Who Can Be Held Liable In A Truck Accident?

The increasingly busy highways of Texas are full of more than just passenger cars. Big rig trucks carrying everything from hazardous materials to oversized loads share the same lanes with family cars, workweek commuters, and daily drivers. Collisions between passenger cars and 18-wheelers are often catastrophic, causing severe personal injury and death. Who can be held liable in a truck accident, and how can an injury attorney help?

Liability in a Truck Accident

Determining liability in a truck accident can be tricky. Beyond the accident scene itself, there are multiple variables to consider. An experienced trucking accident attorney like those at McCraw Law Group will have access to professional accident reconstructionist and are experienced in digging into the details of the case. Some of the factors considered by McCraw Law Group when determining liability in a trucking accident include:

• The Truck Driver. Driver negligence can be attributed to a range of negligent acts – reckless driving, intoxication, lack of certifications, speeding, ignoring road signs, and fatigue. The McCraw accident attorneys will request medical records and driving records of the driver involved and review these records for any red flags.
• Trucking Companies. The companies that hire truck drivers are required by federal and state laws to screen employees, conduct background checks, and require certification and training for all drivers. Those drivers transporting certain dangerous loads will require additional training, and it falls on the shoulders of the trucking company to maintain driver compliance.
• Trucking Maintenance Crews. The passenger cars we park in our driveways and garages require very little maintenance when compared to 18-wheelers. The maintenance protocols on these massive trucks must be followed, or the trucking maintenance crews are gambling the lives of other drivers. Proper maintenance is expensive, but a must for big rigs to operate smoothly.

Truck Accident Injuries

The physics in a commercial truck accident often leave the passenger cars in a mess of mangled metal and rubber. The severity of injuries in trucking accidents can be far greater because of the size and weight of an 18-wheeler. Injuries to passenger car occupants include:

• Fractured and broken bones
• Back and neck strain
• Severe burns
• Internal bleeding
• Death

These injuries can result in long-term medical care, high out of pocket expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering. The McKinney truck accident attorneys at McCraw Law Group can help hold the drivers and trucking company liable in a truck accident. If you have been injured by an 18-wheeler, call today for assistance from an experience big-rig accident attorney at McCraw Law Group.