18-Wheeler, Truck, and Bus Accidents

The Texas 18-Wheeler and Truck accident lawyers of Nick Maram & Associates, PC, are dedicated to helping victims injured in accidents involving 18-wheelers, trucks, buses, and other large vehicles. We have obtained financial compensation for people injured in accidents caused by the negligence of other drivers. We provide the high quality legal representation to victims and families all over Texas.

Trucks and tractor trailers are large transport vehicles pulled by a truck or tractor. Companies that use trucks to transport goods within or across state lines are often known as “commercial motor carriers”, because they are an integral part of the movement of intrastate and interstate commerce. While commercial carriers are useful in transporting large quantities of goods over long distances, the size and impact of their trucking rigs can cause some of the most devastating accidents on the road.

In 2010, over 500,000 large trucks and commercial vehicles were involved in accidents, injuring over 100,000 people in the United States. Fatalities are expected to increase in 2012 as more trucks and tractor-trailers are unleashed on the road. School bus accidents are also on the rise, with more than 500,000 school buses transporting over 24 million kids between school and home each year. Drivers operating 18-wheelers, trucks and buses require a commercial driver’s license.

Texas speeding regulations place additional restrictions on school buses. While cars, motorcycles, and light trucks can travel at 70 mph during the day, school buses are limited to just 60 mph if they have passed a commercial motor vehicle inspection, and only 50 mph if they have not. Texas law also requires approaching drivers to stop when the school bus stops to pick up or drop off passengers and to remain stopped until the bus driver turns off the stop signals.

In Texas, the trucking industry is governed by state and federal law. Previously, commercial carriers employed “fly by night” truckers as independent contractors, allowing negligent owners and drivers to shirk legal and financial responsibility for accidents. Now, state and federal regulations make carriers liable as a matter of law for the negligent conduct of the vehicle’s operators and drivers. The Interstate Commerce Carrier Act requires motor carriers to have surety bonds or insurance policies “sufficient to pay any final judgment recovered” against them for bodily injury or death resulting from the “negligent operation, maintenance, or use” of the motor vehicle.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Act likewise makes trucking companies responsible for the maintenance of their vehicles, driver training, drug testing, and compliance with safety standards. However, in an attempt to deregulate the trucking industry, new rules have relaxed the training standards and increased the allowable drive time of 18-wheelers and other large trucks, exposing other drivers to a greater risk of injury. Further, changes in safety regulations, maintenance requirements, and the use of multiple vendors spread liability among many different companies and insurers in the event of an accident. Our experienced Texas 18-Wheeler and Truck accident attorneys can help you identify all potential sources of liability, and fight to obtain compensation for your injury.

If you have been injured or lost a loved one in a car accident, call an experienced Texas 18-Wheeler, Truck, and Bus Accidents right away. For over 20 years, we have provided the high quality legal representation to injured victims and the families of wrongful death victims from all areas of Texas, obtaining financial compensation for our clients in complex personal injury cases. We do not charge anything to start working on your case and only get paid if compensation has been received in your case. This means that we take all the risk in spending our resources (money, time, and efforts) and you are guaranteed that in case of no recovery you owe us nothing as expenses or attorneys fees. For a free consultation with an experienced Texas personal injury attorney, call (800) 979-7222 or Contact Us online. We look forward to hearing from you.