Looking for a truck accident lawyer to represent you?

Truck Accident Lawyer : Semi-Truck Injury Attorney

Gordon & Elias, LLP, is a top choice when you’ve been injured in an 18-wheeler truck accident.

When selecting truck accident lawyers to represent you, it is in your best interest to choose a law firm with extensive truck accident experience, detailed knowledge of state and federal trucking laws, and a track record of high-value recoveries for serious and catastrophic injuries.

With 60 years of combined experience, partners Steve Gordon and Todd Elias, know exactly how to handle a truck accident claim, from investigation to trial, should a trial become necessary to get you a fair recovery.

Insurance companies, representing in most cases the trucking company, understand that the majority of truck accident victims have never been in such a situation of dealing with an insurance company while suffering in pain, stress, and possibly worrying about money. The insurance companies hope you’ll take their first settlement offer and not seek any further benefits or compensation: Case Closed.

Our advice is that you don’t take their offer.

Engaging truck accident attorneys to manage your case significantly enhances the probability of an insurance provider agreeing to negotiate a better settlement. When you have a skilled legal advocate in your corner, it sends a clear message to the insurer that you're well-equipped and prepared to pursue fair compensation vigorously.

Insurance companies often prefer to avoid the time, expense, and uncertainty of litigation. Therefore, when faced with a claimant backed by experienced legal counsel, they're more inclined to consider a reasonable settlement offer. This strategic approach demonstrates your commitment to securing a just outcome and can motivate the insurer to propose a more equitable resolution rather than risk a potentially costly truck accident lawsuit court battle.

Take advantage of the free case review by an experienced truck accident attorney at Gordon & Elias LLP to learn what options are available to help you win a monetary recovery for your injuries. We have extensive experience handling accident cases throughout Texas. We will give you the attention you deserve. Call for an appointment today. We have an office in Houston as well as a Rio Grande Valley office in Edinburg, Texas.

How Do I Know if I have a Claim?

How Much is My Case Worth?

Why Should I Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer Who is Experienced Dealing with Trucking Accidents?

Information regarding questions such as can be found on our personal injury attorney page which gives a more general overview of the entire process of hiring a personal injury / truck injury lawyer. 

The trucking accident lawyers at Gordon & Elias have years of experience practicing personal injury law. We can take many types of personal injury cases involving 18-wheeler accidents. We know how to obtain results with maximum compensation for someone who has been seriously injured. 

 A Gordon & Elias injury attorney will guide you through the claims process, including identifying the party /defendant and proving negligence. Give us a phone call, start a chat with our online agent or request a free consultation to fully understand your rights and how we might help you or a loved one.

Trucks are essential to a robust economy, but they pose a great hazard to other drivers on the road. Commercial trucks whether they are an 18 wheeler, semi-trucks, or any combination vehicle  made up of a powered semi-tractor and one or more semitrailers are known as semi, semitrailers, tractor-trailers, big rigs, eighteen-wheelers, or semi-tractor-trailers, are required by federal and state law to carry large liability insurance policies to protect those they injure. With the representation  of an experienced trucking accident lawyer, you will often be able to obtain compensation via a lawsuit when you’ve been injured in a Texas truck accident if the owner or driver of the truck was at fault for the accident. If a truck driver was negligent or under the influence of alcohol, our trucking accident attorneys can fight for justice on your behalf within the court system.

The sheer size of a large commercial truck (a large truck is considered as a vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating or gross combined weight rating greater than 10,000 lbs.)  puts passenger car occupants and others at serious risk if they have the misfortune to be in a truck crash. Injuries are often serious, life threatening, or life changing, including these:

• Neck, back, and spinal cord injuries
• Paralysis
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Facial injuries
• Scarring and disfigurement
• Fractures
• Organ damage
• Burn injuries

Negligence on the part of truck owners and drivers is the primary cause of accidents. When a truck accident can be attributed to negligence, injured victims have the legal right to claim compensation for their damages. This compensation can be used to cover medical bills, medical treatment, lost wages, and other expenses that come up. Our trucking accident lawyers at Gordon & Elias want you to focus on returning to optimal health, not worrying about negotiating with the insurance company.

Federal and state regulations dictate such things as maximum loads, maintenance schedules, required inspections, liability insurance coverage, and the number of hours a driver is allowed to drive at a stretch. For this reason, if you are injured in a truck accident, you should always make certain that the lawyer who represents you is familiar with these laws. The law firm of Gordon, Elias & Seely, LLP have many years of experience working with victims of truck accidents in Houston, Texas, the Gulf Coast region, and throughout the United States and know how to use violations of trucking regulations to prove liability for their clients.

