Tractor trailers can be some of the most dangerous vehicles on the road because they are so much larger and heavier than regular vehicles. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), a loaded commercial truck can weigh up to 30 times as much as a regular passenger vehicle. That weight difference alone can have devastating affects on the passengers of a regular vehicle.
When two vehicles collide and one is an 18 wheeler, the injuries and damages sustained by the occupants of the smaller car can be catastrophic. That’s where our Corpus Christi, TX truck accident lawyer comes into the picture. At Buckingham Barrera Vega Law Firm, we’re dedicated to fighting for our clients’ rights, and getting them justice for their injuries and damages.
Texas Truck Accident Statistics
Looking at statistics can be a good way to understand how frequently collisions involving tractor trailers happen. In Corpus Christi, we have large trucks travelling in our area mainly to get to and from oil sites. In our county, there were 333 total crashes involving commercial motor vehicles in 2020, according to the Texas Department of Transportation.
The Texas Department of Transportation also released in this report the number of crashes with different levels of injuries that occurred in our county and involved commercial motor vehicles:
- 248 non-injury crashes
- 52 possible injury crashes
- 25 non-incapacitating injury crashes
- 5 suspected serious injury crashes
- 1 fatal crash
Across the nation, there were over 4,000 fatalities in large truck wrecks in 2019. While it might seem like one death in our county from a collision with a commercial truck is a small number, one death is too many when it comes to accidents. Not to mention all the injuries that are caused by these crashes as well.
When trucks crash into regular vehicles, the result can be catastrophic. As we’ve seen from the list above, the categories of injuries caused can range from mild to severe and even to fatal. In fatal tractor trailer collisions, 67 percent of fatalities were the occupants of passenger vehicles compared to the 16 percent of fatalities who were the occupants of the truck drivers.
Whether you’ve been seriously injured in your crash, or if your loved one has been killed in a truck wreck, you could use the help of a Corpus Christi, TX truck accident lawyer. We’ll be able to recover the compensation that you deserve for what you’ve suffered in your collision.
Parties Who Could Have Caused Your Large Truck Wreck
When you’ve been in a crash with an 18 wheeler in Corpus Christi, your first reaction might be to blame the trucker who was driving the rig. When speaking to the police and others, it’s important to refrain from placing blame on anyone because you could be wrong without knowing it. There are plenty of other parties who could have been at fault for the collision, which could make your claims unreputable.
Here are some of the parties who could have been responsible for what happened to you that you didn’t realize:
- Truck Driver
- Other Drivers
- Trucking Company
- Part Manufacturer
- Government Agencies
It could be hard to immediately understand who caused your collision. Most people immediately assume it was the truck driver, but that might not be the case at all. If the trucker was paying attention and driving safely, an accident could still happen from someone else’s negligence.
From the loading of the truck, inspections by the trucking company, or defective parts from a manufacturer, there are plenty of other parties who could be responsible for your accident. Government agencies could even be at fault if they were negligent in maintaining safe roads.
Our Corpus Christi, TX truck accident attorney is prepared to go up against any party who caused your wreck and subsequent injuries and damages.
Damages You Can Recover in Your Claim
After experiencing a serious wreck with a tractor trailer, you might have catastrophic injuries and other damages that you want to recover from physically, emotionally, and financially. When someone else’s negligence was the cause of the collision, you could take legal action to ensure that the other party or their insurance will give you the compensation that you deserve for you harm.
There are three categories of damages that you can recover when you file a truck accident claim. Two of the categories are more common than the third, so it’s likely you’ll recover economic and noneconomic damages from your accident. Punitive damages are more rare and less likely to be present in your claim.
Economic damages are the physical costs that you suffered from your wreck. Your injuries, medical bills, repair costs, missed wages, loss of earning capacity, and any future costs of care are all included in these types of damages. You could also include the regular bills that you’ll need to pay in the meantime but are struggling with because of your new bills and missing wages.
Noneconomic damages are a bit more abstract, but just as valid when you’ve been harmed. These are more the emotional damages that you’ve suffered, like pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, and in a fatal crash, loss of consortium. Your lawyer will be able to put an accurate price on these damages based on what you’ve been through.
In more rare cases, you might be able to recover punitive damages as well. These are intended to punish the responsible party for their gross negligence or the egregious error that they made. Your Corpus Christi, TX truck accident lawyer can help you determine exactly what you’re owed, and which types of damages apply to your claim.
Our Corpus Christi, TX Truck Accident Lawyer Is Here for You
Commercial truck wrecks can be devastating. When you’re trying to heal from the injuries and damages you suffered as a result of a crash with a tractor trailer, you might also be interested in recovering financially for what you’ve been through. You shouldn’t be responsible for the costs you incurred when the collision wasn’t your fault.
At Buckingham Barrera Vega Law Firm, we’re prepared to get you the full and fair compensation you deserve for your damages. Our Corpus Christi, TX truck accident lawyer will fight for your rights and ensure you get justice. Reach out to us today so we can get started on your claim as soon as possible.
