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If you or a loved one has been involved in an 18-wheeler collision in Austin, it's in your best interest to speak with a qualified truck accident attorney about your case. Call Grossman Law 24/7: 855-326-0000

An accident with a commercial truck can be a devastating event, turning the victim’s life upside down.

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Victims often require extensive medical treatment and care and are unable to return to work due to the severity of their injuries.

As a result, victims can feel helpless, hopeless, and vulnerable when trying to seek compensation for their injuries. 

At the Grossman Law Offices, we understand that you need someone on your side to help advocate for you in this time of need. If you or a loved one has suffered injuries in an Austin truck accident, you need a lawyer that can help.

Our team of experienced personal injury attorneys know what you’re going through. We have the knowledge and resources to help protect your legal rights and fight for the compensation you deserve.

Should I Hire One of the Truck Accident Lawyers That I See on Billboards and TV in Austin?

Advertising is effective, and that’s why so many law firms splash their names and faces all over town.

However, spending a fortune on advertising doesn’t necessarily make any attorney qualified to handle truck accident cases. These are virtually always highly complex cases that require experience.

At the Grossman Law Offices, you’re not simply hiring a truck accident attorney to handle your case. You’re also getting the wealth of experience that our firm can bring to cases like yours.

Our lawyers have the knowledge and experience to consider your case from every angle. We develop comprehensive legal strategies to give you the best chance of recovering the damages you suffered in a truck accident.

After I Hire an Austin Truck Accident Lawyer, What Happens Next?

After you hire one of our Austin truck accident lawyers, our office begins to investigate the accident and collect critical evidence. One of the most important factors in any truck accident case is establishing fault and liability.

The research and investigation we do are aimed at establishing that the accident was not your fault as well and, at the same time, identifying all parties that caused or contributed to the accident.

The depths of the investigation can have a direct impact on the amount you may be awarded at the end of a successful case.

Commercial Vehicle Accident Statistics in Austin

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Traffic accidents happen quite frequently in the Lonestar State, especially in and around Austin.

In January 2020, Austin’s fatal traffic accidents were up nearly three times over what they had been the previous January.

This rise in fatalities comes on the heels of three years of reduced traffic accident fatalities between 2016 and 2018.

In 2019, 88 people in Austin died in traffic accidents, up from 74 the year before.

Unfortunately, these grim statistics mean that your chances of being involved in an Austin truck accident are higher than they’ve been in recent years. If you are involved in a semi-truck or 18-wheeler accident, you have a greater than 50% chance of sustaining a serious or fatal injury.

What Makes Commercial Truck Accident Cases So Much More Complex Than Car Accident Cases?

The legal process that follows any type of vehicle accident can be challenging, but recovering compensation after a commercial truck accident can be even more complex. This occurs because truck accidents typically involve a variety of complicating factors.

Trucking Insurance

Trucking companies are required by law to carry mandated types of insurance coverage. Companies may have a separate insurance policy for the driver and themselves, which means more than one entity may be legally liable.

Dealing with these different insurance carriers can be intricate and time-consuming.

Increased Damages

The result of accidents involving trucks can be catastrophic. The injuries associated with these accidents often require ongoing, extensive medical treatment for several months, if not years.

This leads to very high medical expenses and other extensive losses such as lost wages, disabilities, and pain and suffering.

Establishing Negligence

With a truck accident case, there may be more parties involved than just the truck driver. The truck manufacturer and the trucking company may also be negligent.

Collecting evidence to establish fault and liability can be a challenge. An experienced attorney is best equipped to navigate these challenges.

Are the Grossman Law Attorneys Qualified to Handle My Truck Accident Case?

We could certainly tell you how qualified we are to handle your truck accident case, but we like to let our track record speak for itself. You can browse our past settlements and awards as well as our many client testimonials.

We would also like to tell you about one particular example that we believe best demonstrates our dedication to our clients and getting a positive outcome for their case.

An elderly couple was driving through Texas on their way to California. A big rig from a local oil field crashed into their vehicle, forcing them into the median.

The driver lost control and crashed into an oncoming vehicle, resulting in the death of the driver and severe injuries to one passenger. The family contacted Grossman Law to file a suit against the trucking company.

We worked hard in our investigation to prove the company was at fault, fighting to overcome the involved parties that didn’t want to help us uncover the truth. In the end, we were able to get the compensation our clients deserved.

We worked hard on this case, but it reflects what we endeavor to give each of our clients: compassion, diligence, and a drive to get justice.

Why Do Commercial Truck Crashes Commonly Cause Catastrophic Injuries?

You may be wondering why commercial truck crashes cause such terrible injuries. These are a few of the reasons why semi-trucks and 18-wheeler crashes cause so much devastation and damage.

Vehicle Size

The size and weight of the trucks involved in these accidents are the most compelling reason for the extent of the injuries an accident with them can cause.

A large commercial truck can weigh up to 80,000 pounds, which is over 15 times the weight of the average car. That much mass in an accident is bound to cause serious and even fatal injuries to the victims.

Braking Ability

 Large commercial trucks don’t have great braking ability. They need a lot of space to come to a complete stop, which can be difficult or impossible in an emergency situation.

