Truck Accident Law Firm Houston TX

Houston Truck Accident Attorneys

Legal help for victims of commercial truck accidents in Texas

Commercial trucks and 18-wheelers are a common sight in Houston. They help haul cargo and supplies in and out of the state and keep our economy running. Sharing the road with a big truck, however, isn’t always easy. These giant vehicles can easily crush a passenger car in the event of an accident or collision and can cause catastrophic or fatal injuries to its occupants.

The Kishinevsky Law Firm is a personal injury firm representing individuals injured in truck accidents and other motor vehicle accidents in the greater Houston area. If you or a loved one were hurt in an accident that wasn’t your fault, we want to help. Accidents with commercial trucks can be much more complex than a traditional car accident, due to the specific types of laws which may apply, and the severity of injuries involved in these types of crashes.

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Your questions, answered

Houston Truck Accident Attorney

How many trucks are there on American roads?

Anyone who’s driven on a highway lately has probably noticed a fairly large number of trucks and tractor-trailers on the road. Trucks move approximately 72 percent of all freight in the United States. Further, in 2020, about eight million people were employed in the trucking industry, with over 3.5 million of them working as truck drivers.

Trucks are larger, heavier, and more difficult to drive and control than “regular” vehicles. This is why the law requires most truck drivers to have a special driver license which they obtain after completing training and passing a test (called a commercial driver’s license, or CDL).

Due to their larger size and weight, trucks can also cause a lot more damage in an accident than a collision with a regular vehicle.

What regulations are commercial trucks required to follow?

Due to the potential for more severe accidents when trucks are involved, truck drivers and trucking companies are regulated by the United States government. Specifically, most trucking companies must register with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and abide by the rules of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSR).

These regulations set out specific requirements that trucking companies and truck drivers must follow, which are designed to increase safety and decrease the likelihood of accidents involving trucks. Some of the most significant of these mandates include the following:

  • Trucks must carry more insurance. All for-hire trucking companies, whether interstate or intrastate, must have at least $750,000 of liability insurance for every vehicle with a gross weight rating of 10,001 pounds or heavier (FMCSR §387.9)
  • Truck drivers must rest after driving their maximum allowed number of hours (HOS regulations) and must keep a log of their driving hours and rest hours (FMCSR §395.1 seq.)
  • Truck drivers must report all traffic violations except parking tickets to the jurisdiction which issued their driver license and their company (FMCSR §383.31) and trucking companies must monitor the driving record of their drivers by requesting a certified copy of their driving record once a year (FMCSR §391.23)
  • Trucking companies must test their drivers for drugs and alcohol after any accident where there is a fatality, there is bodily injury with medical treatment away from the crash scene and the driver is ticketed, or where any motor vehicle is disabled and towed from the crash scene and the driver is ticketed (FMCSR §382.303)

If you were injured in a truck accident, our Houston personal injury lawyers can work to determine if the driver or trucking company violated any of these regulations.

What are typical causes of Houston truck accidents?

Often, commercial truck accidents result from the negligent or reckless actions of a trucker, trucking company, or truck manufacturer. Sometimes, all of these parties can contribute to the accident that caused your injuries and harm. Common causes of truck accidents include:

  • Drivers failing to obey local traffic laws
  • Truckers impaired by alcohol or drugs
  • Failure to follow hours-of-service (HOS) rules
  • Driving and texting or while otherwise distracted
  • Improperly maintained or inspected trucks
  • Improperly loaded or unbalanced cargo
  • Malfunctioning or defective truck parts

These causes are all preventable, and if you or a loved one were injured in a truck accident that wasn’t your fault, we want to help.

What makes truck accident cases different than others?

If you’ve been injured in an accident involving a truck, your injuries may be more severe than an accident with a smaller vehicle. Because of the larger amounts of insurance which trucking companies are required to carry by law, insurance companies will often defend these claims and cases more aggressively than cases involving accidents between “regular” vehicles. In order to get the fair amount of compensation to which you are entitled, it is often necessary to file a lawsuit to request documents and information and to investigate whether the trucking company and the driver were following the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs).

Likewise, it’s also important to determine whether the driver involved had a history of previous safety violations, that might indicate it was not safe to allow them on the road driving large trucks at the time of the accident. In evaluating your trucking injury claim, it is important to perform a thorough investigation in order to get the best result possible for your Houston truck accident injury claim.

What types of serious injuries do Houston truck accidents cause?

As we said earlier, truck accidents can result in catastrophic and life-altering injuries. We work with clients who have sustained serious injuries in commercial truck collisions and crashes, including:

Truck accidents can also cause emotional and psychological trauma – from the accident itself and from the pain of injuries and ongoing recovery process.

Houston Truck Accident Lawyers

Is there a truck accident lawyer near me?

You can find the Kishinevsky Law firm at 13831 Northwest Fwy., Suite 312 in Houston. There’s plenty of parking, and a bus stop right in front of our building. If your injuries are too severe to come to us, we can come to your home, hospital, rehabilitation center, or meet with you via telephone or Zoom. We’re here for you.

Talk to our strategic truck accident attorneys today

If you’ve been injured in a truck accident, call the Houston legal team at the Kishinevsky Law Firm today. We’re happy to answer any questions you may have about your situation. We can guide you toward the proper steps to take to protect your legal rights, and preserve your ability to resolve your claim for the financial compensation to which you’re entitled. We want to help, and our consultations are always free. Call our offices at 832-529-1111 or fill out our contact form today.