18-Wheeler Accidents Lawyer in Houston
Contact us at 877-225-5873 for free consultation.
What Should I Do After an 18-Wheeler Accident?
- Call the Police and Stay on Scene
Firstly, call 911 immediately. It’s important to stay on the scene after the crash. Once an officer arrives, he or she will assess the situation, fill out an accident report, and instruct you on what your next actions should be. Request a copy of the accident report to keep for your records and to present as evidence if you need to go to court over the accident.
- Gather evidence
Preserve details about what happened and prevent the information from being falsified or altered. Take photos of the damage to vehicles, tire skid marks, the driver’s license plate, and other relevant details at the accident scene.
Ask the other driver for his or her name, insurance information, address, the name of the trucking carrier, and the number of the truck. Getting this information can help to speed up the claims process.
- Gather witnesses’ information
You should ask each witness for his or her name and contact information so that your attorney can contact them later. Witness testimony can be important evidence in a truck accident claim since they are unbiased and can provide eyewitness reports of what occurred.
- Seek immediate medical help
It is vital to seek medical attention after an accident, whether you are obviously injured or not. If you do not seek medical treatment or follow through with treatment recommendations, it could interfere with your ability to seek compensation for injuries later.
- Contact with a Lawyer
If you believe you are entitled to compensation for injuries or damages that were the result of a truck accident, contact a trusted truck accident attorney to get the immediate representation you deserve.
A lawyer at Calhoun Meredith can handle the communication for you and help to prevent you from making critical errors that might harm your case.
What Compensation Can You Expect?
If you hire a personal injury attorney to represent you after an accident with a 18 wheeler, you can expect them to demand a settlement that covers:
Economic Damages
Some of the most common economic damages include:
- Medical Expenses: Current and future medical expenses that relate to the injury you sustained during the accident. This includes your emergency room visit, surgical costs, assistive devices, rehabilitation, and ongoing care.
- Lost wages: There’s a good chance that you’ll miss quite a bit of work as you recover from your injuries. You may have a short-term or long-term disability policy through your employer, but those benefits are limited. You can receive compensation to make up for your reduced ability to earn wages in the future.
- Loss of earning capacity: If your injuries prevent you from working in the future or working in your chosen profession, you may collect loss of earnings damages. This may mean working with medical experts, as well as vocational experts to determine the full scope of your disabilities and limitations.
- Property damage: You can be compensated for the value of your car, along with any other property that may have been damaged.
Some of the most common non-economic damages include:
- Pain and suffering. It refers to the pain, discomfort, anguish, inconvenience, and emotional trauma that accompanies an injury. Trucking accident injuries are often catastrophic and can weigh heavily on a person — both physically and emotionally. For instance, a burn injury may result in extreme pain and emotional stress from disfigurement.
- Mental anguish. This covers the mental pain you endured because of the nature and severity of your injuries. This includes suffering from fear, depression, emotional trauma, or loss of enjoyment in life. Many trucking accident victims suffer from depression and anxiety long after the accident.
- Loss of consortium. Damages for loss of consortium compensate the accident victim and their family for the loss of companionship, sexual relations, and affection that accompanies a serious injury.
- Punitive Damages
Punitive damages are considered punishment and are typically awarded at the court’s discretion when the defendant’s behavior is found to be especially harmful. However, punitive damages are rare, as they’re meant as a deterrent against the most egregious examples of reckless behavior. A court may award punitive damages if an 18-wheeler driver knowingly broke safety regulations and someone died or sustained life-altering injuries as a result of the accident.
Statute of Limitations for 18-Wheeler Accident Claims
Texas law sets a particular statute of limitations for 18-wheeler accident claims when filing a lawsuit for either injuries or property damage.
The Texas statute of limitations for 18-wheeler Accidents is Two Years from the date of the accident. For all personal injury cases in Texas, there are laws and rules that apply. As a general rule, the statute of limitations in Texas is two years after an 18-wheeler accident resulting in injuries or death to file a lawsuit.
These timelines start when the event that caused your damages and injuries occurred. Missing the deadlines in these statutes of limitations may cause you to forfeit any right you have to seek compensation from an at-fault party.
Contact Our Specialized 18-wheeler Accident Attorney
At Calhoun Meredith, we are dedicated to helping our clients get their deserved compensation in their trucking accident cases. For help in your case, contact our skilled and experienced 18-wheeler accident lawyer today. To understand your legal options, our nationally-recognized legal team will provide the elite representation you need to come up against the trucking industry, we invite you to call our legal team to discuss your legal options.
It’s free to call, and you are under no obligation. Call now at 877-255-5873 and get an immediate free consultation.
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