In addition to thoroughly understanding the complex state and federal statutes that regulate the trucking industry, we have the resources of an investigative team to identify violations that indicate driver or owner liability for a crash. Our accident reconstruction experts are on call at all times, ready to go into action in your behalf to get the evidence needed to prove liability in your case while evidence is still fresh. This is important because trucking companies are quick to send in accident mitigation teams to try to either make you responsible for the accident or persuade you to settle quickly for much less than the actual value of your case.

TYPES OF 18-WHEELER ACCIDENTS

• Jackknives
• Hazmat spills
• Fires
• Rollovers
• Underrides
• Head-On crashes
• Backup accidents
• Sideswipes
• T-bone accidents
• Tire blowouts and tread separation
• Brake failure
• Trailer detachment
• Collision

When you’ve been injured in an accident and you feel that the truck driver was at fault, you need to report the accident and get the medical care you need. You should also contact an experienced Houston truck accident lawyer immediately to launch an investigation into the cause of the accident. It is important not to delay for two reasons:

• Evidence may tend to “disappear” if you wait too long
• Texas has legal time limits called statutes of limitations restricting the amount of time you have to file a law suit in a personal injury or wrongful death action.


COMMON ERRORS TRUCK DRIVERS MAKE

• Driving while impaired by alcohol or drugs
• Speeding
• Failing to yield
• Aggressive driving
• Failing to yield the right of way
• Making unsafe lane changes
• Making unsafe turns
• Failing to signal terns or lane changes
• Distracted driving
• Disregarding signs, signals, and traffic laws
• Failing to set the parking brake
• Braking abruptly
• Missing reflectors
• Skipping scheduled maintenance
• Failing to securely attach trailer
• Overloading a truck
• Failing to properly secure loads
• Missing inspections
• Driving while fatigued

Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is a significant cause of car accidents and a serious problem on our highways; but how much more serious when the drunk driver is at the wheel of and 18-wheel semi-truck weighing 80,000 pounds! Large commercial truck accidents are much more likely to cause death and catastrophic injuries because of the enormous size and weight of trucks relative to passenger cars. Operated by an impaired driver, they are deadly weapons, and you need a Houston DUI truck accident attorney if you’ve been impacted by a similar situation.

The law requires trucking companies to keep maintenance logs and inspection records as evidence that they are in compliance with FMCSA regulations. The records must show that these parts have been inspected and that proper maintenance procedures have been performed:

• Brakes (service brakes, trailer connections, and parking brakes)
• Lights, signals, and reflectors
• Mirrors
• Horn
• Steering
• Coupling devices
• Tires
• Windshield wipers
  

Serious and fatal injuries are common in oil tanker accidents, including back, neck, and spinal cord injuries, brain trauma, fractures damage to internal organs, facial injuries, lacerations and scarring, catastrophic burns, inhalation injuries, lung damage, and death.

Some of the most common types of tanker truck accidents involve:

Fires and explosions

Whenever a tanker truck carrying oil, gasoline, or any petroleum product is in a crash, because of its flammable nature, there is a risk of the cargo exploding or catching fire, causing catastrophic burns, lung damage, from toxic smoke inhalation, scarring, organ damage, or death, as well as extensive property damage.

Sloshing of liquid cargo

Any time a tanker truck is not filled to its full capacity, the liquid cargo will slosh around and shift weight, making the truck more difficult for the driver to control. This happens when the container is less than three-quarters full and is a common cause of tanker truck accidents.

Spills and leaks

If the tankers are not closed properly or if the tanker has some a defect that allows the fluid to leak out, it can cause a release of toxic materials that can endanger others by causing a fire, inhalation hazard, or a slippery condition on the road that can cause another vehicle to slide or a pedestrian to slip and fall.

Radiation exposure and chemical burns

A tanker carrying chemicals and becoming involved in an accident can pose a danger to others involved in the accident or to first responders in the form of chemical burns and severe skin reactions. Some tanker trucks transport radioactive substances that harm not only those involved in the accident but also others who live, work, or pass through the area.

Every state limits the amount of time you have to file a claim.

Don't Delay.

Contact the Attorneys at Gordon & Elias, LLP Today to preserve your right to a recovery.

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