Whether you were injured in a truck accident, or have a loved one that died as the result of a crash with an 18-wheeler, semi-truck, delivery truck, or other large commercial truck accident, the Lubbock truck accident attorneys at Liggett Law Group can help you.
Our experienced truck accident lawyers have over 70 years of combined experience advocating for truck accident victims in Lubbock and across Texas. We will fight to get you and your family maximum compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and more. If you are looking for a truck accident lawyer because you need legal help, contact us today for a free consultation.
In the emotional time after an accident, the complex nature of a truck accident case is confusing for victims, especially if they are dealing with severe injuries. Our experienced Texas truck accident lawyers will fight to get you and your family maximum compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and more.
At Liggett Law Group, our attorneys have more than 25 years of experience assisting injury victims and their families and we have secured multi-million-dollar verdicts and settlements for our clients.
Determining Fault in a Truck Accident
Truck accident cases are complicated because multiple parties may be at fault. Potential defendants in a truck accident lawsuit can include:
The truck driver
A trucking company
The truck owner
A vehicle service company
The company that loaded the cargo for transport
Another third party
Truck Manufacturers
One of the most important factors in winning a truck accident lawsuit in Texas is a strong investigation of the motor vehicle accident as soon as possible. Our attorneys are skilled in investigating the most complicated accidents, from tractor trailer accidents or delivery truck accident.
Building a Strong Truck Accident Case
Our personal injury attorneys act quickly and have the resources, experience and skills to make sure the evidence supporting your case is properly collected, preserved, and assessed. Black boxes are typically known for their importance in airplane investigations, but our lawyers know that many big rigs are fitted with similar devices. They record information about the truck’s recent activity that can be critical in an accident investigation, from sudden braking to gear shifting and sudden changes in velocity.
If the truck was outfitted with a GPS device, we can reconstruct the vehicle’s location at any given time and use that information to determine its rate of speed. This is extremely useful in determining whether speed was a contributing factor in the crash
Common Causes of Truck Accidents
In our experience, one of the primary causes of 18-wheeler accidents is truck driver error. Driver negligence can come in many forms, the most common of which include:
Speeding
Driving aggressively
Failing to yield the right of way
Failing to signal when turning or making lane changes
Driving while fatigued
Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol
Driving while distracted (including talking or texting on a cell phone)
Failing to adhere to traffic laws
Braking suddenly
Failing to secure loads properly
Failing to attach the trailer properly
Overloading the truck
Failing to keep the truck maintained
Truckers are often paid based on how many loads they deliver. Completing routes faster means more money, which can be an incentive to speed and engage in other aggressive driving measures.
Addiction to controlled substances is another common issue for commercial drivers. Overloading on caffeine, drinking while driving, and the use of prescription, over-the-counter, and illegal drugs can help a truck driver work longer and faster or just break up the boredom and loneliness of the road. Substance abuse can slow a driver’s reaction time, diminished reflexes, and alter perception while driving.
Fatigue can have similar effects when a truck driver is behind the wheel. Although, truck drivers and trucking companies are required to follow strict state and federal regulations set out by agencies such as the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) for the maximum amount of time drivers can operate a big rig, it’s not uncommon for companies to encourage drivers to push these limits to maximize profits, or for the drivers themselves to do so to increase their pay.
Trucking Companies
It is a trucking company’s obligation to perform a thorough employment screening before hiring a driver. Background checks should be conducted and certification and training should be checked.
The companies that employ truck drivers are also responsible for creating and maintaining a culture of safety. When companies put profit margins ahead of safety and place unreasonable demands for productivity on their drivers, it puts others on the road at risk.
These companies must ensure their drivers are operating within the state and federal regulations that govern the trucking industry, including time behind the wheel and the type and size of a cargo load. Pushing drivers to “doctor” their logbooks to haul more loads or encouraging overloaded hauls is sadly not an uncommon practice.
Not having proper inspection and maintenance protocols for these massive vehicles can also have deadly results. A trucking company can and should be found negligent when its practices lead to injury and wrongful death.
Truck Owner
In some cases, the company that employs the driver also owns the rig. This is not always the case, though. There may be two different owners – one for the truck’s cab and one for the trailer.
The party that owns the truck, in part or whole, has a responsibility to ensure it is properly inspected and maintained. If those duties aren’t fulfilled, then the truck owner may also be held liable in a truck accident claim.
Third-Party
In some truck accidents, it is not driver error or company negligence that caused the accident, but defective machinery or hazardous roadways. Other times, truck accidents are caused by other drivers.
