Houston Truck Accident Lawyer

Our Attorneys Can Help If You've Been Injured in a Houston Accident with a Commercial Vehicle

Commercial trucks are a constant companion to all drivers on the roads in and around Houston, Texas. Traveling down I-45, I-10, the Sam Houston Tollway, or Loop 610, 18-wheelers are an integral part of American society, especially in regards to major shipping and receiving cities like Houston.

Without the services and goods that commercial truck drivers provide, Americans’ quality of life would suffer. Unfortunately, 18-wheeler accidents are a common occurrence that can severely affect a victim’s quality of life. With the sheer number of commercial trucks on the roads today, coupled with legislation that allows drivers to spend up to 11 hours driving per day, semi-truck wrecks often have a high probability of occurring over time. When issues like drowsy driving or drunk driving are a factor, 18-wheeler collisions are even more likely to occur, and more likely to result in severe personal injury or death.

Houston truck accident lawyer Michael Grossman offers this article to further inform you about the dangers of trucking accidents in Houston, the legal issues involved in 18-wheeler wreck cases, the rights of an injured victim or a bereaved family, and the legal options that an aggrieved party may pursue in the aftermath of a Houston commercial trucking accident. The east Texas 18 wheeler wreck lawsuit attorneys at Grossman Law Offices bring 20 years of relevant experience to every trucking accident case they take on. Through these many years of helping victims of trucking accidents and family members of victims who have lost their lives due to fatal trucking accidents in Texas, Houston truck accident lawyer Michael Grossman and his team at Grossman Law Offices have the knowledge and experience to help you seek compensation for your injury or loss while working to see justice served against those responsible for the Texas truck accident.

Who’s Responsible for an 18-Wheeler Wreck in Texas?

One of the first issues that any affected victim of a Houston semi-truck wreck wants to know is who’s responsible for the wreck. The answer to that question is seldom as easy as pointing a finger to an alleged negligent truck driver. There are many distinct ways that an 18-wheeler wreck resulting in injury or death is drastically different from a passenger-vehicle only wreck causing injury or death. The issue of liability is one the of the distinctive differences between these types of accidents. For example, an otherwise normal car crash is often the fault of one driver. Consequently, an injured victim can sue the driver for any incurred damages. While there are certain instances where a victim may be able to pursue legal action against other liable entities, this is not the norm for auto accident cases.

Truck Drivers and Trucking Companies

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Michael Grossman has been fighting for 18 wheeler accident victims` rights for over 20 years. Call Mike to discuss your case. 1-855-392-0000

However, trucking accidents in Texas often involve multiple parties. When a negligent truck driver is responsible for a wreck, both the trucker and their employer can be held civilly liable for the results of a tractor-trailer crash in Houston, or anywhere else in Texas. Even though the trucking company was not directly involved in the accident, they will bear vicarious liability for the accident due to the legal notion of “respondeat superior.” Latin for “let the master answer,” this legal doctrine in Texas law holds that an employer is held liable for the negligent actions of an employee so long as such actions occurred in the course of their employment. Such liability exists with an employer regardless of whether or not the employer was specifically negligent in any way. Further complicating legal matters in the aftermath of a Texas trucking accident, a liable trucking company will, more often than not, also hold a substantial insurance policy on their fleet. Consequently, an 18-wheeler accident personal injury case or wrongful death lawsuit will likely involve three defendants from the very outset: a truck driver, a trucking company, and a trucking company’s insurer. Specific cases must be constructed against each unique entity so that an aggrieved party can stand to receive fair compensation for their injury or loss.

Cargo-Loading Companies, Route-Planning Companies, Product Manufacturers

On the other hand, some semi-truck accidents are not the fault of a truck driver. For instance, some trucking companies utilize the services of other companies in order to accomplish specific work-related tasks. An outside cargo-loading company may be used to both load and secure cargo onto a truck. If such loading is performed negligently, or cargo is not properly secured, and an 18-wheeler rollover accident occurs resulting in injury or death, whether to the truck driver, a truck passenger, or a person in another vehicle, the cargo-loading company can be held liable for the accident. Route-planning companies are also routinely used by commercial trucking companies. If a truck driver follows a prescribed route and strikes an environmental hazard, or suffers an accident due to following the route, the mapping company could bear liability for the wreck. Furthermore, a product liability lawsuit may be brought against a product manufacturer if a mechanical issue, caused by a defective product, leads to an injury accident or a fatal 18-wheeler accident. However, if a faulty part contributes to an accident, the entity tasked with proper maintenance of the truck may be held liable. Such an entity may or may not be the trucking company itself.

