Highly Experienced Defense Attorneys in Commercial Trucking Accident Cases

In addition to the challenges that insurance adjusters can pose to 18-wheeler accident cases, such adjusters and trucking companies will likely have experienced defense attorneys on-call that are ready to descend onto a semi-truck accident site. Such defense attorneys may be able to respond to an 18-wheeler accident site quite quickly, so quickly, in fact, that an injured victim may not have even had time to consider contacting their own legal representation. One of the ways to ensure that your rights are being protected is to contact a truck accident lawyer in San Antonio following the immediate aftermath of a wreck so that someone on your side can conduct a thorough investigation into the accident scene. Furthermore, experienced defense attorneys that work 18-wheeler accident cases will often be quite aggressive in the pursuit of winning a case. You will likewise need a legal ally on your side that can argue just as aggressively, on your behalf, against such defense lawyers.

Difficult Truck Drivers and San Antonio Trucking Accidents

Another common challenge in seeking legal action against a negligent truck driver for an injury truck accident or a fatal truck accident in Texas is the fact that some truck drivers when faced with the possibility of losing their job, will lie about their involvement in a wreck. In our two decades of experience in helping victims of Texas 18-wheeler accidents, we’ve heard nearly every truck driver story imaginable. Through careful depositions and thorough investigations, we’re often able to get to the truth of an accident scene in order to verify a truck driver’s story. Our firm works hard to ensure that relevant evidence and eyewitness testimony is obtained so that a strong and robust case can be constructed against any and all negligent parties.

Self-Insured Trucking Companies in Texas

While all Texas trucking companies must carry some form of insurance, truck companies in Texas are not required to purchase such insurance from an insurance company. Some trucking companies choose to set aside a portion of their assets to be used as insurance in the event of a truck accident resulting in injury or death. However, these self-insured truck companies can sometimes resort to rather unethical behavior due to the fact that they do not have to maintain the standards that are in place for traditional insurance companies. Such unethical behavior can occur when a victim suffers from threats, a witness to an accident is badgered, or evidence is deleted, removed, or otherwise altered in order to skirt liability. Our firm has assisted victims in the past who have been mistreated in these ways by a self-insured trucking company. When such mistreatment occurs and our Texas trucking accident attorneys get involved, we will pursue legal measures in order to get the negligent trucking company to begin acting ethically so that our client no longer has to suffer from the unfair advantages a self-insured trucking company often creates for itself. Had these past clients contacted us before attempting to seek action against these companies on their own, we likely could have saved them from much wasted time and frustration.

This blog was posted by Ford and Laurel Attorneys Laredo, Texas

When car accidents occur, one of the first questions people ask is how such a circumstance came to be. That’s because there is a seemingly endless list of possibilities for causes for these crashes. However, over time different entities both public and private have compiled lists for causes of these crashes, and there have been a few that have been identified as more common than others. If you or someone you love has been harmed in a crash, seek the help of a car accident attorney as soon as possible. In the meantime, below is an introduction to the leading causes of accidents.

Speeding
Speeding is something that all of us have done at any given time and for any given reason. However, speeding is against the law because it’s dangerous, as it not only reduces the margin of error that’s available to a driver to maneuver around problems, but it also increases the force that’s generated when an impact takes place. More info here

Inattentive – Distracted Driving
Drivers are prone to distractions of varying types, including the use of a cell phone, sending and reading text messages, adjusting the radio and other activities that take eyes off of the road. Inattention has always been either at or near the top of any list of causes of accidents, as all it takes is one fraction of a second for something to go terribly wrong.

Tailgating
Tailgating is the act of following a vehicle too closely. Much like speeding, this act will reduce the amount of time that a driver has to take evasive action in order to avoid a collision. Tailgating is also against the law, as it unreasonably increases the danger faced by everyone on the road.

Alcohol
Despite billions of dollars being spent by different entities around the United States over time in an attempt to bring awareness to this problem and to reduce how often it occurs, people still make the bad decision of driving after consuming alcohol. Alcohol impairs judgment and slows reaction times, and everyone should know that drinking and driving is extremely dangerous.

