Trucking accidents are among the most serious types of motor vehicle accidents because of the size and weight of commercial trucks. When an 18-wheeler, tractor-trailer, tanker truck, delivery truck, or other large commercial vehicle collides with a passenger car, the people in the smaller vehicle often suffer the worst injuries.
If you were involved in an accident caused by a truck driver, trucking company, or another negligent party, you may be entitled to compensation. Sadly, trucking companies and their insurance providers are not always concerned with your recovery or well-being. Their priority is often protecting their bottom line. At Sorey & Hoover, LLP, our Longview personal injury lawyers truly care about our clients and want to help you receive the compensation you need to recover after a serious accident.
If you or someone you love was injured in a truck accident in Longview, Gregg County, or elsewhere in East Texas, our legal team is ready to help.
Were You or a Loved One Injured by Someone Else’s Negligence?
A serious truck accident can leave you facing medical bills, property damage, emotional trauma, lost income, and long-term uncertainty. These losses are often much greater in trucking accident cases than in ordinary car accident claims because the injuries are typically more severe.
When a fully loaded 18-wheeler crashes into a family vehicle, a commercial truck runs a red light, or a fatigued driver causes a highway collision, the consequences can be catastrophic. Victims may suffer brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, broken bones, internal injuries, burns, amputations, or fatal injuries.
You may feel overwhelmed after an accident, and the thought of pursuing legal action may be the last thing on your mind. However, if negligent actions by a truck driver, trucking company, maintenance provider, cargo loader, or other party caused your injuries, they should be held accountable.
Truck Accidents in Longview and East Texas
Longview is located near major roadways used by commercial vehicles traveling through East Texas, including routes used for freight, industrial transport, construction, delivery services, and oil and gas operations. Heavy truck traffic can create serious risks for local drivers, especially when commercial drivers are fatigued, distracted, poorly trained, or pressured to meet unrealistic delivery schedules.
Truck accidents may happen on highways, rural roads, city streets, construction routes, or near industrial facilities. No matter where the crash occurs, the investigation must begin quickly. Trucking companies may send investigators and insurance representatives to the scene soon after a collision. Victims should have someone working just as quickly to protect their rights.
A Longview truck accident lawyer can help gather evidence, identify liable parties, and determine whether violations of federal or state trucking regulations contributed to the crash.
Why Truck Accident Claims Are Different
Truck accident cases are often more complex than ordinary car accident cases. A commercial truck crash may involve multiple companies, multiple insurance policies, federal safety regulations, driver qualification files, electronic logging data, maintenance records, cargo records, and corporate policies.
The trucking company may try to blame the victim, the weather, road conditions, or another driver. Insurance adjusters may ask for a recorded statement before you know the full extent of your injuries. Evidence may disappear if action is not taken quickly.
Because these cases can be complicated, it is important to work with a legal team that understands how to investigate commercial vehicle accidents and pursue compensation from all responsible parties.
Common Causes of Truck Accidents
Truck accidents can happen for many reasons. Some are caused by reckless driving, while others result from company-wide safety failures. A careful investigation can determine what went wrong and who should be responsible.
Driver Fatigue
Truck drivers often spend long hours behind the wheel. When drivers are tired, they may have slower reaction times, poor judgment, blurred focus, or even fall asleep while driving. Fatigue is especially dangerous when a driver is operating an 18-wheeler or other heavy commercial vehicle.
Distracted Driving
Texting, eating, using dispatch devices, adjusting GPS systems, or looking away from the road can cause devastating crashes. A moment of distraction may be enough for a truck driver to drift lanes, rear-end traffic, or miss a hazard ahead.
Speeding and Unsafe Driving
With long stretches of road ahead of them and delivery demands at their heels, truck drivers may speed, follow too closely, take turns too fast, or fail to adjust for traffic and weather conditions. Whatever the reason behind their actions, truck drivers have a duty to protect other drivers and follow all federal and state regulations.
Improper Training or Hiring
Trucking companies are responsible for putting safe, qualified drivers on the road. If a company rushes a background check, ignores a history of unsafe driving, fails to check for substance abuse, or does not provide proper training, it may be responsible when that driver causes a crash.
Poor Truck Maintenance
Even if a truck driver is fully capable of driving, there is still a risk of mechanical failure. 18-wheelers and big rigs put thousands of miles under their tires in short periods of time, causing major wear and tear to tires, brakes, steering systems, lights, and other critical parts.
Consistent maintenance and repair are required to ensure trucks are fully operational and safe to drive. If a mechanic, maintenance company, or trucking company cuts corners during repairs or inspections, the consequences can be deadly.
Improperly Loaded Cargo
Cargo that is overloaded, unsecured, or unevenly distributed can make a truck harder to control. Improper loading may cause rollovers, jackknife accidents, tire blowouts, or spilled cargo. In some cases, the company responsible for loading the truck may share liability.
Holding Truck Drivers and Companies Accountable
A trucking accident can be connected to multiple parties, all of which may have some fault in causing the collision. Even if this makes the case more complicated, every responsible party should be held accountable for the harm they caused. This may include:
- Truck Drivers
- Trucking Companies
- Companies That Hire or Control Drivers
- Mechanics and Maintenance Providers
- Cargo Loaders and Other Third Parties
Common Injuries in Truck Accident Cases
Because commercial trucks are so large, truck accident injuries are often catastrophic. Victims may require emergency treatment, surgery, rehabilitation, long-term care, and time away from work.
Common truck accident injuries include:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Paralysis
- Broken bones
- Internal injuries
- Severe burns
- Amputations
- Neck and back injuries
- Crush injuries
- Organ damage
- Lacerations and scarring
- Emotional trauma
- Wrongful death
What Compensation May Be Available?
The compensation available in a truck accident case depends on the facts of the crash, the severity of the injuries, and the parties involved. Our legal team can help evaluate the full impact of the accident and pursue the damages you may be entitled to recover.
Compensation may include:
- Emergency medical care
- Hospital bills
- Surgery and follow-up treatment
- Rehabilitation and therapy
- Future medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Loss of earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Physical impairment
- Disfigurement
- Property damage
- Wrongful death damages for surviving family members
Insurance companies may try to settle quickly before the full value of the claim is known. Before accepting any offer, it is important to understand the long-term cost of your injuries.
How Sorey & Hoover, LLP Can Help
At Sorey & Hoover, LLP, we understand how serious truck accident cases can be. These claims require immediate attention, detailed investigation, and a willingness to stand up to trucking companies and insurers.
Our Longview truck accident attorneys can investigate the crash, preserve evidence, identify every responsible party, work with experts when needed, calculate your damages, negotiate with insurance companies, and prepare your case for trial if necessary.
We truly care about our clients and want to help them pursue the compensation they need to rebuild their lives after a serious accident. When you work with our firm, your recovery and well-being are our priority.
Contact a Longview Truck Accident Lawyer Today
If you were injured in a truck accident in Longview, Gregg County, or elsewhere in East Texas, do not wait to get legal help. Trucking companies and insurers may already be working to protect themselves. You deserve a legal team working to protect you.
Contact Sorey & Hoover, LLP today for a free consultation. Call (903) 230-5600 to speak with a Longview truck accident attorney about your case.
