Behind the Scenes, Your Lawyer Does a Lot
On the surface, it can seem like almost all a Texas truck wreck lawyer does is help to argue your case. It’s all about how many times you want to slam your fist on the table and raise your voice to persuade the insurance company to pony up what they need to so you can heal, right?
The Car Crash Captain takes a look at some of the factors your lawyer considers when fighting for your rights. It’s often a lot more than what it appears on the surface – especially when a commercial vehicle, like a semi-truck, is involved.
The 5 Behind-the-Scenes Investigations a Texas Truck Wreck Lawyer Performs
Knowing the law is part of it. Knowing what to look for, where the information is, and how to interpret that data is a whole other level of arguing for your rights as the victim of a wreck.
Understanding Electronic Control Module Data
The electronic control module (ECM), or “black box,” contains information about the truck being operated. Since 2015 they have been mandated for all commercial trucks, and they record data that can be pulled around the time of the wreck: GPS location, speed, braking, and more). Read about the black boxes on our previous post.
Your Texas truck wreck lawyer will know how to access this information, and how to use it to help show that you were the victim.
Scouring Maintenance Records and Negligence
Commercial vehicles have to meet strict maintenance requirements. It’s perfectly legal (though not recommended) for you to drive a personal vehicle with maintenance issues (such as worn brake pads, unchanged oil, bald tires, and the like). For those owning or driving commercial rigs, maintenance needs to be kept up with.
Failure to keep up with maintenance can help prove that the truck driver was negligent, and you were the victim. Knowing what to look for in those maintenance records is one of the truck wreck lawyer’s skills.
Liability as an Independent Contractor versus Employee
Owner/operators have to keep up with more than an employee. An independent contractor, enlisted by a trucking company, has different liability than an employee of that company. There are a handful of ways that the driver of the truck might be operating, and each one has different rules and liabilities.
If you were injured in a truck wreck, would you know how to pursue justice based on the operational structure of the trucking company and driver?
Knowing the Complex Federal Regulations
Speaking of all those different liabilities, there are a lot of rules that truck drivers have to follow to help ensure they’re as safe as possible while on the road. Some of them have to do with how many hours they can drive, what sort of driving record they must maintain, training, and more.
If a driver hasn’t kept up with the regulations, or is in violation of them, it is a powerful piece of evidence in your favor – if you know where to find that information.
Comparing with all other Factors of the Wreck
Trucking regulations are one thing, liability is another, and then you still have to factor in all of the other variables that can lead to a wreck. Traffic patterns, weather, time of day, road hazards, and more need to be accounted for to help show that you were the victim, and you deserve justice.
Enlisting the help of a knowledgeable Texas truck wreck lawyer is the only way to have the peace of mind you deserve if you’re injured.
Herbert Law Group Knows Texas Truck Wrecks
The good news is that Herbert Law Group not only knows the law, but also has an extensive history of helping victims receive compensation that will allow them to heal.
If you have been injured, or a loved one was killed, in a Texas truck wreck, let’s talk about what happened, and see how we can help. It starts with a free phone call.
Call our offices at 214-414-3808, or fill out the contact form and we will reach out to you.