Assessing Liability Requires an Exhaustive Investigation

Regardless of who may be ultimately responsible for a Houston semi-truck accident, a thorough investigation must be made into the accident site in order to determine who the liable parties are. Liability cannot be properly assessed without the work of such an investigation, especially in regards to Houston 18-wheeler accidents that are likely to have multiple liable parties. Lesser experienced attorneys with little to no experience in trucking accident cases may not know what to look for in an 18-wheeler accident site, or even know to look for the possible involvement of other parties that may not have been directly involved in the wreck. Houston truck accident lawyer Michael Grossman has two decades of experience in 18-wheeler accident cases. With investigative resources at his disposal, he and his team at Grossman Law Offices will work hard to ensure that all liable parties are identified so that they can be held accountable for the injury or loss they’ve caused you. Discovering the liable parties is an integral part of any civil action since each liable party will be held responsible for awarding their fair share of compensation to an injured victim or a bereaved family should an aggrieved party receive a favorable outcome to their legal pursuit.

The Involvement of Insurance Companies in Houston Commercial Truck Accidents

As previously stated, an 18-wheeler accident is likely going to involve the trucking company’s insurer. Texas commercial trucking companies are required to purchase insurance coverage for their fleets and drivers. However, unlike insurance policies that cover passenger vehicles, trucking insurance policies are quite large. In fact, such policies can often be worth 50 times more than an insurance policy that covers a passenger vehicle. Trucking insurance policies must valued so high due to the amount of damage that 18-wheelers can accomplish in a wreck. Property damage, personal injury, and death are all-too-common results of semi-truck accidents in Texas. Consequently, a trucking insurance policy must be able to cover the expenses of even the most costly of accidents.

The Consequences of High-Dollar Trucking Insurance Policies

Such a high-dollar insurance policy may inadvertently lead an injured victim to assume that their expenses will be fully taken care of in a short amount of time. In other words, since the insurance policy is capable of covering the victim’s incurred financial losses, then the insurance company, a victim might assume, will gladly award them just compensation for their injury or loss. Unfortunately for the victim, this scenario seldom occurs. It is actually due to the high-dollar nature of these insurance claims that an insurance company will work as hard as possible in order to not be held ultimately liable for the payoff of the claim. Despite some appearances, an insurance company is a business that exists to turn a profit. Such progress can often be made by seeing large-sum claims denied or severely diminished, regardless of an aggrieved party’s real need for proper compensation for their injury or loss.

Insurance Adjuster Tactics Following a Texas 18-Wheeler Collision

When an insurance company is on the line to resolve a claim brought by a victim of a Houston 18-wheeler accident, they will likely send their most veteran insurance adjuster to work the claim. Such an adjuster is seldom if ever anything similar to your own neighborhood auto insurance agent. With years of hardening experience in their side, such an insurance adjuster’s goal is often single-minded: to save their company as much money as possible. To this end, they will employ certain tactics meant to see a claim wholly dismissed or greatly decreased. For example, an aggressive insurance adjuster may interrogate a victim of an 18-wheeler accident, asking repeated questions in slightly varying ways. While it may appear that they’re simply trying to dig to the truth of an accident scene, such an interrogation is often used as a means for an insurance adjuster to use a victim’s words against the victim. Through such inquisitive prodding, an adjuster may be able to get a victim to inadvertently admit to a degree of liability for an accident. If even a small degree of liability can be passed from their client to the victim, a substantial decrease in the amount of possible compensation awarded to a victim can be incurred. If more than half of the liability for a semi-truck wreck can be found to have existed with a victim, a victim’s claim can be completely denied. In such instances, it can be vital toward a victim’s rights that they have proper legal counsel, like Houston Texas truck accident lawyer Michael Grossman, that can ensure that they’re not being taken advantage of by an aggressive insurance adjuster.

