How Can a Truck Accident Lawyer Help?
Few things can be as challenging or as frustrating as trying to deal with the legal aftermath of a truck accident. You may be trying to focus on healing from severe injuries that may require ongoing medical care. Dealing with the insurance company and the trucking company at the same time can be a hassle, especially if you are not entirely sure how to file a compensation claim. A Katy semi-truck accident lawyer can help you figure out your next steps. It’s not uncommon for trucking companies to bring in an entire legal team to thwart your attempt at getting compensation. Having a knowledgeable and dedicated Katy trucking accident lawyer on your side can make all the difference. Depending on your situation, your losses may be significant. Apart from your injuries, you may also be dealing with property damages, lost wages from missing work, and severe emotional distress. We can help you build your case.Proven Track Record
Our dedicated legal team, led by Shane McClelland, has a substantial track record of success when it comes to helping truck accident victims get what they deserve. We work quite hard for every single one of our clients by helping them recoup their various losses, which can include:- Lost income
- Medical costs
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of consortium
Negotiating With Insurance Companies
It’s quite common for insurance companies to try to lowball their settlement offers. If you don’t have experienced legal representation, you may not even be aware that they’re trying to take advantage of you. Our firm can negotiate with the insurance companies and the trucking companies on your behalf to reach a settlement that accurately reflects what you’ve been through. If you are unable to reach a settlement, your case will go to court, where we will represent your interests in front of a jury. Once a settlement is reached or an award is given to you after a trial, we can manage the distribution of funds and make sure you are properly compensated. We can also help you maximize the settlement, ensuring no stone is left unturned.The Benefits of a Local Truck Accident Lawyer
The fallout of a truck accident can be particularly catastrophic and often much more devastating than a car accident. We’ve seen firsthand how horrific the injuries one can suffer from such an accident can be. We can help you receive the maximum compensation amount possible that reflects your injuries, your property damages, and your ongoing medical costs, if applicable. Here are some of the benefits and advantages of hiring a local truck accident lawyer: Tailored Care
The leader of our team, Shane McClelland, is a hardworking, dedicated, and knowledgeable attorney who provides every client with a careful and considerate approach that is unique to their situation. No two truck accident cases are going to be the same, so every case deserves its own specific, tailor-made attention. Our goal is to establish personal connections with every one of our clients by helping you understand your goals and concerns.Local Knowledge
Since our firm is based in Katy and the surrounding areas, we are very aware of which roads, intersections, and junctions are more prone to truck accidents than others. The Katy Freeway, for instance, is a hotbed of accident potential. By utilizing our local knowledge of the highway system, including the locations of traffic cameras and common causes of crashes at certain locations, we can effectively prove fault in your case and seek accountability from the right people.Understanding Regulations
Truck accidents can often be complicated and involve multiple liable parties. Depending on the accident, the truck driver, the trucking company, the company’s insurance company, and even the manufacturer of the truck itself may all hold some degree of liability. Proving fault can be complex. Luckily, our firm has extensive knowledge of state and federal trucking regulations. We can use this knowledge to pursue accountability and even prove negligence.Negotiation Skills
One of the most important skills a lawyer can have in their repertoire is negotiation skills. When you hire a lawyer to represent you in a truck accident case, you are essentially putting a trusted legal professional between you and a potential army of lawyers who represent the trucking company and the trucking company’s insurance carrier. Our firm has dealt with corporate lawyers before, and we can recognize the tricks they may use to try to avoid paying you what you deserve.Developing Your Case
Trucking accidents often result in devastating injuries to the survivors. While trying to put together a viable case, you may be dealing with some of the worst injuries of your life, including broken bones, brain damage, amputations, and more. It’s not reasonable for you to have to handle all of this on your own. You may be counting on your settlement to cover your medical expenses. We can work with local medical professionals and reconstruction professionals to build your case.
