Reeves County 18-Wheeler Accident Lawyer
The highways through Reeves County carry constant commercial truck traffic, and when an 18-wheeler collides with a passenger vehicle, the people in the smaller vehicle take the worst of it. These crashes cause injuries that change lives, and legal cases that are harder to win than ordinary car accident claims.
The trucking company’s insurer starts protecting the company immediately, and the evidence that proves what happened is in the company’s hands. Stout & Stout represents people injured in 18-wheeler accidents in Reeves County and holds trucking companies accountable for the harm they cause. Call our Reeves County personal injury attorney today for a free consultation.
Why Stout & Stout Is the Right Firm for a Reeves County Truck Case
Truck accident cases require a law firm with the resources, experience, and local knowledge to stand up to trucking companies and their insurers. That’s what you get when you work with Stout & Stout Lawyers. You also get:
- More than 70 years of experience handling personal injury cases
- We’ve practiced in both federal and state courts
- We speak English and Spanish, so you can explain what happened, ask your questions, and understand your case fully in whichever language you prefer
If an 18-wheeler crash has turned your life upside down, you shouldn’t also have to deal with the complicated legal aspects of the case. We’ll handle all of that for you.
Why You Need a Lawyer After a Reeves County 18-Wheeler Accident
Trucking companies don’t handle crashes the way regular drivers do. They have insurers, adjusters, and defense attorneys involved almost immediately, and their goal from the first day is limiting what the company pays. A lawyer is how you keep the case fair.
- The evidence that proves these cases, such as driver logs, electronic data, inspection records, dispatch communications, generally has to be obtained from the trucking company. Without an attorney to send preservation letters and subpoena records, it can be difficult to get.
- Federal safety rules govern how long truckers can drive, how trucks are maintained, and how cargo is loaded. Violations of those rules are often the strongest proof of what went wrong, and finding them means knowing the regulations well enough to spot what’s missing from the company’s records.
- Serious truck crash injuries carry costs that continue for years, and a lawyer makes sure your case accounts for all of those costs, not just current ones.
When you’re dealing with such a serious case, it’s important to have someone by your side who can help you make the right choices.
Common Causes of 18-Wheeler Accidents in Reeves County
Most truck crashes trace back to decisions that should have been made more carefully. Some common causes include:
- Driver fatigue, often caused by long hauls and demanding schedules
- Speeding and unsafe passing, especially on two-lane highways like US-285 that leave little room for error
- Distracted driving, such as a driver checking a phone or dispatch screen
- Poor maintenance, like worn brakes and tires that required inspections should have caught
- Overloaded or unsecured cargo, as loads can shift in transit and change how a truck stops, or could even fall out of the truck and cause a multi-vehicle crash
The cause of the crash points to the responsible parties, which is why identifying it is so important.
How Long Do You Have to File a Truck Accident Lawsuit in Reeves County, Texas?
Texas generally gives you two years from the date of the crash to file a personal injury lawsuit, and that deadline is firm; if you miss it, your claim will likely be thrown out if you try to file it. You might think two years is a long time, but it passes faster than you’d think.
The investigation takes months, your medical treatment needs to progress far enough to understand your future costs, and the trucking company’s records have to be demanded and fought over before anything gets negotiated. Make sure you speak with a lawyer right away and get started with your case.
Who Can Be Held Responsible for an 18-Wheeler Accident?
Truck cases usually involve more defendants than the driver, and each one matters, because every responsible party adds insurance coverage to the case.
The Driver and the Trucking Company
The driver is responsible for mistakes behind the wheel, but the company is frequently liable too. This could be from vicarious liability, which makes them responsible just because the driver was negligent while on duty. However, the company could also be directly liable for things like failing to train drivers appropriately or pushing their workers to skip breaks.
Cargo and Maintenance Companies
When a load was packed wrong or a repair was done poorly, the company that loaded the trailer or maintained the truck can share responsibility for the crash that followed.
Parts Manufacturers
Brake failures and tire blowouts sometimes trace back to a defective component, making the manufacturer a defendant.
The Injured Victim
In some cases, the injured party bringing the claim might also be partially at fault for the accident. In these cases, Texas uses a modified comparative negligence rule.
This means if you are 50% or less at fault for the accident, you can still recover damages, but your compensation is reduced by your exact percentage of fault. If you are 51% or more at fault, you recover nothing at all.
Sec. 33.001. PROPORTIONATE RESPONSIBILITY. In an action to which this chapter applies, a claimant may not recover damages if his percentage of responsibility is greater than 50 percent.
Because of this rule, it’s important to make sure you speak with a lawyer so you don’t take more of the blame than you should.
Get a Free Consultation on Your Reeves County Truck Accident Case
After an 18-wheeler crash, the trucking company will have its side of the case handled by professionals, and you deserve the same. Contact Stout & Stout to talk through what happened, what your claim may be worth, and what needs to happen next to protect it. The consultation is free, we can speak with you in English or Spanish, and you won’t pay a fee unless we win. The evidence in truck cases doesn’t wait, and neither should you. Contact our team today.