Dealing with the aftermath of a car accident is a time-consuming process, often requiring overwhelming amounts of paperwork and phone calls with insurance adjusters only to have your injuries minimized or dismissed as insignificant. When your car is hit by a commercial vehicle, it can seem impossible to determine who to speak to about compensation for the damages you have suffered.
Commercial vehicles transporting goods nonstop across the country travel on the highways between southern New Mexico and Texas extensively. Farah Law understands the challenges associated with accidents involving commercial vehicles. We strive to make securing compensation easier by helping clients understand what to do when a car is hit by a commercial vehicle in Texas or New Mexico.
Identifying The Commercial Vehicle Involved in the Accident
The first thought that comes to mind when discussing commercial vehicles is large trucks pulling long flatbeds or large enclosed containers full of cargo. However, not all commercial vehicles are semi-trucks with company stickers or other identifiers that designate them as commercial vehicles. It is vital to ask the other driver if you are uncertain if they are on duty and driving a commercial vehicle.
The Texas Transportation Code (Sec. 621.001) defines a commercial vehicle as any vehicle other than a moped or motorcycle used to transport goods. Asking allows you to determine necessary follow-up questioning and request additional information to make securing compensation less confusing. Failing to ask can leave a driver missing significant information and details about a company and its contact representative.
Request Law Enforcement's Assistance
It is always recommended to call 911 when a car accident has occurred. Drivers are required to report accidents (Sec. 550.041) resulting in damages over $1,000. Very little damage is needed to end up with costs exceeding this amount, and damage can often be less apparent, affecting electrical systems, the car's frame, and / or other parts of a vehicle that are not visible on initial inspection. An official report from law enforcement allows you to start the paper trail documenting the damages you have suffered.
Receive Medical Care as Soon as Possible
It can be frightening to be involved in an accident involving a large commercial vehicle. The adrenaline that results from the incident can prevent an individual from being fully aware of their injuries until days or weeks after a crash. Medical documentation establishes when the injuries occurred and what caused them.
Failing to receive immediate care or scheduling a medical appointment with a physician as soon as possible arms the large insurance companies who cover commercial vehicles and their companies with the convincing argument that your injuries were minor and required no medical attention. When filing a claim or case against a commercial vehicle company or a driver, proof will be necessary that harm resulted from the responsible party's negligence. A failure to obtain medical documentation can be damaging or significantly reduce the compensation needed to recover after an accident.
Exchange Contact Information with the Driver and Witnesses to the Accident
Always exchange critical information with the driver of a commercial vehicle. Ask for insurance documentation and the contact information of the person you must correspond with about the damages. Document all of the significant names and phone numbers along with any insurance information.
Also, ask witnesses to the commercial vehicle accident for their contact information. These vital on-the-scene accounts offered by witnesses are crucial to documentation. Their unique perspective of being unattached and unbiased in the situation can tremendously impact the compensation of a driver who suffers damages.
Advocate for Yourself by Documenting Your Crash
In addition to gathering contact information from other drivers involved in the crash and from witnesses to the incident, take as many pictures and videos as possible, recreating the incident through photographic and video documentation. Take photos and videos of the damage to your vehicle and any other vehicles or structures. Photograph license plates, signs, and / or stickers denoting the name of a business, and ensure the pictures include the entire commercial vehicle to successfully document the size of the vehicle and any exposed cargo on any attached flatbed trailer.
Take photographs of skid marks or large puddles of water in the road that may have contributed to the wreck. Capturing any critical information in pictures or videos aids a commercial vehicle accident attorney in weaving together the compelling facts that provide the evidence supporting your damages. Farah Law also supports clients based in New Mexico, understanding that many commercial vehicle accidents in New Mexico involve trucks originating in Texas and across the country.
Immediately Contact a Commercial Vehicle Accident Lawyer
The Farah Law team understands that commercial vehicle accidents are complicated, and determining who is responsible for the damages can become significantly challenging. There are multiple parties we may investigate to reduce how overwhelmed you feel, streamline the process, and find a more direct path to a resolution. The entities who may bear responsibility for the incident can include but are not limited to:
- The truck driver
- The truck's owner
- The trucking company
- The cargo loaders
- A parts manufacturer
- A government entity
Our commercial vehicle accident lawyers have extensive knowledge of the related laws and regulations. Our headquarters is located in Houston, ranked as the largest port in Texas, importing and exporting millions of tons of product each month that must be transported to and from the port via commercial vehicles on Texas highways. Farah Law knows the tactics used by the commercial giants an individual faces when battling for compensation after an accident involving a commercial vehicle, and we want to lead the fight for you.
Texas and New Mexico Commercial Vehicle Accident Attorneys
An injury victim's compensation is directly related to a how determined your legal team is and how well they investigate the facts surrounding the commercial vehicle accident in order to hold the responsible party accountable for their negligence. Commercial vehicle accidents are particularly challenging because of the number of parties who may be liable. Contacting Farah Law guarantees the unwavering support of determined, knowledgeable Houston-based commercial vehicle accident attorneys dedicated to helping clients secure vital compensation to aid in recovery.
