Houston Truck Accident Lawyer
Through its interstates and port, Houston is intimately connected to commercial activity across the United States and worldwide. A large amount of that commercial activity coming into the U.S. or going out makes its way to or from Houston loaded onto 18-wheeler semi-tractor-tailers. These behemoths can be found on Houston roads and highways day and night every day of the year. While most truck traffic proceeds smoothly, trucking accidents do occur, and when they do happen, they are likely to wind up causing serious injury or death to the occupants of the smaller passenger cars they crash into.
Statistics from the Texas Department of Transportation show truck accidents were on the rise for a decade before the COVID-19 pandemic slowed down traffic and commercial activity. 2019 saw 39,255 truck crashes in Texas resulting in 8,948 injuries and 616 deaths. Of those, 6,416 trucking accidents occurred in Harris County, accounting for 1,669 and 37 fatalities.
That’s a lot of misery to happen in one year – misery that could be avoided if truck drivers drove with more skill and care and if the trucking companies took better care to manage and maintain their fleets more safely. At Gilde Law Firm, we put in the effort to hold negligent truck drivers and trucking companies accountable for their failures that lead to serious or deadly accidents on Houston streets and freeways. Our skilled Houston truck accident lawyers are ready to take on any kind of trucking accident and get results for accident victims. Call our office for a free consultation if you’ve been hurt in a Houston trucking accident caused by any of the following reasons or others:
- Blind Spot Accident
- Distracted Driving Accident
- Double-Trailer Accident
- Impaired Driver
- Jackknife Accident
- Multi-Vehicle Accident
- Negligent Trailer Loading
- Negligent Vehicle Maintenance
- Reckless Driving Accident
- Rollover Accident
- Service Hours Violation
- Squeeze Play Accident
- Underride/Override Accident
- Wide Turn Truck Accident
- Wrongful Death
Our Houston trial law firm can go toe-to-toe with the largest commercial fleets and their insurance carriers. We put in the time, effort, and expense necessary to build a strong case that proves the trucking company’s liability for the full value of your claim. You deserve nothing less than the best representation when you’ve been injured by a negligent truck driver or trucking company, and that’s just what we strive to deliver. We believe. We fight. We win.
Common Issues We Face When Litigating Houston Truck Accident Claims
Big rigs weigh about 20 times more than the average passenger sedan when fully loaded with cargo. Getting hit with that much force even at low speeds can be damaging; at highway speeds, the results can be disastrous. Below are some of the main ways truck drivers and their employers wind up causing accidents on the road.
The weight of tractor-trailers means they need additional stopping distance and reaction time to avoid a wreck, and their size creates extensive blind spots that extend for several car lengths and multiple lanes in front, behind and on both sides of the semi-truck. Careful truck drivers make sure to keep a safe distance, signal their intentions early, and always check their mirrors before turning or changing lanes.
Unlike other motor vehicle drivers, truck drivers have several different ways of braking when they have to make a sudden stop. Choosing the appropriate method can mean the difference between stopping safely or losing control, winding up in a jackknife or rollover truck accident.
Trucking companies send new drivers on the road before they have had enough training, supervision and experience to handle their big rig safely in uncontrolled conditions.
Truckers are typically paid by the mile or the trip, and the more miles they drive or the more trips they make, the more they earn. Truck drivers press on and keep driving long after it is safe for them to do so, sometimes using over-the-counter medicines or illegal drugs to stay alert, which can actually have the opposite effect and decrease alertness.
Trucking companies press their drivers to meet unrealistic schedules, causing them to drive too fast or for too long, or to hurry through the process of loading their trailers carefully and securely, which can cause them to lose control of the truck or spill their load down the road.
Trucking companies fail to maintain their 18-wheelers with good tires, brakes, coupling devices, signal lights and other vital safety equipment. When commercial vehicles get pulled over for annual pre-announced safety inspections, about one in five get taken out of service on the spot because they are in too unsafe a condition to be allowed on the road.
Despite being commercial drivers, truck drivers are people too, and they are susceptible to all the negligent behaviors other drivers can engage in, including speeding, following too close, disobeying traffic lights, failing to signal, distracted driving, and driving while impaired. Holders of commercial drivers’ licenses are subject to much lower legal driving limits when it comes to the consumption of alcohol, and for good reason. Crashes involving tractor-trailers can be much more severe and are more likely to create multi-vehicle accidents and fatalities.
Help for Houston Trucking Accident Victims and Their Families
If you have been injured in a truck accident in Houston, or if you lost a loved one in a truck wreck caused by a negligent driver or trucking company, call Gilde Law Firm at 281-973-2772 for a free consultation. We advance all the costs to pursue your case and only charge a fee after we get compensation for you.
