Even without a trailer attached, semi-truck cabs weigh thousands of pounds more than commuter cars and take up much more space on the road, and 18-wheelers with fully loaded trailers attached can weigh up to 80,000 pounds under federal law. Suffice to say, any traffic accident involving a commercial truck almost always has devastating consequences for everyone involved.
Filing suit after a serious truck wreck can be essential to protecting your long-term financial prospects, and a seasoned personal injury attorney’s assistance could be invaluable to the success of your case. Let a Houston truck accident lawyer help ensure your lawsuit or settlement demand accounts for every past and future consequence of your injuries.
Recovering Comprehensively for Truck Crash-Related Losses
Because of their extraordinary size and weight, tractor-trailers have a much greater potential to cause lasting harm when they collide with smaller commuter cars. Truck crash victims are sometimes fortunate if they only sustain painful injuries like broken bones, ligament tears, and lacerations that will ultimately heal on their own with time and proper care, whereas more serious trucking accidents can cause permanent harm in the form of brain or spinal trauma, internal organ damage, crushing injuries, and/or limb amputation.
The unique severity of injuries that 18-wheeler collisions can cause means that ensuing civil claims must typically account for both past and future losses stemming from the accident, including both economic and non-economic damages. Losses that could be recovered in a successful truck accident case include:
- Emergency medical bills
- Future medical, rehabilitative, and/or home modification costs
- Physical pain from injuries
- Permanent disfigurement
- Short-term income losses
- Lost future earning capacity
- Emotional/psychological trauma
- Lost enjoyment of life
A well-versed attorney serving the Houston area could clarify what losses might be compensable in a particular semi-truck collision case during an initial consultation.
Possible Obstacles to a Successful 18-Wheeler Collision Claim
One of the most complicated elements of truck accident litigation is often figuring out who bears fault for a plaintiff’s injuries. Many commercial trucking collisions stem from a truck driver or their employer acting irresponsibly. Specifically, even if a wreck stems directly from a truck driver’s misconduct, their employer could bear vicarious liability for their employee’s negligence or even be directly liable for encouraging or forcing employees to break federal trucking laws in order to save time and money.
In cases where a semi-truck driver or their employer attempt to shift blame onto the claimant, it will be necessary to prove that the plaintiff does not bear any fault for their own injuries. Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code §§33.001 and 33.012 prohibit anyone who bears over 50 percent of the total blame for their injuries from recovering compensation and otherwise allow courts to reduce the value of a partially liable claimant’s compensatory award in proportion to their assigned percentage fault.
Finally, TX Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code §16.003 generally gives prospective plaintiffs only two years after an 18-wheeler accident to file a civil claim for damages, regardless of how severe or long-lasting their injuries may be. Support from a seasoned truck crash lawyer in Houston could make it much easier to understand and overcome these potential legal roadblocks.
Let a Houston Truck Accident Attorney Help in Your Case
Commercial truck accidents are scary, and the event can be traumatizing. We have handled numerous 18-wheeler collisions. In each case, we made sure our client got what they deserved. These are dangerous accidents, so you should be compensated accordingly. Because semi-trucks are so heavy, they can cause a ton of destruction – your body for one. You could fall into a medical nightmare.
Regardless, we will be by your side the whole time. Often, claimants worry about the costs of their medical bills. Although it is a cause for concern, let your capable Houston truck accident lawyer at KGS Law Group do the worrying for you. Your health comes first, let us take care of the medical bills. Our priority is your health.
Whether you suffered only minor soft tissue injuries, such as back or neck soreness, or major injuries such as broken bones or fractures, we want to make sure you get the treatment you need. Often, there are a lot of undiagnosed injuries that can affect you later in life.
We will make sure you get the treatment needed to ensure you get a full recovery along with a full compensation. Call today for a private consultation.