As the home to many large companies that provide goods across America, Arlington has plenty of commercial trucks traveling in and out of the city. Sharing the road with big rigs can be incredibly intimidating because they’re up to 30 times heavier than regular sized cars. Knowing the size and weight difference makes driving near large trucks more stressful because you know how catastrophic an accident could be with them.
When you get into a collision with a tractor trailer, you could use the help of our Arlington, TX truck accident lawyer. The injuries and damages that you’re likely dealing with could make it hard to go about your daily life. With the help of an attorney from Buckingham Barrera Vega Law Firm, you can get the compensation that you’re owed for what you’ve suffered.
Causes of Tractor Trailer Collisions
It’s important to know what could cause a wreck with an 18 wheeler so that you can potentially avoid a collision when you notice one of these situations happening. If you couldn’t avoid a crash with a tractor trailer because of someone else’s negligence, then you might be dealing with the aftermath of injuries and other damages. Because of the drastic size and weight difference, those injuries and damages might change your life.
While the causes of large truck wrecks are similar to the causes of car accidents, they’re slightly different because tractor trailers take extra care and training to drive and maintain. Here are some of the most common causes of truck crashes in Arlington:
- Driver Error. Just like regular drivers, truck drivers can also make mistakes behind the wheel. Even though they have ample training and certifications, truckers still make errors that could lead to an accident. Getting distracted, failing to make safety checks, or just making a general driving mistake can all lead to a serious collision between a truck and another vehicle.
- Drunk Driving. Truck drivers sometimes turn to drugs and alcohol while they’re on the road. When they get inebriated and then get behind the wheel, this can have deadly consequences since they’re driving large, heavy trucks.
- Fatigued Trucker. Trucker drive long hours on highways, which can get exhausting. Even though they have to follow certain regulations for how long they can drive at a time and how long they have to rest, they can still get fatigued. This can greatly affect their driving and cause accidents because they don’t have the same reactions when they’re so tired.
- Speeding. Just like with any vehicle, when a large truck speeds, their reaction time slows, and they require even more space to come to a complete stop. If they reach an obstacle, even the smallest movement to go around or avoid it could cause them to lose control of the truck.
- Overloaded Trailer. The trailer section of the truck holds all of the cargo that they’re transporting. When it’s loaded, it needs to be evenly distributed and weighed to make sure that it’s not overloading each axle. When there’s too much weight on each axle or on the hitch, it can cause one of the parts to break. If it’s loaded unevenly, it could tip the trailer or make it sway.
- Negligent Company. The trucking company could also be at fault if they were negligent in any way. If they didn’t inspect the rig before it pulled off the lot, then they could be the ones who didn’t pay close enough attention to the safety of the truck driver and others on the road.
- Defective Part. Even if everyone else is careful and pays attention to safety, sometimes a defective part could be what causes an 18 wheeler accident. When the brakes, tires, or another part on the truck malfunctions, it could lead to the driver losing control and crashing into other vehicles on the road.
- Bad Weather. Even though we typically have warm, sunny days in Arlington, sometimes we can have bad weather too. Rain, snow, ice, and strong winds can all cause truckers to have a difficult time controlling their rigs and lead to serious collisions.
- Bad Roads. When roads aren’t well taken care of, or they’re under construction, that can cause trucks to get into accidents because drivers lose control or parts of their cab and trailer break down from them.
These aren’t the only situations that can lead to commercial truck wrecks, they’re just some of the most common. If one of the above happened to you, or any other scenario involving a tractor trailer that caused you injuries or damages, then you could use the help of our Arlington, TX truck accident attorney. We’ll get to the bottom of what happened and get you justice for your damages.
Damages You Could Recover in Your Truck Accident Claim
As mentioned above, the result of a crash with a commercial truck can be devastating. In most cases, the occupants of the regular passenger vehicle sustain more catastrophic damages from the collision because their car is much smaller than the truck. After falling victim to one of these accidents where you sustain horrible injuries and other damages, you’ll likely want to recover compensation.
When you weren’t the person at fault for what happened, or if you were 50 percent or less at fault for the collision according to proportionate responsibility, then you can financially recover from the liable party. The two main types of damages that you can recover are economic and noneconomic. In more rare cases, you might qualify for punitive damages as well.
Economic damages are the physical costs that you suffer from the collision. These costs include medical bills, repair bills, lost wages, future costs of care, and future lost wages. Noneconomic damages are more abstract and include more emotional damages like pain and suffering and loss of enjoyment of life. All these different aspects can be used to calculate exactly what you’re owed in compensation.
In rare cases, you might be eligible for punitive damages, which punish the responsible party for gross negligence or an egregious error. That way, they’re deterred from making the error again and you are awarded compensation for your loss.
In your claim, you might be pressured into settling for less than you deserve. Having an Arlington, TX truck accident lawyer on your side can ensure you get full and fair compensation for what you’ve suffered at the hand of someone else.
Buckingham Barrera Vega Law Firm Will Represent You
Going through the legal process on your own can be incredibly intimidating, especially when you’re going up against a bigger entity, like a trucking company. That’s why Buckingham Barrera Vega Law Firm is here to support you every step of the way.
Our Arlington, TX truck accident attorney is dedicated to fighting for the victims of collisions. We work toward getting you the financial recover you deserve so that you can focus on your physical and emotional recovery. Reach out to our office today so we can get started working for you.
