Truck Accidents

Driving in the Metroplex alongside large commercial trucks is a way of life for North Texans. Despite all the caution the public exercises driving alongside large commercial trucks serious avoidable accidents still occur. The Reyes Law Firm P.C. has been dedicated to representing victims of truck accidents for twenty years. In 2004 the National Highway Traffic Administration reported that 5,190 people died in traffic accidents with large trucks. In addition that year there were over 400,000 accidents in the United States involving the commercial trucks.

There are many factors that cause truck drivers to have accidents which lead to death and serious injury. Most are preventable. Some are listed below:

• Truck driver fatigue
• Unsafe road conditions and road construction
• Defective tires and brakes
• Negligent loading of cargo
• Faulty maintenance

Another study performed by the National Highway Traffic Administration concluded that over one third of all truck accidents involve truck driver-related factors such as speeding and and failure to control the vehicle.

Investigating truck accidents is much different than investigating an accident involving personal vehicles. Different laws may apply to commercial truck accidents that only an experienced attorney will know in order achieve the best possble recovery for our client. Our commitment to the client motivates our office to investigate all possible causes including truck driver negligence, truck company negligence, products liability or other third-party negligence.

Factors that are important for our investigation are:

• Hiring procedures: did the truck company fail to perform adequate criminal record and and drug use histories before employment?
• Driver logs: was the truck driver fatigued? The driving record of the negligent driver may show driving longer hours than allowed by law.
• Drug testing: a thorough investigation of the truck driver’s immediate history of drug or alcohol abuse
• Mechanical condition of truck: was the truck properly maintained? A log must be maintained regarding all maintenance records involving these kind of trucks

If you or a loved one have been a victim of a large truck accident please call my office today for a free consultation.