San Antonio Truck Accident Lawyer

Protecting the Rights of 18-Wheeler Accident Victims

It is little surprise why a San Antonio truck accident lawyer handles the majority of their cases involving serious personal injury or death for those involved in semi-truck accidents.

Commercial truck accidents are unfortunately a common occurrence on the busy Texas highways of today. Commercial trucks typically carry loads in excess of 26,000 pounds. Carrying such heavy loads, passenger vehicles stand little chance in accidents involving a big rig.

If you or someone you care about has been injured in one of the many 18-wheeler accidents in San Antonio, you need to seek legal assistance immediately. At the Law Offices of Pat Maloney, P.C., our qualified and experienced team is ready to get to work investigating what happened so we can secure the compensation you deserve.

Injured in an 18-wheeler crash? Call our law firm today at (210) 226-8888 to speak with a truck accident attorney in San Antonio, Texas.

Why Choose the Law Offices of Pat Maloney, P.C.?

When you or a loved one are suffering from major injuries as a result of a serious accident, you need an attorney with a law firm you can trust. With more than six decades of combined experience in all areas of personal injury law, we are ready to help.

• We give personalized attention to each of our truck accident cases. Clients meet directly with their attorney, not an assistant, junior associate, or paralegal.
• Our team has a proven record of results, with a success rate of 99%. We have secured millions of dollars in settlements for our clients.
• We operate on a contingency fee basis, meaning you will not pay a dime in legal fees until we successfully secure the compensation you deserve.

The Most Common Truck Accident Injuries

According to figures released in March of 2019 in the US, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) says that there were approximately 148,000 people injured in large truck accidents during the latest reporting year. During that same year, 4,761 people lost their lives in truck accidents.

Injuries caused by truck accidents are often severe. It is not uncommon for our commercial vehicle accident attorneys to help clients suffering from the following:

• Spinal cord injuries
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Broken or dislocated bones
• Loss of or damage to a bodily organ
• Dismemberment or amputation
• Significant disfigurement
• Other injuries that inhibit their daily activities

Each of these injuries requires extensive medical treatment. It is not uncommon for victims of truck accidents to be unable to work while they recover. As a result of this lost income, victims are often unable to support themselves, their families, or to pay the medical bills associated with the accident.

Why an Experienced Lawyer Is Needed for Trucking Accidents

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) was established on January 1st, 2000, as a division of the U.S. Department of Transportation, following the passing of the Motor Carrier Safety Improvement Act in 1999. The primary function of FMCSA is to reduce the number of accidents, injuries, and fatalities involving large trucks and buses.

Commercial trucking accidents can have a variety of causes, some of which include:

• Unqualified truck drivers
• Inadequate safety training programs
• Driver fatigue
• Improperly secured load
• Poor truck maintenance
• Reckless driving
• Defective tractor-trailer parts

There are two major types of truckers: “owner-operator” truckers and “company driver” truckers. Owner-operator truckers own their trucks and run their own business. Company drivers drive trucks provided to them by their employer. When company truck drivers are involved in a commercial trucking accident, their employers may be liable for injuries and damages if the trucker is viewed to be “at-fault.”

Truck drivers are required to abide by a strict set of state and federal trucking guidelines designed to severely limit the potential for accidents to take place; however, regardless of the safeguards, commercial trucking accidents are going to happen nonetheless.

Poor Truck Maintenance

Commercial trucking accidents typically result in serious personal injury or death for those involved. Commercial truck drivers and their employers in the trucking industry have a responsibility to ensure that their rig abides by the regulations set forth by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).

Poor truck maintenance is often a contributing factor to commercial trucking accidents. Commercial trucks in the trucking industry, spend a great deal of time on the road towing large and heavy loads. As such, “wear-and-tear” often tends to take its toll on the vehicles, requiring the continual maintenance and monitoring of parts that play an essential role in the safety and functionality of the vehicle.

Before a commercial truck is deemed road-worthy according to FMCSA standards, it must first undergo a series of inspections designed to ensure the safety of the vehicle.

The following parts should always be in good working order:

• Service brakes (including trailer brake connections)
• Parking brake
• Lighting devices / reflectors
• Steering mechanism
• Tires
• Horn
• Windshield wipers
• Mirrors
• Coupling devices

Commercial trucking accidents that are caused by poor truck maintenance make the owner and/or operator of the vehicle liable for any injuries or property damage.

Although some truck owners might view continual inspections to be excessive, they are an essential component in ensuring that all commercial trucks are road-safe so as to limit the potential for commercial trucking accidents.

The South Texas area is one of the busiest commercial trucking corridors in the nation. For a truck accident attorney that San Antonio relies on most, contact the Law Offices of Pat Maloney, P.C.