Liability in Texas 18 Wheeler Accidents | San Antonio Attorney

No matter where you are driving in San Antonio, you’ll be no doubt sharing the road with commercial trucks and 18 wheelers. And even though you may do your best to pay attention and drive carefully, sometimes accidents happen.

If you’re in an accident with a commercial truck, you might find yourself wondering about liability in Texas 18 wheeler accidents. Who should pay for damage to your vehicle and any injuries you sustain in the accident? A San Antonio trucking accident lawyer at Carabin Shaw can answer these and any other questions you have after your accident.

After your accident, you may not think you need a lawyer. After all, you’ve probably been in an accident with another passenger vehicle before where you worked directly with the other driver’s insurance company. But an accident attorney in San Antonio will be familiar with regulations and requirements that are different for 18 wheelers than for passenger vehicles. Because large trucks and 18 wheelers are so much larger than passenger vehicles—they can weigh up to 80,000 pounds—the law regulates them differently. After all, a truck that large can cause a lot more damage than a car.

The inspection requirements for a large commercial truck are much stricter than for a normal-sized car, and an 18 wheeler accident lawyer can help you navigate the ins and outs of these differences after your accident. For example, your attorney will be able to get the appropriate inspection records for the truck that hit you. Not complying with the inspection requirements for commercial trucks can impact liability in Texas 18 wheeler accidents.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is the federal agency that stipulates and enforces these stricter regulations for large trucks and drivers. The FMCSA requires truck drivers to follow rules governing their time management in order to reduce the likelihood of an overworked or exhausted driver causing an accident. These rules include limits on how long drivers can work or drive in a day, how often drivers have to stop and take breaks and how much time drivers must take off between driving sessions. If you’ve been in an 18 wheeler accident, a San Antonio trucking accident lawyer can help you get compensation for damage to your property as well as for injuries and pain and suffering.

Requirements for liability insurance are different for commercial vehicles, too. A truck driver, or the company a truck driver works for, must have more liability insurance than a passenger vehicle because of how much more damage these trucks can cause than another passenger vehicle. It’s important to call an accident attorney in San Antonio as soon as possible after your accident so that you have someone on your side to figure out what you may be owed in compensation.

Another step you can take to help your lawyer get you the most compensation for your property damage and injuries is to ensure that police are called to the scene of your accident. The driver of the 18 wheeler may be issued a ticket, but even if the driver isn’t given a ticket, you can still report the accident to the police and get a police report. A police report can be invaluable to your San Antonio trucking accident lawyer—it provides a record of the accident at the time it occurred and may contain information you were unable to provide if you were injured or distraught at the time.

You should also be aware that you are not required to speak to the truck driver’s insurance company. Working with an 18 wheeler accident lawyer will save you the hassle of dealing with the aggressive insurance agents employed by many commercial trucking companies. You also won’t inadvertently say anything that could hurt your case if you allow an attorney to speak to the insurance company on your behalf.

If you’ve been in an accident with a large commercial truck or 18 wheeler in San Antonio, call Carabin Shaw as soon as possible at 210-220-2288. They’ll protect your interests and work hard to get you the compensation you deserve.