Commercial Semi Truck Accident Lawyer Houston, TX
Commercial Semi Truck Accident Lawyer Houston, TX
If you’ve been the unfortunate victim of a truck accident, you likely have many questions about obtaining compensation for your losses. Perhaps you have been exploring your legal options and learning about how the claims’ process works. As you continue to do so, you may ultimately realize that filing a successful legal claim in the wake of a truck accident is often not very easy and tends to be quite complicated. The complexities of filing a claim are just some of the many reasons why it is so important to have a reputable Houston, TX truck accident lawyer on your side. Working with the experienced team at John K. Zaid & Associates can make the process of filing a claim far less stressful than it would otherwise be.
How the Insurance Company May Handle Your Case
Shortly after the accident, your insurance company may assign an adjuster to the case. They may investigate what happened and offer a quick settlement. You should know that because the adjustor works for the insurance company, it is part of their job to get you to settle for the least amount of money possible.
What an insurance adjuster doesn’t want you to know is that the last thing they want is to go to court. For in court, you will very likely have the upper hand. This does not mean you should make sure your case goes to court, but you should have an understanding of the laws, procedures, and your rights before you agree to a settlement. Working with an experienced Houston, TX commercial semi truck accident lawyer will allow you to make an informed decision about any settlement offers that your insurance company makes. Our firm can also help if/when any of the following occurs:
- Insurance companies may try to discredit you.
- They may order you to go to an Independent Medical Exam.
- Your background may be investigated to see whether there is anything that can be used against you.
What You Should Not Do
If you are preparing to talk to a Houston, TX commercial semi truck accident lawyer about your case, there are some things you may want to avoid before you attend your consultation. Being careful about how you act now may help to preserve your legal options down the road:
- Avoid agreeing to or signing any documents from the insurance company
- Avoid speaking with the other party’s insurance company or legal team
- If you speak with your own insurance adjustor, keep to the facts
We Are On Your Side
When you choose our Houston, TX commercial semi truck accident lawyer team to be your legal advocates, you can know that your interests will become our interests. As a leading law firm in Texas, we have ample resources that can assist our legal team in building a strong case on your behalf. If you need to file a personal injury suit, we can help you build this kind of case as well. Our team can assist in:
- Investigating the scene
- Working with investigator
- Asking reconstructurists to rebuild the scene
- Requesting the opinion of expert witnesses
- Reviewing medical records
- Securing dash cam footage, surveillance footage, or black box data
- Reviewing the truck drivers’ log book
- Organizing a medical lien for you
We understand that this may be emotionally, mentally, and physically challenging time for you. Please know that there are options available designed to help and support you. To find out more, call John K. Zaid & Associates today. We look forward to speaking with you.
Large semi-trucks are a fixture on roads and highways across the U.S. These vehicles are responsible for transporting the majority of the goods Americans use every day. While they perform an invaluable service, it is not easy to share the road with these giant vehicles. Truck accidents are an ever-present threat; the victims who are most likely to get hurt or killed in such accidents are occupants of smaller vehicles.
If you’ve been injured or lost your loved one in a truck accident, you’re not alone. Government statistics show just how dire the circumstances are. In 2016, for instance, roughly 475,000 crashes that involved large trucks occurred on American roads, of which more than 103,000 led to injuries and 3,864 were fatal. Although those are statistics for a single year, the numbers are relatively consistent over time. Know that if you’ve been injured in a truck accident or have lost a loved one as a result of such a collision, you do have legal options available to you. Please speak with an experienced truck accident lawyer Houston, TX residents trust as soon as you possibly can. The sooner you connect with the knowledgeable, compassionate, and dedicated Houston, Texas commercial semi truck accident law firm of John K. Zaid & Associates, the sooner we can start building a strong legal case on your behalf.
Depending on the circumstances of your case, our Houston, Texas commercial semi truck accident law firm may explore any/all of the most common causes of truck accidents noted below. This investigative process allows us to determine exactly what happened and who should be held liable for the harm you and your family have suffered.
