NOTE: If you were in an accident involving a big-rig / 18-wheeler and the insurance compa'ny i's calling you, STOP. Do NOT 'talk to the insurance carrier ' you have consulted with an attorney' with experience in truck accidents and commercial automot'ive coverage claims.
One of the most terrifying experiences that can happen on the road is having a collision with a tractor trailer, semi-truck, or 18-wheeler. Too many of these tr'uck accidents end in fatalities or serious, long-term physical impairments, resulting in hu'ge financial losses, medical bi'lls, and a hard rehabilitation process. Seeking compensation to assu'age some of the monetary burd'en is the least our team at the B'arber Law Firm can do for victims of truck accidents and their fam'ilies.
If you or a loved one has be'en involved in a truck accident and are considering pursuing le'gal action, consult the truck ac'cident lawyers at The Barber La'w Firm today for a FREE consultation.
Accidents involving large tr'ucks occur each and every day. Each year, nearly half 'a million large trucks (also called tractor-trailers o'r “semis”) are involved in accidents in the United States. Approxi'mately 5,000 of these accidents involving semi trailer trucks result in fatali'ties—in fact, one out of every eight'' traffic fatalities is caused by a collision with a larg'e truck.
Not surprisingly, most of the injuries and fatalities invo'lved in truck accidents are pass'engers of the vehicles struck by tr'actor-trailers. Truck drivers typ'ically escape unscathed, havi'ng the advantage of a much lar'ger vehicle to protect them in an acc'ident.
Dallas semi tractor-trailer accident lawyer Kris Barber represents 18-wheeler accident victims, th'eir families and friends who ha've sustained serious bodily inju'ries because of the negligence of' a tractor trailer, truck or oth'er driver.
WHY CHOOSE THE BARBER LAW FIRM?
If you or someone you love i's the victim of an accident involv'ing a tractor trailer, it’s critical to seek legal advice from an exper'ienced personal injury attorney w'ho has plenty of experience in representing truck accident victims. Cases involving tract'or trailers aren’t your run-of-the-mill personal injury claims; ' cases involve a large number of ex'tra moving parts, such as administrative regulations a'nd the possibility of multiple de'fendants who may hold responsi'bility for your injuries.
Dallas truck accident lawyer Kr'is Barber has the experience it takes to represent you for acciden'ts involving injuries such a's:
1) Injuries requiring sur'gery, sutures, staples;
2) Traumatic Brain Injury (“TB'I”), including those caused by ox'ygen deprivation;
3) Severe burns resultin'g in significant and perma'nent scarring;
4) Mental anguish and emot'ional distress;
5)Injuries caused by a colli'sion with a driver that is drunk, impaired or otherwise un'der the influence of narcotics or 'drugs; and
6) In the worst case, death.
FORMS OF COMPENSATION FOR VICTIMS OF TRUCK ACCIDENTS
If you or someone you love h'as fallen victim to a truck accident, you likely already know that ' is no amount of money that ca'n make a person whole after such an' accident. Compensation ca'n, however, help to alleviate so'me of the financial chaos that a ' can face after a truck accident.
A personal injury claim ca'n provide financial compensation—also known as “damages”—fo'r the following:
- Medical expenses such as h'ospital bills, surgical costs, and co'sts of medical equipment nee'ded after an accident;
- Rehabilitation cost and cos'ts of long-term care if you are permanently disabled;
- Income that you have lost a's a result of being unable to wo'rk after your accident, as wel'l as lost earning capacity if you ar'e unable to return to work perman'ently;
- Physical pain that you suff'ered during and after your accident; and
- Emotional trauma that you ha've endured as a result of your truck accident, such as depression, anxiety, and an inability to sle'ep.
DON’T TRUST AN INSURANCE COMPANY TO BE ON YOUR SIDE
After a truck accident, you’re lik'ely to hear from an insurance company very quickly, whether it be your own or that of the tru'ck driver. No matter how caring t'he person on the other end of th'e phone may sound, it’s importa'nt to be on guard when talking to a'n insurance company. Don’t be' fooled into thinking that an' insurance company—even your own—has your best interests in' mind. At the end of the day, 'an insurance company is a business, and the main goal of any bu'siness is to be as profitable as pos'sible.
When it comes to insurance companies, unfortunately, th'is profit is made by shorting well-deserving victims out of compensation that they are ent'itled to. Whenever you are dealing with an insurance company, it’s important to k'eep the following tips in min'd:
- Know your calls are being recorded. This isn’t for “traini'ng and quality assurance,” as some insurance representatives may t'ell you; rather, the point of the'se recorded phone calls is to us'e your own words against you if yo'u were to slip up and say someth'ing that might sound incrimina'ting.