When a trucking insurance adjuster is not able to stake liability onto another party, they may attempt to offer a victim an unmediated settlement. Such a settlement is often woefully short of the true value of a personal injury lawsuit or a wrongful death lawsuit. In other words, this type of unmediated offer is seldom commensurate with the actual incurred financial losses of a victim of an 18-wheeler accident. It is a shrewdly calculated move on behalf of the insurance company to make quick and cost-efficient work of a trucking accident insurance claim that could result in their company losing millions of dollars. Such an offer is meant as an enticement of sure, quick money to an injured victim or a grieving family. It may even be offered in the immediate aftermath of an 18-wheeler collision, when an aggrieved party may still be in shock or otherwise emotionally distracted, so that an adjuster can catch a victim off-guard. These types of settlements are often offered in return for a victim signing away their rights to pursue any legal action. When such an offer is accepted and a victim has voluntarily signed away their rights, there is little to nothing that any attorney can do to help that victim seek further legal action. If you have been approached by an insurance adjuster with a settlement offer, enlisting the help of an experienced Texas trucking accident attorney is in your best interests, as such a truck wreck lawyer can look over any offer and inform you as to whether or not it is a fair offer for your incurred financial losses.

Highly Experienced Defense Attorneys in Commercial Trucking Accident Cases

In addition to the challenges that insurance adjusters can pose to 18-wheeler accident cases, such adjusters and trucking companies will likely have experienced defense attorneys on-call that are ready to descend onto a semi-truck accident site. Such defense attorneys may be able to respond to an 18-wheeler accident site quite quickly, so quickly, in fact, that an injured victim may not have even had time to consider contacting their own legal representation. One of the ways to ensure that your rights are being protected is to contact a truck accident lawyer in Houston following the immediate aftermath of a wreck so that someone on your side can conduct a thorough investigation into the accident scene. Furthermore, experienced defense attorneys that work 18-wheeler accident cases will often be quite aggressive in the pursuit of winning a case. You will likewise need a legal ally on your side that can argue just as aggressively, on your behalf, against such defense lawyers.

Difficult Truck Drivers and Houston Trucking Accidents

Another common challenge in seeking legal action against a negligent truck driver for an injury truck accident or a fatal truck accident in Texas is the fact that some truck drivers, when faced with the possibility of losing their job, will lie about their involvement in a wreck. In our two decades of experience in helping victims of Texas 18-wheeler accidents, we’ve heard nearly every truck driver story imaginable. Through careful depositions and thorough investigations, we’re often able to get to the truth of an accident scene in order to verify a truck driver’s story. Grossman Law Offices works hard to ensure that relevant evidence and eyewitness testimony is obtained so that a strong and robust case can be constructed against any and all negligent parties.

Self-Insured Trucking Companies in Texas

While all Texas trucking companies must carry some form of insurance, truck companies in Texas are not required to purchase such insurance from an insurance company. Some trucking companies choose to set aside a portion of their assets to be used as insurance in the event of a truck accident resulting in injury or death. However, these self-insured truck companies can sometimes resort to rather unethical behavior due to the fact that they do not have to maintain the standards that are in place for traditional insurance companies. Such unethical behavior can occur when a victim suffers from threats, a witness to an accident is badgered, or evidence is deleted, removed, or otherwise altered in order to skirt liability. Grossman Law Offices has assisted victims in the past who have been mistreated in these ways by a self-insured trucking company. When such mistreatment occurs and our Texas trucking accident attorneys get involved, we will pursue legal measures in order to get the negligent trucking company to begin acting ethically so that our client no longer has to suffer from the unfair advantages a self-insured trucking company often creates for itself. Had these past clients contacted us before attempting to seek action against these companies on their own, we likely could have saved them from much wasted time and frustration.

Can I Represent Myself in an 18-Wheeler Accident Case?