Maneuverability

In addition to taking time to come to a complete stop, large trucks must take wide turns and can’t easily move around in tight spaces to avoid road debris or a sudden stop in traffic. This makes these vehicles even more likely to be involved in an accident.

Payload

Many commercial trucks carry hazardous or dangerous cargo that can turn a minor accident into a serious incident.

These aren’t the only reasons why truck accident injuries can be devastating. Whatever type of injuries you sustained—and for whatever reason—our experienced attorneys understand how to build the most persuasive case on your behalf.

With COVID-19, Will I Have to Show Up in Person for Anything If I Pursue a Truck Accident Case in Austin?

Here at the Grossman Law Offices, we’re concerned with the health and safety of everyone, from our clients to our team members. We have implemented a variety of no-contact options to enable us to handle your case remotely.

To get started with us, you don’t need to come in person. As your case progresses, depositions and court hearings can also be performed using a secure online format, so there’s never any need to put yourself in a situation where you fear for your health or safety.

To get started, simply fill out our online case evaluation form, and we’ll contact you shortly. You can also call us and chat with us by text message.

How Much Insurance Are Trucking Companies Required to Carry?

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration requires trucking companies to carry a certain amount of insurance coverage. The required coverage depends on the types of materials the company will be transporting and the weight of the commercial truck.

Other requirements for insurance include:

  • Coverage of up to $750,000 when transporting non-hazardous materials and weighing more than 10,000 pounds;
  • Up to $5 million for commercial trucks that transport hazardous materials; and
  • Up to $1 million for commercial trucks that carry oil from Texas to another state.

There are four types of insurance coverage that trucking companies typically carry. 

  • Self-insured retention policy: This type of policy makes a trucking company responsible for the first $250,000 of damage in an accident as a means of reducing their insurance premiums. Since Texas law requires minimum insurance of $750,000, adding this means victims may seek up to $1 million in coverage.
  • General liability insurance: This type of insurance is much like the auto insurance you carry on your own car. It helps to protect a trucking company in the event they are sued due to a crash. 
  • Eroding policy: An eroding policy is an insurance policy that allows a company to subtract the cost of its own legal defense from the coverage. This effectively reduces the policy limits available for a settlement.
  • Extended liability insurance: This type of insurance offers protection for the trucking company beyond the minimum required liability coverage.

The Texas Department of Insurance sets the minimum amount of commercial insurance coverage for intrastate trucking companies as well. The minimum amount of coverage is $500,000.

As you can see, there’s a lot to understand about commercial trucking insurance. It’s even more complicated than normal insurance policies and will take experience to navigate successfully.

Will My Austin Truck Accident Lawyer Sue the Trucking Company or the Truck Driver?

In personal injury cases involving commercial trucks, the evidence is gathered and analyzed to help determine who is at fault for the accident.

Even if it’s determined that the truck driver was only partially at fault for the accident, the lawyers at the Grossman Law Offices will pursue damages from the driver, the trucking company, and any potentially liable parties.

This increases our chances of recovering the maximum compensation for the costs of the accident as well as pain, suffering, and other damages.

This is yet another area where having an experienced truck accident attorney at your side will help you to get the best outcome possible for your case. They’ll know what strategies to use to help get you the damages you deserve.

What Is the Most Important Evidence in an Austin Truck Accident Case?

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When investigating an Austin truck crash, we must delve deeply into a variety of factors.

This helps us ensure we uncover all the evidence and information we need to build your case.

We consider the investigation we do into your commercial truck accident to be one of the most important parts of the case because it will yield the evidence we need.

In this era of personal injury law, you can’t rely on a single piece of evidence to win the case for you. We need as much evidence as possible to demonstrate explicitly how and why the accident occurred.

In our extensive truck accident investigations, we:

  • Gather and analyze police reports;
  • Investigate the scene of the accident;
  • Prepare letters of spoliation, one key to preserving evidence in a truck accident case;
  • Hire accident reconstructions to analyze evidence from witnesses and experts;
  • Preserve digital and electronic evidence, including the truck’s engine control module, GPS, and other data systems; and
  • Collect the truck driver’s records.

We may also have to pursue other information, such as driving logs, weighing station information, and fuel receipts, among other items.

We also pursue employer records, including handbooks and training manuals, where the driver was trained, and if any measures had been taken against the driver in the past.

So the answer to the question of what is the most important evidence in a truck accident case is that all the evidence is important to paint the big picture for the court and win.

What Percentage of My Eventual Payout Will the Austin Truck Accident Lawyer Take?

At the Grossman Law Offices, we’ll review your case for free. If it’s something we feel we can help you with, then we will accept your case on a contingency fee basis.

That means that we get paid only if we recover compensation for you. We will establish our fee based on an agreed-upon percentage of any damages you may be awarded.  If we don’t recover any damages, you don’t owe any fees. It’s as simple as that.

What Are the Next Steps to Take to Speak with an Austin Accident Lawyer?

We are available to answer your questions and discuss your case at any time, via phone, email, video conference, or whatever method works best for you.

Contact the Grossman Law Offices by phone at (855) 934-1342 or use our convenient online contact form, and one of our Austin truck accident attorneys will respond as quickly as possible.