Common Truck Accident Injuries
It’s no secret that truck accidents are extremely deadly. Depending on the outcome of your accident, you may be too physically incapacitated to handle your case at all. An experienced truck accident lawyer can help you take control of your case and allow you to focus on healing. Understanding the type of injuries you could suffer from a truck accident may better prepare you for your case and help you take steps to protect yourself:- Head and Brain Injuries: A head and brain injury can range anywhere from a mild concussion to a skull fracture or even a traumatic brain injury that results in permanent brain damage. A TBI can have lasting, long-term effects that you may never fully recover from. You could suffer from ongoing cognitive decline and emotional trauma for the remainder of your life.
- Neck and Back Injuries: Some of the most common injuries following a vehicular accident include whiplash, herniated discs, and various spinal cord injuries. These can then result in chronic pain, decreased mobility, and ongoing medical issues.
- Bone Fractures: Broken bones are also quite common in a truck accident. The most common fractures may be in your arms, legs, and ribs. If a break is severe enough, it can take quite some time to heal. If it doesn’t heal properly, it can result in permanent damage and reduced usage.
- Internal Injuries: Internal injuries, like internal bleeding and organ damage, can be particularly devastating, especially if left untreated. These types of injuries may not be noticeable in the immediate aftermath of your accident, which is why it is so important to visit a doctor as soon as you can.
- Soft Tissue Damage: Soft tissue damage can be physically destructive and can cause limited mobility, swelling, various discomforts, and more. If you have suffered a sprain, a contusion, or a muscle strain, you should tell your doctor about it.
Common Causes of Truck Accidents
There are many different reasons a truck accident can occur. They rarely, if ever, come out of nowhere. There is always a cause, even if that cause is not immediately identifiable. Understanding the more common causes of truck accidents in the Katy area is essential for improving road safety and identifying whom to pursue legal action against in your case. Here are some of the more common causes of truck accidents in Katy and the surrounding areas: - Driver Fatigue: Few work schedules are as demanding and stringent as a truck driver’s. They are often forced to spend long hours driving on the road to meet their tight delivery times. Spending so much time on the road can result in exhaustion, which can severely limit a driver’s attention.
- Maintenance Issues: If the truck itself is not properly taken care of, it can lead to serious mechanical errors like brake or engine failure. This can compromise the driver’s control of the vehicle.
- Distracted Driving: Distractions remain one of the most common causes of vehicular accidents around the world. Any behavior that causes the driver to take their attention away from the road can be considered a distraction, such as texting, eating, drinking, or engaging in road rage.
Determining Fault and Liability
In order to determine who’s to blame for the accident, a thorough investigation will be required. That investigation will involve multiple steps, such as:- Investigating the scene of the accident
- Interviewing any witnesses
- Examining the damage done to all vehicles involved
- Reviewing any relevant documents
- The Driver: Generally, the driver is viewed as the responsible party since they are in control of the vehicle. However, an investigation may determine that the accident was not their fault.
- The Trucking Company: The company that owns the truck is responsible for consistent maintenance, training the driver well, and following state and federal regulations for every delivery. If they fail to do one of these tasks, liability may rest with them.
- The Manufacturer: If the truck was improperly manufactured or has a mechanical defect, then fault for the accident may rest solely with the manufacturer that built the truck.
The Details of Your Settlement
In the aftermath of a truck accident, you may be seeking compensation for many different factors, including medical expenses, lost wages, property damage, and pain and suffering. Many different elements of your case will ultimately determine the full amount you could receive in your settlement, including:- Your Injuries: The severity of your injuries will heavily determine your settlement amount. The worse your injuries, the more you may receive. You will likely receive a far higher settlement for a TBI than you would for a sprained shoulder.
- Earning Capacity: If your ability to work has been diminished because of the accident, you will likely be entitled to compensation for loss of income.
- Fault: Texas follows modified comparative negligence laws, which means that you may lose a portion of your settlement package if it’s determined you were partially at fault for causing the accident.
