Tractor-Trailer Accident Lawyers

When a tractor-trailer collides with a passenger vehicle, the results can be devastating — often catastrophic. In many personal injury cases, truck wrecks result from careless and reckless driving behaviors by truckers, their employers, or equipment and vehicle manufacturers.

At Nix Patterson, our tractor-trailer accident attorneys understand how complex these wrecks are and why they require particular legal skills and knowledge. Our injury lawyers fight to protect the rights of injured victims and their families after such horrific accidents. We have extensive experience helping people like you who are trying to get justice after the actions of others have caused you harm.

What Makes Tractor-Trailers So Dangerous?

Negligent truckers operating tractor-trailers on our roads can cause serious accidents that may even cause fatalities. But what makes these accidents so deadly? Let’s find out.

The Size and Weight of Tractor-Trailers

Commercial trailers operating on interstate highways may weigh up to 80,000 pounds, with most passenger cars weighing around 4,100 pounds. This is nearly 20 times more than the average passenger car. Consider the destructive impact of such a truck on a passenger car.

Carrying Hazardous Cargo 

Many trucks on our roads transport explosive, toxic, flammable, and other hazardous cargo. An accident with a truck hauling such cargo may be tragic.

Poor Braking Ability

Unlike passenger cars, trucks need more time and space to brake. This puts any vehicle in front of a tractor-trailer at risk of being rear-ended.

Other reasons why tractor-trailers are dangerous include:

• Lack of maneuverability
• Improperly secured cargo
• High center of gravity
• Frequent maintenance needs
• Large blind spots
• Truck driver negligence

What to Do if You Are Injured in a Truck Wreck

If you or a loved one has been injured in a tractor-trailer accident, here’s what you should do:

1. Remain calm
2. Call the police
3. Seek medical attention
4. Know what to say at the scene — don’t take responsibility for the crash or apologize
5. Exchange information with other involved parties
6. Find witnesses and get their information
7. Take pictures and videos of the accident scene
8. Don’t provide a statement to the trucker’s insurance company 
9. Contact an experienced truck accident lawyer — Nix Patterson
10. Report the crash to your insurance company 

Types of Truck Driver Negligence

In 2020, 4,965 people were killed in crashes involving large trucks, representing a 1% decline from 5,032 in 2019. Approximately 71% of these fatalities were occupants of other vehicles. An estimated 146,930 people were injured in 439,206 police-reported accidents.

Truck driver negligence is one of the reasons for these alarming numbers, which takes many forms, including:

• Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs — 0.04% BAC limit for truckers
• Reckless driving
• Speeding
• Distracted driving, including texting
• Fatigued driving
• Failing to yield the right of way
• Violating hours of service regulations
• Tailgating
• Poor truck maintenance
• Failing to follow other regulations set by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)

How Can a Lawyer Help After an Accident?

After a tractor-trailer crash, the burden is on you — the plaintiff — to prove negligence. This can be difficult to do on your own. You’ll need the help of a tractor-trailer accident lawyer experienced in personal injury cases soon after your accident.

Your lawyer can help you with various crucial tasks, including:

• Investigating the crash
• Reviewing accident and medical reports
• Interviewing witnesses
• Determining traffic law violations
• Pursuing all sources of insurance
• Compiling evidence of your damages, including receipts and bills

An experienced lawyer can also help you deal with insurance companies. After a ​​tractor-trailer accident, you may receive calls from multiple insurance companies. All their representatives are interested in one thing — protecting their bottom line.

This is why you need knowledgeable tractor-trailer accident attorneys like those at Nix Patterson to protect your rights. Let us deal with insurance companies on your behalf.

What Evidence Will My Lawyer Use to Prove Negligence?

Trucking companies usually maintain comprehensive records of their business operations. Such records can be helpful after a trucking accident. Still, trucks have a “black box” that monitors and records information about the truck’s condition.

Other pieces of evidence that may be useful in a tractor-trailer accident case include:

• Medical records
• Photos and videos of the scene
• Traffic surveillance footage
• Dashcam footage
• Photographs of any visible injuries
• Witness accounts
• Hiring documents from the trucking company
• Police reports
• Lost income and time off work evidence

If necessary, Nix Patterson may consult with medical experts, accident reconstruction experts, meteorologists, engineers, etc., to prove negligence and determine who is liable for your accident, injuries, and damages.

Catastrophic Injuries in Tractor-Trailer Accidents

Colliding with a commercial truck can result in severe injuries. Since truck accidents often occur on busy highways, these injuries can be fatal. Many tractor-trailer wrecks involve rear-end, head-on, or side-impact collisions.

Common examples of catastrophic injuries that victims of truck accidents may sustain include:

• Traumatic brain injuries, including comas, memory loss, and concussions
• Spinal cord injuries
• Paralysis
• Permanent facial scarring
• Severe burns
• Amputations
• Organ damage

A catastrophic injury may require extensive medical treatment, long hospital stays, long-term care, and future medical surgeries and therapies.

At Nix Patterson, our catastrophic injury lawyers provide skillful representation to victims who suffer injuries due to someone else’s negligence.

How Much Does It Cost To Hire a Truck Accident Attorney?

Hiring our tractor-trailer accident attorneys requires no upfront cost since we operate on a contingency basis. In other words, we only get paid when we win your case. If we don’t win, you owe us nothing. 

Nix Patterson will cover all case-related expenses before any settlement is reached. This gives you access to the best legal minds in personal injury law without paying anything out of your pocket. 

Contact Our Tractor-Trailer Accident Lawyers for Legal Guidance

A tractor-trailer accident can be a life-altering event. It can cause severe injuries or even death, and leave you with significant medical bills and other losses. If you or someone you care about has suffered catastrophic injuries after a collision with a tractor-trailer, our skilled truck wreck attorneys can help guide you on your journey to recovery.

The road to recovery begins with a free, confidential consultation. Call 512-598-5391 today to get started.