Aggressive Driving
We have all experienced the fear and frustration that comes with seeing a vehicle moving at a high rate of speed cut in front of or behind us and miss colliding with our vehicle by inches. Aggressive driving is not only dangerous in itself, it creates problems because it forces other motorists to deal with unexpected problems. When people are forced into these decisions, it can lead to mistakes and to collisions.

How Car Accident Attorneys Can Help
Overall, if someone causes an accident for any reason that results in injuries or fatalities, that person needs to be held accountable for the harm that resulted from these actions. If you or someone you love has suffered in this regard, seek the help of a car accident lawyer who has been fighting for the rights of the injured for 40 years. Contact us today to schedule a free initial consultation. Please visit this website

A Simple Distraction Can Result in Cataclysmic Consequences

Driving distracted is a significant contributor to highway collisions. One federal report even refers to distracted driving as a national epidemic.

It is easy to minimize the impairment of a vehicle operator, when they are inattentive or distracted. But the reality is that they are much slower to attend to even the simplest driving tasks. They suffer from a subtle delay in recognizing roadway data which they must respond to instantly. Driving no longer is their primary activity; it is reduced to secondary status.

Generally speaking, the drivers who cause major crashes fall into certain personality and lifestyle demographic profiles. Most of the irresponsible drivers who engage in really egregious conduct – such as running stop signs, driving drunk or recklessly, are generally out of control in all spheres of their lives.

When it comes to distracted driving, however, many of the accidents are caused by people who otherwise are very sensible. Even usually responsible people often underestimate the danger they put themselves, and others, when they drive distracted. This can involve either their eyes being diverted from the road, or it could be just the cognitive slippage which results from being lost in thought.

While texting and cell phone usage has preoccupied the media, more mundane tasks can prove deadly. Changing the radio station is a common culprit. Risky behaviors include eating or drinking, reaching for an item, brushing hair, and adjusting the GPS navigation system.

A Distracted Brain is a Lethal Weapon
Hands-free phones are thought of as safe. But new statistics are bearing out that, in fact, they also are a hazard. Dialing them can be just-distracting-enough. Voice-activation car phone systems are safer but still require multitasking.

About 6,000 driving fatalities occur each year as a result of people driving while distracted. And, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, well over 20% of vehicle collisions annually are the result of nothing more than inattention of a driver.

Drowsy Driving is Under-Reported
According to study results from the National Sleep Foundation, less than one half of Americans claim they get a good night’s sleep. And nearly a third admit to having fallen asleep at the wheel. Sleep researchers tell us that a person awake for 20 hours has an impairment equal to a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.08. That’s the legal limit for unlawful driving after drinking, throughout the United States.

Public funds have allowed for the federal government’s Drowsy Driving Prevention awareness campaign (www.drowsydriving.org). It is important that the general level of national awareness on this issue becomes more elevated. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has underscored that 16 percent of all drivers under age 20, who caused fatal collisions, were the result of being drowsy.

Preventing Tragedies Caused by Cell Phone Distraction
At the Distracted Driving Summit meeting in Washington recently, remedies were proposed to halt this social problem. The emphasis was on using new technologies to combat the hazards caused by communication technologies themselves. It is clear that people are not able to resist using their cell phones when they are driving. Ways to prevent cell phone use in moving vehicles are being developed in laboratories. When they are perfected, there may be shifts in the law to encourage their use.

Certainly the voice technologies are helping to reduce collisions caused by distracted hands and overwhelmed eyes. Individuals overlook the cognitive overload present when operating a vehicle while dialing and talking on a phone. The Department of Labor is working in conjunction with the Department of Transportation to campaign against the fatal consequences of distracted driving. Whether these changes encourage fewer collisions, as has been true with intoxicated driving, will be interesting to follow.

It is believed that highway improvements have helped to curb many distracted driving wrecks. Those roads with technological improvements, such as raised lane markers, startle some drivers into an awakened state. Corrugated road edges which create warning sounds also make our roads safer. The wider the road the easier it is for the inattentive driver to take corrective action. The new technologies have also allowed for highway lights and posts which break away. These have caused greater municipal expense, but the savings in lives are being demonstrated every day.