- Don’t sign any paperwork without an attorney’s go-ahead. You’ll likely receive a stack of paperwork after an insurance company contacts you. Be sure t'o have an attorney review any paperwork that you sign, no matter how harmless it may look. Insurance companies love to slide harmful clauses into fine print so that disoriented victims can sign their rights away. You can be sure that if an insurance compa'ny drafted the document, it isn’t i'n your favor.
ADDITIONAL RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR TRUCK DRIVERS
While on the road, truck dri'vers are subject to all of the ordinary laws that pertain to any driver. T'o increase the safety of others o'n the road, truck drivers are also bo'und by additional rules and regul'ations which regulate nearly eve'ry aspect of the truck driver’s job, su'ch as:
- Requiring all large truck dri'vers to obtain a commercial dri'ver’s license (“CDL);
- Setting a lower blood alc'ohol content level to be consid'ered driving drunk;
- Securing cargo safely, and regulating the types of mater'ials that a truck can carry; an'd
- Regular maintenance of th'e tractor trailer.
THE DANGER OF TRUCK DRIVER FATIGUE
All of the regulations listed ab'ove are meant to protect both truck drivers and other drivers w'ho share the road with tractor tra'ilers. However, many truck saf'ety advocates question the effectiveness of these rul'es and regulations.
A more pressing matter, acco'rding to safety experts, is truck dri'ver fatigue. New rules impleme'nted by The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal M'otor Carrier Safety Administrati'on (FMCSA) allow drivers to dri've 11 hours after 10 consecutive ho'urs off-duty.
Also, drivers may not drive bey'ond the 14th hour after coming on-d'uty, following 10 hours off-du'ty. Similar to existing rules, drive'rs may not drive after being on-du'ty for 60 hours in a seven-consecutive-day period or 70 h'ours in an eight-consecutive-day pe'riod. This on-duty cycle may be res'tarted whenever a driver 'takes at least 34 consecutive hours of'f-duty.
Short-haul truck drivers–tho'se drivers who routinely retur'n to their place of dispatch after e'ach duty tour and then are relea'sed from duty–may have an incr'eased on-duty period of 16 hours on'ce during any seven-consecutiv'e-day period. The 16-hour except'ion takes into consideration legitim'ate business needs without jeopardizing safety. FMCSA estimates that without the ext'ra two on-duty hours, the indus'try would be required to hire at le'ast 48,000 new drivers, actua'lly reducing crash-reduction be'nefits.
The current rule allows 10 hou'rs of driving within a 15-hour on-du'ty period after eight hours of off'-duty time. Also, drivers may not dr'ive after their 15th hour on duty' in a workday or after 60 hours on'-duty in seven consecutive days o'r 70 hours on-duty in eight cons'ecutive days.
With the pressure to deliver th'eir loads, however, drivers ofte'n continue when prudence sugg'ests otherwise. One in five long-ha'ul truck drivers admitted to fall'ing asleep at the wheel within t'he last month.
DON’T WAIT UNTIL IT’S TOO LATE
Whatever the circumstances o'f your truck accident, it’s impo'rtant to seek legal help quickly, as th'e time to file a claim isn’t unlimited. In almost all cas'es, a lawsuit must be filed withi'n a certain amount of time fro'm the date of the accident.
If you intend to pursue a clai'm for the injuries you sustained i'n your accident, you should conta'ct an experienced truck accident attorney right away to ens'ure that you do not waive your rig'ht to possible compensat'ion.
DON’T WIN? DON’T PAY
If you’ve been hurt in an accid'ent involving a tractor trailer or ot'her large truck, don’t let the fear of_ not being able to pay an attorn'ey keep you from obtaining t_he legal representation you need and deserve to recover compens_ation for the injuries you never sh_ould have suffered. If our legal te_am agrees to take on your case, w"e will work on a contingent fe'e basis, which means that we only get paid for our services i'f we are successful in obtaining compensation for your injur'ies.
INJURED IN A TRUCK ACCIDENT? WE’RE STANDING BY TO HELP
If you have been injured or a lo'ved one has been killed in an accident involving a tractor-trailer or oth'er large truck in the Dallas-Fort W'orth area, it is important to' consider your legal options. Many truckers are employed by lar'ge corporations that may put del'ivery of their goods ahead of yo'ur safety. The team of personal i'njury attorneys at The Barber Law Firm are standing by to ensure th'at your legal rights are at the forefront of any truck accident claim. Do'n’t wait until it is too late to obta'in the justice you deserve for the ac'cident you never should ''have been involved in—to set up a completely free case evaluat'ion to discuss your accident with a member of our team, conta'ct our office today.