While a thorough investigation is a key to a successful truck accident injury claim, it’s not the only important factor. To be successful, a truck accident attorney must be able to successfully negotiate on behalf of their client and be willing to go to court if necessary.
Have You Been Involved In A Trucking Accident?
At Liggett Law Group, our clients pay nothing until and unless we have recovered money on your behalf.
There are a number of key differences in truck accidents claims that make them different from car accident claims. The largest difference is that truck accidents often leave victims with large medical bills, long-term physical and emotional trauma, and an inability to return to work. Accidents involving a commercial vehicle such as a big rig, or 18-wheeler more often result in expensive property damage, serious injuries such as brain injuries, and even fatalities.
Victims of such accidents that survive are glad to be alive and need to focus primarily on their recovery and getting the proper medical care they need to move forward. Unfortunately, many struggle with pain, devastating emotions, and medical expenses.
Other important differences that can impact a large truck case include:
Truckers are professional drivers who are legally required to adhere to certain standards.
Truckers are often independent contractors.
More than one party may be liable for the accident (truck driver, trucking company, equipment owner, shippers, distributors, and various insurance companies, etc.).
Trucking companies often have their own investigation team, while automobile drivers may not have instant access to a truck accident attorney.
The trucking industry has different documentation requirements (e.g. equipment safety and drivers hours).
Records have to be kept for six months.
Trucking regulations are stricter than regular traffic laws; truckers have to comply with Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations.
Big trucks have innovative electronic systems monitoring speed, tire pressure, engine, etc. This data can be used as evidence during the investigation; however, it must be collected immediately or it may get lost or destroyed.
A trucker’s personnel file may be requested as evidence.
Experts are often required to investigate a much more complex trucking accident case.
Trucks have a higher center of gravity and different braking systems
Big trucks can weigh more than 10,000 pounds
Semi-trucks and big rigs carry large loads – a tractor-trailer can weigh up to 80,000 pounds (25 to 30 times as much as a passenger vehicle)
Big trucks are long. Semi-trailers can be up to 53 feet in length and 8.5 feet in width. Massive blind spots are created behind trailers of such size, that passenger vehicles will be significantly harder to see.
Negotiating with the Insurance Adjusters
A trucking company’s liability insurers and their attorneys typically start out offering a settlement of less than what a truck accident case is worth. Experience has shown these insurers that many people will accept lowball offers rather than having to go through the uncertainty of a trial. Most people injured in a crash will also be struggling to make ends meet and feel they need an immediate payout. Terrible as it may be, insurance companies will prey upon this uncertainty and financial difficulty.
Insurance companies will almost always try to downplay their liability and your damages. When a lawsuit is filed, the claims department will immediately begin to investigate. They will get the police report and will interview as many of the witnesses as they can. They will identify any weaknesses in proof of their liability and the number of damages claimed.
You should expect that the insurance company will try to limit the amount they have to pay. They will argue that other people, including you, are responsible for the truck accident. They will try to prove that their insured was not to blame or that their insured is less responsible for the crash than you or other parties.
This is where having an experienced truck accident attorney on your side can benefit you. Our truck accident attorneys know how to determine all damages you are entitled to. Then, we will evaluate whether the insurance company’s settlement offer is reasonable based on the circumstances of the crash, the nature of your injuries, and the extent of the damages you suffered.
If the defendants refuse to make a reasonable offer, we will prepare to present your case in a Texas court to a judge and/or jury. We will discuss your options with you and recommend what we think is the best course of action. With over 25 years of experience litigating truck crash cases and securing multiple million-dollar settlements and verdicts, we are confident our personal injury lawyers can help you and your family with this incredibly important decision.
Contact the Truck Accident Attorneys in Lubbock at Liggett Law Group Today
The personal injury lawyers at our firm work with accident reconstruction experts and other specialists to achieve the best possible results for our clients. We enter into negotiations with the insurance company over compensation for material as well as bodily damages, and aggressively pursue claims at trial when necessary.
Free Case Evaluation
At Liggett Law Group, we handle all truck accident cases on a contingency fee basis. This means our clients pay us nothing unless and until we have recovered money on their behalf.
Contact us today for a free consultation.
"We were in Lubbock visiting and we were hit by a lady who ran a red light. Liggett Law Group took very good care of us. They walked us through the whole process and explained to us how it will go. Just like they said, it all happened. It was a great experience."
Fatigue can have similar effects when a truck driver is behind the wheel. Although, truck drivers and trucking companies are required to follow strict state and federal regulations set out by agencies such as the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) for the maximum amount of time drivers can operate a big rig, it’s not uncommon for companies to encourage drivers to push these limits to maximize profits, or for the drivers themselves to do so to increase their pay.
