While it is true that all drivers of commercial vehicles are required to obtain special licenses, they must still operate their trucks with the same level of care as everyone else. If this lack of care causes an accident, anyone injured in that accident has the right to seek damages.
Semi-trailers and commercial vehicles dwarf other cars, and can create many thousands of pounds of force upon impact. A Plano truck accident lawyer may represent individuals involved in accidents with commercial trucks. Skilled personal injury attorneys can fight insurance companies on the individual’s behalf in order to obtain compensation.
It is not often that a commercial vehicle operator intentionally collides with another driver. Because of this, it would generally be unfair to say that any driver in a truck accident intended to cause anyone harm. Therefore, it is important for injured parties to seek the help of a Plano truck accident lawyer.
However, Texas law recognizes that truck drivers may still be legally responsible for harm they cause due to carelessness or a violation of traffic law. As such, Plano recognizes the tort of negligence in truck accident cases.
Negligence is a legal theory that applies when one person has a legal responsibility to protect another. When this responsibility, or duty, is violated and the protected person becomes injured, the at-fault party may be held legally responsible to pay damages.
All drivers of all vehicles always have a duty to protect all other drivers, pedestrians, and passengers. Therefore, there is always duty present in a truck accident case.
If a truck driver is careless by driving for too many hours in a row or violates a rule of the road by speeding or ignoring a stop sign, they are considered to have breached their duty of care. If that breach directly causes physical injury to someone else, there may be grounds for a negligence claim.
Truck accidents claim can demand compensation for not just medical bills, but also for lost wages and mental anguish. Plano lawyers can help people fully understand the economic impact of their truck accident claims and fight for the full payments warranted by their conditions.
Often, an injured party can present a convincing demand package to an insurance company and negotiate a fair settlement. To increase the chances of this outcome, plaintiffs can follow a few simple steps.
Everyone involved in an accident should call the police. Texas law requires that police respond to any accident with property damage or personal injury, so contacting law enforcement would satisfy this requirement.
The police are required to produce an impartial report concerning the accident. This can be a valuable piece of evidence, especially if the truck driver is named as the at-fault driver in the report.
A Plano truck accident lawyer can help potential clients seek the evidence that may be beneficial to their case. Liability evidence such as logbooks, truck ECM black box data, and other liability evidence must be preserved by either agreement or court order.
All people involved in any motor vehicle accident should seek emergency medical evaluation. This is especially true in a commercial vehicle collision, as they can cause catastrophic injuries.
In many cases, adrenaline prevents the severity of injuries from being immediately apparent. Only treatment from a doctor can diagnose the full extent of the injury and prevent further harm.
The core of the damages section of any truck accident claim will be formed by medical bills and records. These records are at their most valuable when they are made as soon after the accident as possible. The advice of a dedicated attorney in Plano with experience in truck crashes could be invaluable.
Truck accident lawyers in Plano may help potential clients complete these steps, as well as protect them from aggressive insurance companies. These companies tend to take advantage of unrepresented plaintiffs by offering lowball settlement offers, or even by denying liability altogether. When someone speaks with a Plano truck accident lawyer, the insurance company can no longer contact them directly and will often look at a case more seriously. Get in touch today.
McCraw Law Group