space management by the truck driver
Are there Laws governing Truck Accident Claims in Houston, Texas?
People who are driving cars in Houston are very familiar with the laws governing truck accident claims. For you to win trucking accident cases like this, you must have a certified and well trained Houston truck accident lawyer. Most truck companies have logbooks which contain information about training for drivers, truck speed regulator, GPS system that gives the details of the driver’s trip. It is also important for the accident lawyer to know if the driver hasn’t has enough sleep or maybe he is not properly trained. All these information are what is required for a Houston truck accident attorney to develop a case to take advantage of the biggest reward possible.
Why Should I file A police Report after involving in 18-Wheeler Accident in Houston
It is important you file an accident report with a police officer who must thoroughly investigate the accident if you are involved in a truck accident. This is because most truck accident attorneys are finding out that most insurance companies and corporations in Houston are denying paying for any kind of property damage or personal injury done to victims because there wasn’t an official source out there to investigate the accident properly.
Evidence you can Use in an 18-Wheeler Accident Claim
These are documents you can tender to your accident attorney (an 18 wheeler lawyer) describing how the accident happened, why it happened, and the person to be held responsible for the crash. Examples of the documents include:
- The police accident report
- Eyewitness statements
- Surveillance camera or dashcam footage
- Accident scene photos
- The truck driver’s toxicology report (if the driver takes an alcohol/drug test)
- The trucking company’s logbook showing records, including dispatch and investigation records
- The truck driver’s logbook employment records, including his or her driving experience, driving history, training history and accident history
- The truck’s maintenance logs
- Your medical records from the treatment of your injuries from the accident
- The truck driver’s hours-of-service logs
- Accident reconstruction simulations and reports
- The truck’s electronic data recorder information
- The freight or load manifest
- Vehicle damage and repair reports
Who is liable for an 18-Wheeler truck Accident?
For your to recover compensation for damages through an 18-wheel accident lawyer, you must prove that there are people responsible for causing the truck accident. These people will be held responsible for the damage done to you and are evidence in the court of law for you to get your claim.
- The truck driver
- The truck’s mechanics
- The truck’s manufacturer as well as truck part manufacturers
- The trucking company
- The owner of the tractor and trailer
- The broker
- The shipping company
Top 18-Wheeler Accident Attorneys you can find in Houston, Texas
There are several 18-Wheeler Accident Attorney near you in Texas, but we will recommend some certified best Houston 18-wheeler accident lawyers around you.
1. 18 wheeler Injury law firm
Call: (884)500-0844
2. West Law Office
Office Address– 738 Highway 6.Suite 180
Houston, TX 77079
Phone number: 281-747-5263
3. Carabin Shaw S
Office Address – 630 Broadway St
San Antonio, TX 78215
Phone number: 800-862-1260
4. Charles J.Argento
Office Address-1111 North Loop West #175
Houston, TX 77008
Phone number: 713-766-4479
5. The Callahan Law firm
Office Address- 440 Louisana St #2050
Houston, TX 77002
Phone number: (281) 729-8986
6. Stewart J.Guiss Injury Accident lawyers
Principal Office Houston Address- 1277 Jones Road
Suite 297
Houston, TX 77070
Phone number: (281) 825-5254
Downtown Houston Office Address – 808 Travis St
#1507
Houston, TX 77002
Phone number: (713) 333-3940
7. Zehl & Associates Injury & Accident Lawyer
Office Address: 2700 Post Oak Blvd Ste 1000
Houston, TX 77056
Phone number: (713) 352-3385
8. Arnold & Itkin
Office Address: 6009 Memorial Drive
Houston, TX 77007
Phone number: (888) 493-1629
9. Patrick Daniel Law
Office Address: 4801 Woodway Dr.
Suite 440-W
Houston, TX 77056
Phone number: (713) 999-6666
10. Johnson Garcia LLP
Office Address: 7324 Southwest Fwy
Suite 545
Houston, TX 77074
Phone number: 832-21-5465
11. Smith & Hassler Attorneys At Law
Office Address: 1225 N Loop W #525
Houston, TX 77008
Phone number: (713) 893-5058
Toll free- (877) 893-5058
12. Attorney Brian White Personal Injury Lawyer Attorneys At Law
Office Address: 3120 Southwest Freeway,
Suite 350
Houston, TX 77098
Phone number: (713) 955-8302
Office Address (East Freeway): 11811 East Freeway,
Suite 630-06
Houston, TX 77029
Phone number: (713) 804-7078