18 Wheeler Accidents

 

According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (www.fmcsa.dot.gov) there were 3,429 fatal accidents involving large trucks or buses in the United States from 2014-2016. If you are on the road a lot, or if you use major highways often in your daily commute, odds are high that you have seen or experienced some sort of dangerous interaction with these massive vehicles. The average eighteen wheeler truck weighs 80,000 pounds (40 tons) according to thetruckersreport.com, and this is about 16 times heavier than the average car. As the state of Texas continues to grow, eighteen wheeler trucks and other larger industrial vehicles will become more widely used on our state\’s highways and byways. These vehicles present dangerous possibilities on a crowded roadway, so it is important to know how to handle a situation where you get in a wreck.

 

 

If you or a loved on are in a wreck with an 18 wheeler truck or any other industrial vehicle, make sure to contact law enforcement as soon as possible. It is important to make an immediate record of the incident, and law enforcement can provide guidance on how to get a hold of the accident report once the officer has completed their investigation. Getting an accident report and any witness statements from the scene of the accident is very important, and time is of the essence in order to get your claim processed. Of course, always get the insurance information of the other party and any necessary contact information. Many times, you will handle the property damage portion of the claim without an attorney, so it is important to be proactive about that information from the beginning.

 

 

Many clients I meet with do not go to the doctor until several days, sometimes months later. Some of them do not have insurance and cannot afford a doctor, and this is a difficult situation that can only be exacerbated by car wreck. Fortunately there are some doctors that will work with a client in this situation to come to an agreement that will still allow them to get treatment. Many times if the wreck is with an eighteen wheeler truck or large company vehicle, the financial burden resulting from these accidents can quickly spiral out of control for an average working person. Discuss with your doctors what the best and most reasonably cost effective strategy would be for your treatment, and remember that if the other driver or party is found to be more than 50% at fault in the accident, then they could be responsible for compensating for your past and future medical, along with other non-economic damages such as pain and suffering and mental anguish.

 

 

Several delicate timelines begin at the very moment you are in a car wreck. It is important to be able to handoff the duty of worrying about your case to a trusted advisor. Our office can help fight the insurance companies and defendant drivers in court while you are resting and recovering from your accident. Call our offices now 833 RICE LAW, available 24 hours a day.