East Texas Trucking Accident Lawyers
While anyone can make a mistake while driving, truck drivers' "mistakes" are often the result of willful safety violations and other poor but deliberate choices. When a large commercial truck weighing up to 40 tons collides with a normal passenger vehicle weighing only a few, devastating results are common. Victims who survive such accidents often incur staggering medical bills and may be unable to return to work for many months, if ever. The costs borne by families of those killed are even greater and more profound.
Boon Calk Echols Coleman & Goolsby, PLLC is a Longview, Texas, law firm with substantial experience representing truck accident victims in the eastern and northeast portions of the state. We are also one of very few law firms in this area that is capable of providing injured clients with comprehensive legal representation that includes estate planning and probate administration assistance.
To learn more about your legal rights and options, call or contact us for a free consultation.
Truck Driver Negligence: Causes and Examples
Despite potentially devastating consequences, truck drivers often drive faster and with less care than they should to earn more money for themselves and/or to meet the demands of their trucking company employers.
As accomplished trial lawyers with more than 135 years of combined experience, we have the knowledge, skill and resources it takes to handle even the most complex trucking accident cases. Common examples of truck driver negligence we have seen in our practice over the years include:
- Careless driving (driving too fast for conditions, failing to signal or check for other vehicles before making a turn or changing lanes, etc.);
- Reckless driving (tailgating, speeding, driving a truck under the influence of alcohol or drugs, texting while driving, using a cellphone or computer while driving, etc.);
- Driver fatigue, falling asleep at the wheel; and
- Failing to make certain that cargo has been properly loaded or secured before driving.
Trucking Company Negligence
There are several reasons a trucking company can be found negligent and held liable for damages that result from a trucking accident, including:
- Negligent hiring, ignoring evidence of driver safety violations or drug or alcohol use;
- Failing to properly train or adequately supervise drivers
- Over-scheduling drivers, explicitly or implicitly encouraging drivers to skip mandatory rest and sleep breaks or cut corners in other ways
- Overloading trucks, loading truck cargo in an unsafe manner
- Poor vehicle maintenance
- Violations of state and federal truck safety regulations
A Prompt Investigation Is Critical
Time is of the essence after a truck accident. Evidence can be lost or deteriorated. Witnesses may begin to forget key details or become difficult to locate. Trucking companies and their insurers understand these facts and will often get their own investigators and representatives to the scene of an accident within a matter of hours.
If you or a family member has been injured in an East or Northeast Texas 18-wheeler or truck accident, our law firm has the ability to launch an independent investigation and start protecting your interests right away. Our legal team includes partner Bradley Echols, who has an in-depth understanding of the medical issues involved in these cases, and partner Darren Coleman, who draws on his experience as a former police officer to thoroughly investigate trucking accidents, interview witnesses, examine evidence and conclusively prove fault.
Together, these assets allow us to provide each client with comprehensive advice and representation in all aspects of the case, from investigation and preparation to negotiating with difficult adversaries and litigating personal injury and wrongful death cases in court.
If you want or need the kind of legal help and hard work we can provide, contact us today for a free consultation with an experienced lawyer.
Contact Us Today
For a free consultation with an experienced accident attorney in Tyler Texas, contact us online or call our East Texas law offices directly at 903.759.2200.
We handle truck accident-related personal injury and wrongful death claims on a contingency basis, which means that you will not be asked to pay our firm any legal fees unless we obtain a verdict or settlement on your behalf.