Cole, Cole, Easley and Sciba Trial Attorneys can help you through the claims process if you’ve been injured in an accident with a large truck in Edna. Whatever kind of truck was involved in your accident, there’s one thing you can usually count on: it was much bigger and heavier than your vehicle. That difference can mean more damage to your car, more serious injuries, and a much more complicated claim afterward. We can help you figure out what comes next. Set up a free consultation today to learn more.
Why It Makes Sense to Get Legal Help After a Truck Accident
It’s not just the huge size and weight disparity that makes truck accidents more serious—although that’s a big factor. What really sets them apart is that there’s so much more going on behind the scenes. It’s not just a matter of what the truck driver did or didn’t do. It’s also about figuring out how the company was involved, who was responsible for the cargo, and who was responsible for the truck’s maintenance.
So while you still have the same basic options after a truck accident, figuring out what happened and who should be responsible can take a lot more work. That’s why it makes sense to have legal help. Our team can:
- Figure out what caused the accident and who was responsible
- Find important evidence before it disappears
- Deal with the trucking company and its insurance company
- Look at what your injuries are going to cost you, now and down the road
- Handle the insurance claim or lawsuit if necessary
Obviously, getting hurt in a truck accident is far from ideal. But when it does happen, you don’t need more confusion. Working with our team is a way to give yourself space to focus on getting better while we handle the legal side of things.
What Information Can Help After an Edna Truck Accident?
Because it’s still an auto accident at its core, a truck accident is going to follow the same basic outline in terms of what needs to be done at the scene. Everything starts with calling 911 and reporting the accident. You shouldn’t do anything until police and EMTs arrive at the scene. As long as it’s safe and you’re able to, try to get a few basic things like:
- Pictures or video of the vehicles, road, debris, skid marks, signs, and your injuries
- The truck driver’s name and insurance information
- The trucking company’s name
- Photos of the truck’s license plate and identifying numbers
- Names and contact information for anyone who saw what happened
Remember, none of those things are as important as your health and safety. If EMTs are treating you, just follow their orders. Police will document things as best they can and clear the scene. Then, in the coming days and weeks, there’ll be a few other pieces that start coming in like:
- Medical records and treatment plans
- Hospital, prescription, and other medical bills
- Towing, rental car, and car repair expenses
- Progress pictures of your injuries
- Pay stubs or work records showing lost income
- Emails or letters from the trucking company or insurance company
- Notes about your pain, recovery, and how the injuries are affecting your daily life
There’s something crucial to note here that’s specific to truck accidents: there’s a lot of vital information that’s controlled by the trucking company. In fact, it’s often this information that tell the real story, things like:
- Electronic logging device and driver-hours records
- GPS or other tracking information
- Truck data
- Maintenance and inspection records
- Cargo-loading records
- Driver qualification and training records
Even though federal rules require trucking companies to keep this information for a certain amount of time, they’re still not just going to readily give it over without a fight—especially if the accident was more serious. But you have a right to this information, and we can help you get it. Then from there, we can start putting the pieces together for you.
Understanding the Kinds of Truck Accidents That Happen Around Edna
Edna is a relatively small community, but that doesn’t mean truck traffic is limited. Several major routes run through or around the city. Even though the City of Edna actually designates certain roads as truck routes for heavier vehicles, you’re still usually sharing the road with large commercial trucks while driving through town, getting onto US 59, or traveling on one of the roads that runs outside of town.
And when you share the road with these trucks or spend a lot of your drive time in certain spots, accidents can happen. The type and circumstances are always different, but they usually involve:
- Rear-end collisions due to the truck not being able to stop in time
- Broadsides at intersections
- Jackknife accidents where the trailer swings out from the truck
- Rollovers when the driver loses control and the trailer isn’t loaded properly
- Underride accidents where your car is trapped under the trailer
Once you have the how and why of the accident, it gives you a better idea of the really important question: who’s actually responsible?
Who’s Actually Responsible For Your Truck Accident Injuries?
It’s tempting to assume that if a truck caused your accident, the truck driver must be responsible. Sometimes that’s exactly what happened. But again, truck accidents almost always involve several different people and companies.
So it’s really a question of what exactly caused your accident and who was responsible for that specific thing. That usually means responsibility falls on:
- The truck driver or trucking company if the driver was speeding, distracted, tired, impaired, or just not driving safely.
- The company that maintained or repaired the truck if something wasn’t fixed properly or the truck wasn’t properly maintained.
- The company that made a truck part if bad brakes, tires, steering, or another defective part caused the accident.
- The company that loaded the truck if the cargo wasn’t loaded or secured the way it should have been.
- Another driver if something they did caused the truck to crash or set off a chain-reaction accident.
- A government agency if a dangerous road condition or another problem with the roadway led up to the accident.
Of course, there’s no guarantee that responsibility will just fall on one of these people or companies. In fact, it’s almost always a case of multiple companies, multiple insurance companies, and a lot of finger-pointing. That doesn’t change your options, though.
Damages Available in a Truck Accident Claim
By the time you start thinking about a truck accident claim, you may already have a long list of problems. An injury claim gives you a way to take care of those problems, and there’s two main ways to do this:
- Filing an insurance claim outside of court
- Filing a lawsuit in court
An insurance claim is usually the more straightforward place to start, but that doesn’t mean the insurance company will automatically account for everything you’ve lost because those damages are only based on whatever policy is in play. So, a settlement offer might not fully reflect future medical treatment, future lost income, or the longer-term effect of your injuries, all of which are more common in truck accidents.
If the insurance company won’t resolve the claim fairly, a lawsuit may become necessary. That doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll end up in a courtroom. Many injury cases are resolved before trial. One way or the other, it also allows you to go after fuller damages like:
- Current and future medical expenses
- Current lost income or a loss of future earnings
- Car repair or replacement costs
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Reduced quality of life
- Funeral and burial expenses for fatal accidents (filed in a wrongful-death claim)
Texas generally gives you two years to file a claim. That sounds like a lot of time, but it can go by quickly when you’re dealing with medical treatment, work, and everything else that comes after a truck accident. Remember, though, you don’t have to handle any of this by yourself.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I don’t know what caused my truck accident?
You may not know right away. A truck can have mechanical problems that aren’t obvious after the collision. Cargo may have shifted or been improperly secured. The driver’s hours or other records may also help explain what happened.
How much is my truck accident claim worth?
There isn’t a set amount. The value of a truck accident claim depends on things like the seriousness of your injuries, your medical treatment, lost income, vehicle damage, future losses, and who was responsible for the accident.
What if the trucking company says the accident was my fault?
That doesn’t automatically make it true. The trucking company and its insurance carrier will have their own version of what happened. Your side of the story needs to be supported by the available evidence.
Reach Out For a Free Consultation After a Truck Accident in Edna
You probably didn’t expect to spend your day dealing with a serious truck accident. One minute you’re driving through Edna or along US 59, and the next you’re dealing with an injured body, a damaged vehicle, medical bills, and an insurance company asking questions. That’s a lot to handle while you’re trying to recover.
Our Edna truck accident team at Cole, Cole, Easley and Sciba Trial Attorneys can help you work through what comes next. Set up a free consultation today to talk through your accident and learn how we can help.