After reading this article, we hope that the answer to this question is self-evident. There are often an incredible number of fluctuating variables involved in a Houston personal injury lawsuit or wrongful death civil suit in connection to an 18-wheeler accident the results in injury or death. Who’s liable? How many liable parties are there? To what degree is each party liable for the results of the accident? How will an investigation on my behalf be conducted? What are my damages? Is the insurance adjuster telling me the truth? Should I accept this settlement? What have defense attorneys found? Is the truck driver lying? What happens if I go to court? These are just a few of the many questions that must be answered in order for effective legal action to be taken against a liable party. Inexperienced lawyers and non-attorneys simply do not have the proper experience and knowledge to be able to purposefully pursue legal action against those responsible for their injury or loss. Furthermore, proper trial experience and an attorney’s earned reputation are two factors that can be instrumental toward the success of a civil suit. Houston truck accident lawyer Michael Grossman has a respected reputation after working for the last 20 years to help victims of 18-wheeler accidents in Texas and throughout the country. While he and his team at Grossman Law Offices work to secure fair out-of-court settlements for their clients so as to save them from the added expense of time and money that is associated with the trial process, he also has an extensive history of courtroom experience that makes him a formidable foe to any defense attorney.

Next Steps if You’ve Been in a Houston 18-Wheeler Wreck

First, preserve evidence. Semi-truck accident sites are often some of the most wreckage-strewn and complex accident sites imaginable. Preserving evidence means contacting a Houston TX truck accident lawyer that can work to investigate an accident site in order to ensure that no relevant evidence is lost due to the passage of time or the unethical behavior of a liable party. Consequently, the sooner that you’re able to contact a Houston truck accident attorney, the more likely it often is that such evidence can be located so that a robust case can be constructed against any and all liable parties. When Grossman Law Offices is hired to assist a victim of a tractor-trailer wreck in Houston, we will inspect each vehicle involved in the accident, take accident scene measurements, search for surveillance video or photographic evidence, take depositions, find witnesses, and extract information from data-logging devices. Essentially, we will do what is necessary in order to fully investigate an accident site so that each liable party can be discovered and held accountable for their negligent behavior.

The importance of quickly contacting Grossman Law Offices following an 18-wheeler wreck in Houston, Texas cannot be overstated, as the following story shows. A past client was involved in a tragic 18-wheeler wreck that caused him severe personal injury and also resulted in the death of a passenger in his car. Our client was the driver of a passenger vehicle that suffered an underride accident when his car was forced underneath the trailer of an 18-wheeler that was attempting an unusual and hazardous turn at night. We were contacted to lend our help shortly after this devastating accident occurred. We flew to the scene of the accident to inspect our client’s car, which had been towed to a local junkyard. Once there, we noticed that his headlights were completely missing. We were able to secure surveillance video footage that showed a representative from the negligent tricking company visiting the junkyard and removing our client’s headlights. With this evidence we were able to help our client when the defense attempted to press liability onto him due to his car’s lack of headlights. We later learned that the surveillance video that had been so instrumental in connection to this devastating 18-wheeler accident case was set to delete itself shortly after we had viewed it. Had our client not contacted us quickly, and had we not been able to respond in kind, vital evidence may have been lost. This is but one story of many that we could share in regards to the necessity for quick movement in the aftermath of an injury trucking accident or fatal 18-wheeler accident.

The Houston 18-Wheeler Accident Law Firm of Grossman Law Offices Can Help You

If you have been injured due to a commercial trucking accident in Houston, you likely have merit in seeking compensation for your injury, that can assist you with issues like past and future medical bills, pain and suffering, and lost wages, through a personal injury lawsuit. If you have suffered the loss of a loved one due to a fatal commercial truck wreck in Houston, you likely have merit in seeking compensation and pursuing justice for your loss through a wrongful death lawsuit. While certain challenges will exist that are unique to each type of civil lawsuit, the issues presented in this article are likely to be present in any legal action sought against a negligent party responsible for an 18-wheeler collision in Texas. Consequently, an aggrieved party can likely stand to benefit from the legal help of an experienced Houston truck accident lawyer like Michael Grossman. Should you have further questions about your legal options, contact Grossman Law Offices toll-free at 1-855-392-0000. A legal professional is available to talk to you at any time of the day, on any day of the week. Through our free legal consultations, we can help inform you about your possible legal next steps. If you’re able to proceed with seeking legal action, we can help you start that process so that you may be able to receive fair compensation for your injury or loss. With 20 years of relevant experience in Texas trucking accident cases, we know we can help.