Equipment Problems
Each of us is responsible for ensuring that our vehicles are serviced and repaired regularly, because a malfunctioning vehicle is a dangerous vehicle. Due to their size/weight and how much time they spend on the road, it is even more important for large trucks to be inspected, serviced and maintained. Unfortunately, it is common for truck drivers and trucking companies to ignore problems or fail to regularly inspect trucks the first place:
- Brake failure accounts for about 27 percent of truck crashes
- About 3 percent of truck crashes involve tire failure
Truck Driver Error or Negligence
Many truck accidents are the result of truck driver error or negligent/dangerous choices. Examples include:
- Being unfamiliar with the route is a cause or contributing factor in about 19 percent of truck accidents
- Approximately 5 percent of truck crashes involve truck drivers who had been driving aggressively
- In 1 percent of cases, truck drivers either have illegal substances in their bodies or are driving while ill
Trucking Company Negligence
Trucking companies are responsible for hiring good drivers and supervising them properly. But in an effort to increase profits or efficiency, many trucking companies push their drivers too hard. According to national statistics:
- About 10 percent of drivers involved in crashes confessed that they felt like they were under pressure while driving
- Approximately 7 percent of truck drivers were dangerously tired behind the wheel, which is a often a byproduct of the pressure that companies place on drivers
Have You Been Injured in a Truck Accident?
If you or a loved one have been seriously injured in an accident involving a large semi-truck, any of the problems listed above could have been a factor. The best thing you can do now is contact an experienced commercial semi-truck accident law firm in Houston, Texas, to learn more about your rights and legal options. We look forward to learning more about your situation and to assisting you during this challenging time.
If you were in a commercial semi-truck accident, you may need the help of Houston, Texas commercial semi-truck accident lawyers from John K. Zaid & Associates. Going about your daily commute or taking a trip across the miles in the family car may become dangerous, depending on the traffic conditions. Semi-trucks may flood the area you’re in, and with good reason. They are responsible for bringing goods to consumer markets for distribution.
However, there are times when events occur that find these big rigs in collisions with cars. In these situations, there are often catastrophic injuries, sometimes for occupants of both vehicle types. What can you do to avoid a crash with a semi? Here are three things the Houston commercial semi-truck accident lawyers believe you should be on the lookout for when sharing the road with these big trucks.
- Lane Restrictions
Road construction abounds. State transportation agencies are making repairs before the winter weather sets in, making completing them impossible. In construction zones, semi-trucks may be restricted to one lane. The Houston commercial semi-truck accident lawyers know there may not be too much notice when it comes to this switch, so understand that a quick lane change on the part of a tractor-trailer may be unintentional. If you know there is a construction zone ahead, you may want to slow it down and stay out of the way of the semis nearby.
- Mechanical Issues
Large trucks, or semi-trucks, are typically 80 feet long with 18-wheels. With a vehicle this large, there is a lot of regular mechanical upkeep required or else something can go seriously wrong. A leading cause of big truck crashes is mechanical failures, with the most common being the brakes. If you notice a truck careening out of control, steer clear. It may have lost the brakes or blown a tire. With 18 of them, it can usually keep driving, but there are times when it causes the trucker to lose control and crash. A truck accident lawyer Houston, TX knows that when this happens, the injuries that follow can be deadly.
- Operator Error
It may be difficult to contemplate a scenario in which you, as a vehicle driver, can tell if something is wrong with a truck driver. While this is mostly the case, you may be able to spot some signs of driver fatigue or distraction. Just as in a car, a truck that seems to be unable to maintain its lane or suddenly jerks from one side to the other may have a tired person helming the wheel. It may also be an indicator that the driver is looking at something other than the road. The stakes are much higher when a driver is distracted while driving a semi-truck. Therefore, if you see something that seems off, you may want to consider reporting it to the police. You may stop a crash.
Get the Help from the Commercial Semi-Truck Accident Lawyers in Houston, Texas!
If you’ve been in a crash with a truck, you may need help getting sufficient compensation. It’s a good idea to reach out to the local commercial semi-truck accident lawyers in Houston, TX from John K. Zaid & Associates.