How Is an Accident with a Bucket Truck Different from Other Truck Accidents?
People may hear "truck accident" and picture a loaded 18-wheeler plowing into highway traffic, but some of the most serious—and most overlooked—accidents involve specialized trucks designed for specific kinds of work. For example, bucket trucks (also called boom trucks or cherry pickers) present unique hazards apart from those of other commercial vehicles. So how is...
What is the “Mystery Car Defense” in Truck Accident Lawsuits?
The job of a trucking company defense attorney is minimize the amount that trucking companies have to pay out after accidents. To accomplish this, these attorneys have developed many strategies over the years to shift blame from their clients to—well, anyone else. One tactic is to deflect fault is to suggest some vehicle not involved...
Where Does Texas Truck Accident Law Come From?
Most people are aware that they'll need to use the law to seek compensation from a truck driver that hurt them. However, "the law" is too broad a term for the various parts of it an accident victim would need to know and use in a truck accident case. When we talk to people about...
What Do I Do after a Texas Oilfield Truck Accident?
For the most part truckers in different industries follow the same rules of operation. However, depending on what those trucks are used for there may be some variations. For example, there are certain aspects of oilfield truck accidents that differ from typical 18-wheeler wrecks, and those differences can make a truck accident case against them...
Who Could Be Liable for a Distracted Driving 18-Wheeler Accident?
One of the biggest changes on the highway in this century is the rise in crashes caused by distracted driving, and the trucking industry is no exception. Unlike accidents involving a passenger car, when a commercial truck is involved in a distracted driving crash, it isn't necessarily just the driver's fault. So who may be...
What is Different about Accidents with Cement Trucks?
Cement trucks with concrete-mixer trailers can get in many of the same kinds of accidents as other commercial trucks do, but the nature of their business and cargo means their crashes are sometimes unusual compared to others. So how are cement truck accidents different? Answer: Many accidents involving cement trucks are unique due to their...
Where Do Trucking Insurance Requirements Come From?
People who look up information about 18-wheeler accidents may learn that commercial truck drivers must have at least a million dollars in liability insurance to drive through Texas. Some are surprised to learn that truckers need so much coverage, and in more than a few cases they wonder who made the rules about that. Where...
Can I Still Sue if I Was Partially At Fault for a Texas Truck Accident?
In the aftermath of a commercial truck accident, people often wonder about their legal options—particularly if they feel they were at least somewhat responsible for the incident. Can an injured Texas truck accident victim still sue if they were partly to blame for the crash? Answer: Yes, a Texas truck accident victim or their family...
Do Trucking Companies Have to Maintain Records for Their Drivers?
Most people know that just about any workplace may involve some paperwork, but not every job is as demanding and potentially dangerous as commercial trucking. Making sure the people behind the wheel are up to the task is crucial, which is why it's so important for trucking companies to keep records showing their employees are...
Do I Sue the Truck Driver or the Trucking Company after a Truck Accident?
Every year tens of thousands of commercial truck accidents cause major property damage, catastrophic injuries, and in many cases even fatalities all over the country. After a commercial truck triggers one of these serious crashes, accident victims and their loved ones may decide to seek compensation for the damage they suffered. In those situations, though,...
What Are the Common Causes of Distracted Driving in Commercial Trucks?
Because of the catastrophic damage they can cause if they lose focus, a tractor-trailer driver must have their head in the game at all times. Even a momentary lapse in concentration, judgment, or execution can lead to disaster. That means truckers have to resist all manner of tempting distractions—but like what? What are the common...
How Many Commercial Truck Accidents Occur in the United States?
There are a large numbers of drivers out there who get nervous anytime they're sharing the road with an 18-wheeler. Given the devastation that an accident involving a commercial truck can cause, it's an understandable fear. However, it's also a fear without context. To get some sense of the danger posed by commercial trucks, we...
How Do I Prove the Truck Driver Who Hit Me Ran a Red Light?
In the United States, the law places the burden on victims to prove that a wrongdoer caused their losses. With that in mind it may seem obvious when a trucker runs a red light and causes a crash, but the burden still falls to the victim to make their case in court. This leads many...
How Common are Commercial Truck Accidents in Texas?
Commercial trucks are an integral part of the national economy, transporting goods and workers all over the place in and between cities. Given that Texas is at the geographic and economic crossroads of so much of America's trucking, it's no surprise that a large number of commercial truck accidents occur in Texas. How common are...
What Are the Most Common Causes of Truck Accidents?
Everyone has to share the road with 18-wheelers sometimes, and unfortunately those big trucks occasionally lose control and cause serious accidents. Many of those result in devastating or fatal injuries, so people naturally prefer to avoid them if possible. Knowing what causes them helps them do that, so what are the most common ways an...
Does a Truck Accident Case Work Differently than a Car Accident Case?
Most people assume that after any crash, the proper thing to do is to exchange information and file an insurance claim. This may work fine for most crashes involving passenger cars, where the damage is generally limited to the vehicles, but conventional wisdom is a poor fit when a commercial truck causes a crash that...
What Are the Most Common Types of Truck Accident?
According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), large commercial trucks are involved in more than 13% of fatal crashes annually in the United States. It should come as no surprise that 40 tons of steel, fiberglass, and gasoline can be deadly if driven incorrectly, but people may wonder about exactly how those trucks...
How Do I Prove the Truck Driver Who Hit Me Was on Their Phone?
In an effort to prevent crashes involving 18-wheelers, federal law prohibits handheld cell phone use when truckers are on the job. Unfortunately, just because there is a law prohibiting that behavior doesn't mean truck drivers never cause accidents while using their phones behind the wheel. This raises the question: How does a commercial truck accident...
What Legally Allows Me to Sue a Trucking Company after a Texas Truck Accident?
After a Texas truck accident, most people may understand that they will have to sue not just the driver who hurt them, but also the trucking company behind that driver. However, they may not have a particularly good handle on what laws permit them to do so. So what are the most common legal theories...
What Legal Remedy is Available if I’m Injured in a Delivery Truck Accident?
Delivery trucks are commercial vehicles that transport goods to homes or businesses. Since they're smaller than 18-wheelers, they're often used in urban or suburban areas, where they can go to places that are impractical for larger trucks to stop at. Most people don't necessarily understand the legal ramifications of being in an accident with a...