Unsafe Trucking Company Practices

Commercial trucking company safety violations & dangerous practices.

A recent study done by the American Association for Justice (AAJ) details some frightening safety violations committed by many major trucking companies.

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According to this report, thousands of violations were found in countless 18-wheeler companies, including employing untrained drivers, overloading the trucks’ trailers, failing to maintain brakes and tires, and designing salary systems that encourage speeding and excessive driving hours. Many fatal accidents involving 18-wheelers could be easily prevented. For example, one innocent driver lost his life when he collided with a truck due to the truck’s failed brakes. The brakes failed because the truck driver had attempted to repair a broken brake line with a toothpick and some tape. If the driver had stopped at a certified repair shop, the repair would have taken minutes and would have cost less than $15. But instead the driver was commended for his thriftiness by the trucking company. As long as trucking companies continue to put profits before safety, millions of motorists are at risk.


Semitrailer Accident Lawsuits

If you or someone you love has been in an accident involving an 18-wheeler, the personal injury attorneys at Grossman Law Offices can help you build a personal injury lawsuit in Texas. Lawsuits against major trucking companies are difficult due to the size of the insurance policies that cover these vehicles. Most trucking companies employ aggressive insurance adjusters, ruthless defense attorneys, and accident recreation specialists. This team of experts has one purpose: to convince a jury that the accident was your fault. If you are to go up against this team of experts, you’re going to need professional help. Fortunately, our offices have been helping victims injured by trucking companies for twenty years and we know how to secure a fair settlement in these cases. If you or someone in your family has been hurt in an accident involving a commercial truck, contact a Houston 18 wheeler accident lawyer at Grossman Law Offices and make sure you get the compensation you need.


Some of Our Most Recent Successful Cases
$40,000.00 Recovery - Commercial Vehicle Accident (Soft-Tissue Injuries)
Recovered for client who suffered soft-tissue damage which required physical therapy after being rear ended by a commercial vehicle.
Total Recovery:
$40,000.00
Attorney Fees:
$13,333.00
Litigation Expenses:
$50.00
$225,000.00 Recovery - Automobile Accident (Back Injury)
Our firm was hired to pursue a claim against a negligent following a rear-end car accident. The plaintiff was driving her vehicle in traffic on I-30 in Dallas, TX when the defendant approached from behind and collided with her vehicle, pushing it into the vehicle in front of her. The plaintiff sustained disc compression and herniation at C3-4 which required surgery to rectify. The defendant's ultimately accepted liability but heavily disputed the damages. Under threat of litigation, the defendants raised their offer. Our attorneys continued to aggressively negotiate on behalf of our client and a satisfactory result was eventually obtained.
Total Recovery:
$225,000.00
Attorney Fees:
$95,000.00
Litigation Expenses:
$2,500.00
$150,000.00 Recovery - Automobile Accident (Nerve Damage)
Recovery for client who suffered nerve damage and required steroid injections as a result of a car accident.
Total Recovery:
$150,000.00
Attorney Fees:
$50,000.00
Litigation Expenses:
$4,800.00
$102,500.00 Recovery - Commercial Vehicle Accident (Both Legs Broken)
Recovery for client who suffered injuries to both legs in a truck accident.
Total Recovery:
$102,500.00
Attorney Fees:
$40,833.00
Litigation Expenses:
$19,984.00
$60,000.00 Recovery - Commercial Vehicle Accident (Soft-Tissue Injuries & Chiropractic Treatment)
Recovered for client who was rear-ended by an 18-wheeler resulting in soft tissue injuries and chiropractic treatment.
Total Recovery:
$60,000.00
Attorney Fees:
$20,000.00
Litigation Expenses:
$1,050.00
Confidential Recovery - Wrongful Death / Commercial Vehicle Accident
(policy limits) Our attorneys secured a recovery against a major trucking company for the daughter of a man who was killed after his vehicle collided into an 18-wheeler which was blocking the roadway. Litigation is ongoing against additional defendants.
Total Recovery:
Confidential
Attorney Fees:
Confidential
Litigation Expenses:
Confidential
Confidential Recovery - Wrongful Death / Commercial Vehicle Accident
(policy limits) Our firm was hired by the wife and children of a retired Army Colonel who was killed in an underide 18-wheeler accident. In addition to being a decorated veteran, the decedent worked both professionally and on a voluntary basis to establish numerous learning institutions and vocational programs for at risk youths. The accident occurred as the decedent was traveling on a rural highway when an 18-wheeler failed to yield the right of way and made a rolling stop through a stop sign.

This placed the trailer of the 18-wheeler in a position whereby it blocked the entire roadway and shoulder, leaving the decedent no option but to collide with the trailer. Witnesses on the scene attempted to revive him but to no avail. Furthermore, while two female eye witnesses struggled to pry open the decedent's door to provide emergency care, the truck driver stayed in his truck and offered no assistance. Despite what appeared to be an incredibly apparent case of negligence on behalf of the defendant, defense counsel refused to accept liability resulting in rather lengthy litigation.

The defendants initially denied the claim based on the allegation that the decedent was speeding and the truck driver therefore could not adequately gauge the amount of time he had to pause at the stop sign. The physical evidence contradicted this notion entirely, notwithstanding the fact that even if the decedent had been contributorily negligent, that would not have outweighed the severe degree of negligence on the part of the defendant. Nevertheless, our attorneys were able to conclusively refute this argument based on eye-witness testimony and the testimony from police investigators who calculated the decedent's speed to be precisely at the posted speed limit. In a desperate and largely unprecedented move, the defendants then designated the state as a responsible third party.

Generally speaking, a defendant will often threaten to designate a third party in order to leverage their position but it is rare that such an arbitrary and arguably frivolous designation is actually carried out. However, that is precisely what occurred and the state was thusly incorporated into the lawsuit by the defendants. The basis of the defendant's argument was that the state erected a large street sign that obstructed the truck driver's view of approaching traffic.

Several months of intense litigation were required to before the defendant finally acquiesced in regard to this argument. The argument was finally abandoned by the defendants when in the first mediation our attorneys presented video footage shot (in a controlled setting) from the perspective of an 18-wheeler driver which showed that the sign simply did not obstruct enough of the roadway in order to be a hazard. The case was ultimately resolved through litigation.
Total Recovery:
Confidential
Attorney Fees:
Confidential
Litigation Expenses:
Confidential
$75,000.00 Recovery - Workplace Accident (Soft-Tissue Injuries)
Recovery for worker who suffered soft tissue injuries when his fork lift was struck by a delivery truck.
Total Recovery:
$75,000.00
Attorney Fees:
$25,000.00
Litigation Expenses:
$350.00
$475,000.00 Recovery - Commercial Vehicle Accident / Motorcycle Accident (Shoulder Injury Requiring Surgery)
An airline pilot suffered a shoulder injury resulting in surgery when he was sideswiped by an 18-wheeler. The case was resolved through litigation, as establishing liability was a contentious matter. The defendants claimed that the plaintiff made an illegal passing maneuver, but the evidence showed that the defendant made a sweeping turn and intruded upon our client's right of way.
Total Recovery:
$475,000.00
Attorney Fees:
$158,333.00
Litigation Expenses:
$5,000.00
$90,000.00 Recovery - Commercial Vehicle Accident (Soft-Tissue Injuries and Leg Contusions)
Recovered for client who suffered soft-tissue back injuries and leg contusions in an 18-wheeler accident.
Total Recovery:
$90,000.00
Attorney Fees:
$30,000.00
Litigation Expenses:
$562.00

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