Semi Truck Accident Lawyer Houston TX

A Houston, Texas semi truck accident lawyer understands the overwhelming physical and financial impact truck accidents have on victims and their families. The fact that large trucks can weigh more than 25,000 pounds raises the risk that anyone who is involved in one of these crashes often suffers catastrophic injuries or death.

According to national statistics, the number of people killed in tractor-trailer accidents last year increased by almost 10 percent, despite the fact that the overall percentage of victims killed in traffic accidents declined.

There are almost 5,000 victims killed every year in large truck crashes. Approximately 1,300 of those victims are the truck drivers and the rest of the victims are occupants in other vehicles. Almost half of the truck drivers killed were not wearing seat belts. Safety experts are puzzled by the increase, especially since there have been multiple advances in technological innovations aimed at reducing crashes. Newer model trucks have rear-view cameras, automatic emergency braking, electronic logging systems, and lane departure warning. Many older models have been modified with many of these safety features, as well.

The government has also implemented stringent guidelines on the number of hours a truck driver can be behind the wheel per day and per week, as well as rest requirements. Yet, the numbers still continue to rise. So why the increase? A Houston TX semi truck accident lawyer from n has found the following are some of the most common factors of truck crashes.

Alcohol and Drugs

One of the most troubling factors in truck accidents is the pressure that truck drivers feel to deliver cargo on time, often under near-impossible demands from the trucking company they work for. Add to that fact is that many drivers suffer from health conditions caused by lack of exercise and poor diets, due to the number of hours they spend on the road. There is also the fatigue factor. This combination often leads truck drivers to use alcohol, cocaine, marijuana, and methamphetamines while they are working.

In fact, one study found that just under 15 percent of American truck drivers had tested positive for alcohol in their system. This was the highest rate of all the countries worldwide whose truck drivers were included in the test.

Other Factors in Truck Crashes

Multiple studies have found the following factors to be the most common in causing truck accidents:

• Brake failure
• Distracted driving
• Excessive speed
• Fatigue
• Inexperience with certain maneuvers
• Loss of control due to steering malfunction
• Loss of control due to a tire blowout
• Misjudging the distance needed to break
• Moving into the lane of another vehicle
• Poor road conditions
• Poor visibility
• Shifting of cargo not properly secured
• Under the influence of alcohol or drugs

Damages in Truck Accidents

The injuries that victims suffer from truck accidents are often catastrophic, leaving permanent disabilities and forever changing the quality of life of the victim. A semi-truck accident lawyer in Houston TX from our firm can evaluate a victim’s case and determine what damages they may be entitled to. Some of the damages a victim can recover includes:

• Past and future medical expenses
• Past and future income loss
• Decreased earning capacity
• Pain and suffering
• Mental anguish
• Permanent disability
• Permanent scarring or disfigurement
• Cost of vocational rehabilitation
• Spousal claim for loss of consortium

If the victim does not survive their injuries, a truck accident lawyer Houston, TX provides can file a wrongful death claim on the victim’s family’s behalf. Damages can include:

• Funeral and burial expenses
• Loss of the victim’s love, care, companionship, comfort, guidance, and counsel
• Medical expenses for life-saving treatment
• Pain and suffering of the victim before they died
• Punitive damages for gross negligence or conduct that is malicious, reckless, wanton, or willful
• Value of income the victim could reasonably have been expected to earn in their lifetime

Let a Houston TX Semi Truck Accident Lawyer Help

If you or a loved one has been a victim of a truck accident, contact a truck accident lawyer Houston TX clients recommend from John K. Zaid & Associates to ensure you get the financial compensation you deserve for the injuries you have suffered.

A Truck Accident Lawyer Houston, TX from John K. Zaid & Associates understands that the injuries sustained from a truck collision can take on a whole world of their own. You may now have medical bills, lost work, relationship issues, and financial challenges to take care of, and it was all the result of the truck accident. Perhaps you’ve started the claims process but are up to your ears in information you don’t understand. Maybe you can’t pay your bills out of pocket and don’t know where to turn.

The good news is, no matter how far you’ve gotten on your own, a truck accident lawyer in Houston, TX from John K. Zaid & Associates can step in to help you finish the process. How do lawyers help?

Alleviating Stress

By hiring a Houston, TX Semi Truck Accident Lawyer, he or she can alleviate much of your current stress. You won’t have to try to figure out any complicated legal or medical terms, keep track of deadlines, or handle difficult conversations with an insurance adjuster. Your lawyer can keep you informed about what is going on, and involve you when you need to be aware of updates, but you won’t have that pressure of figuring it all out on your own.

Conducting Investigations

Your Semi Truck Accident Lawyer in Houston, Texas from John K. Zaid & Associates will know exactly what type of information should be collected as the accident is investigated. He or she may interview witnesses, medical professionals who have been involved in your treatment, caregivers who have helped you since your injury, and others who are involved in the incident. Your lawyer might collect photographs of your injuries, property damage that resulted from the accident or other items that are pertinent to your case.

Your lawyer may have to investigate the insurance company as well, and possibly the party responsible for the truck crash. Is the offending truck driver and his or her company handling the incident in a sideways manner? Have they crossed the legal line and need to be reigned back? Let a Texas Semi Truck Accident Lawyer in Houston from our law firm take this task head on.

Being Your Advocate

It’s always nice to have someone advocate for you. Whether you’re in the wrong or on the right side, you deserve to have someone in your corner. Your lawyer will be on your side no matter what. If he or she feels a certain legal move will make your case worse, he or she will discuss it with you. If a Semi Truck Accident Lawyer in Houston feels you could gain a larger settlement by going about it another way, that will be discussed as well.

Continuing the Process Correctly

Personal injury cases such as truck accidents can get very complicated, but it helps if you have legal representation on your side. Contact a Houston Semi Truck Accident Lawyer in TX from John K. Zaid & Associates today to pick up where you left off.