Liability in a Big Spring | 18 Wheeler Accidents in Big Spring

Every day, the people of Big Spring, Texas, share the roads and highways with 18 wheelers and commercial trucks. You may not be thinking about the dangers that large trucks can pose when you’re picking up your daughter from camp or meeting your friends for lunch. However, an accident with one of these behemoths can wreak lasting havoc in less than a second. If you’re in an accident with an 18 wheeler, call a Big Spring truck injury lawyer at Carabin Shaw. You’ll get a free consultation with a lawyer who’ll bring years of experience to your case and make sure you get the compensation you deserve.

After you’ve been in an accident with an 18 wheeler, the world you have to navigate can feel confusing. You’re probably not experienced at dealing with the kind of aggressive insurance adjusters many truck companies have. You may be injured and unable to drive or work. Whatever your circumstances, an 18 wheeler accident lawyer in Big Spring, Texas, can help you figure out what your next steps should be.

One of the first things a Big Spring trucking accident attorney will work with you on is figuring out who’s responsible for your accident. Liability in a Big Spring, Texas 18 wheeler accident can be hard to prove. Thankfully, an experienced attorney knows the right questions to ask when investigating the crash.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) sets the rules and regulations that truck drivers and their employers must follow to ensure safety. In addition to rules about equipment inspection and insurance coverage, the FMCSA also regulates the time drivers are allowed to be on the road. A Big Spring truck injury lawyer knows these rules and ways that drivers and employers sometimes try to work around them. Some of the rules drivers must follow to prevent driver fatigue include:

• 10-hour breaks between driving sessions
• No more than 11 hours of driving in a 14-hour period
• 30-minute breaks at least every eight hours

An 18 wheeler accident lawyer in Big Spring, Texas, knows how to investigate whether drivers or companies are following these rules or falsifying documentation to make it appear they’re following the rules.

When you meet with your Big Spring trucking accident attorney, you’ll learn about damages. In a personal injury lawsuit, you can recover economic and noneconomic damages. Economic damages compensate you for quantifiable expenses, such as medical bills, lost wages, and property damage. Noneconomic damages compensate you for more subjective things, such as pain and suffering, mental anguish, and loss of consortium. Your attorney will review your medical records and any accident records and fight for the compensation you deserve.

Finding out if the truck driver you were in an accident with was fatigued or in violation of FMCSA regulations is crucial because it might affect the damages you receive. If the driver or the driver’s employer did not follow these rules or falsified records, then you might receive more in noneconomic damages than you would otherwise.

In this case, your 18 wheeler accident lawyer in Big Spring, Texas may argue that you should receive punitive damages as well. Punitive damages are less common than economic and noneconomic damages and are meant to deter the defendant from committing similar infractions going forward. If the driver or the driver’s employer did not follow FMCSA rules, you might receive punitive damages intended to encourage them to follow these rules in the future.

If you were in an 18 wheeler accident in Big Spring, Texas and think the truck driver fatigue contributed to the accident, we can help. For a free Carabin Shaw consultation, call us today at 432-620-0544. You can also reach us toll-free at 1-800-862-1260.