Beaumont Truck Accident Lawyer

Truck accidents are less common than passenger car accidents, but they tend to be far more damaging. The economy of Texas relies heavily on commercial trucking, and most drivers in the Beaumont area are used to seeing large trucks on the road. It’s vital for every driver to know the risks these vehicles present and what to do if they experience a truck accident. If you find yourself in the aftermath of such an incident, a Beaumont truck accident lawyer can help.

Experienced Legal Counsel for Truck Accident Claims in Beaumont, TX

The team at Renick Law Firm, PLLC, can provide the compassionate legal counsel you need following a damaging truck accident. If another party caused the accident, you have the right to seek accountability and compensation for your damages, and your Beaumont truck accident lawyer is your most valuable asset when it comes to recovering as swiftly as possible. Our goal is to help you navigate your recovery efforts with peace of mind.

We take a client-focused approach to legal counsel in the aftermath of a truck accident. This means we can listen to your story and help determine the optimal approach to seeking compensation for your losses. We realize that your damages have impacted your life in various ways, and our goal is to help you recover as fully as Texas law allows. Contacting a Beaumont truck accident lawyer as quickly as possible is one of the most effective ways to succeed with your case.

Benefits of Hiring a Beaumont Truck Accident Lawyer

There is no law in Texas requiring that you hire an attorney for your impending truck accident suit. You have the right to try to handle your case on your own, but you must understand the risks and challenges you would face in doing so. Even if the fault for your truck accident seems perfectly clear to you, there is always a chance that you could encounter unexpected complications that you do not know how to resolve on your own.

Your recovery from a truck accident in Beaumont will likely begin with an auto insurance claim. Texas law requires every driver to have auto insurance that meets minimum coverage requirements for bodily injury liability coverage, total accident liability coverage, and property damage liability coverage. Commercial truck drivers and their employers typically have more expansive insurance coverage than individual drivers, but it still may not be enough.

You could encounter problems with the insurance claim filing process that you will not know how to resolve on your own. It is also possible for the at-fault driver’s insurance company to unfairly push back against your claim or even engage in bad faith tactics. Working with an experienced Beaumont truck accident lawyer means that you will be prepared to address any such complications you encounter with the insurance claim filing process.

If insurance cannot cover your damages, a personal injury claim is likely necessary to ensure full recovery from them. The objective of a personal injury claim is to hold a defendant accountable for the harm they have caused and to recover compensation for the damages resulting from their actions. The average person is unlikely to uncover all their available channels of compensation on their own or resolve their case unassisted in a reasonable time.

By hiring an experienced Beaumont truck accident lawyer, you are investing in a better quality outcome for your case. The team at Renick Law Firm, PLLC, can work closely with you to help gather all evidence needed to establish liability for the accident, guide you through the auto insurance claim filing process, and then build a comprehensive personal injury suit for you if necessary. You’re more likely to fully recover with our help.

Proving Liability for Your Truck Accident in Beaumont

You must consider Texas’ fault rule for vehicle accidents as you begin seeking compensation for your damages. Under the fault rule, the driver at fault for your truck accident is responsible for your damages, and you will need to prove that fault before you can claim any compensation. Truck accidents commonly occur due to driver negligence, which can take many forms. It is also possible for a truck accident to result from intentional and illegal misconduct behind the wheel.

A few of the most commonly cited causes of truck accidents in the Beaumont area are:

• Speeding. This is dangerous for any driver, especially for the driver of a large commercial truck that requires more time and distance to slow down or stop. Speeding increases not only the chance of an accident but also the severity of any resulting damages.
• Distracted driving. Every driver has a duty of care to operate their vehicle attentively at all times. Unfortunately, distracted driving, such as cell phone use behind the wheel, is a pervasive issue and a common cause of vehicle accidents in Texas and across the United States each year.
• Moving violations. All drivers must adhere to the rules of the road and obey posted traffic signs and signals. Moving violations like failure to yield the right-of-way, performing an illegal turn, or failing to stop for a red light or stop sign are just a few examples of how moving violations can cause serious accidents very suddenly.
• Intoxicated driving. It is illegal for any driver to operate their vehicle while intoxicated by drugs or alcohol, but driving under the influence (DUI) is one of the most common crimes prosecuted throughout Texas. If the driver who caused your accident was intoxicated, they face criminal prosecution alongside your civil claim for damages.
• Regulatory noncompliance. The trucking industry is heavily regulated, and employers in this field must enforce applicable regulations for all drivers and their vehicles. If your accident happened because a trucking company failed to do so, they face liability for your damages alongside legal penalties from government oversight agencies.
• Improperly secured cargo. If a large commercial truck is not packed correctly, its cargo can become off-balance in transit. This can create a dangerous situation for the driver in certain conditions. An imbalanced truck can tip or roll over around a sharp turn, or cargo could become dislodged during transit. Accidents can also happen due to failure to secure special types of cargo like oversized loads, smaller vehicles, and construction materials.

No matter how your recent truck accident happened, you will need to gather various forms of evidence to establish liability and identify the party or parties responsible for your damages. The fault may fall to a single party, or a combination of multiple parties could be liable for your damages. For example, a trucking company could share fault for an accident their employee caused under certain conditions.

As you struggle to recover from your injuries and manage your personal obligations, your Beaumont truck accident lawyer can gather the evidence you may need to establish liability for the accident. For most truck accident victims, it means a combination of physical evidence, digital evidence, and eyewitness testimony from those who saw the accident happen.

Physical evidence from the scene of the crash could include tire marks on the road surface and the damage to the vehicles involved in the crash. Digital evidence that could come into play can include vehicle black box data, cell phone records, and footage from traffic cameras positioned near the scene of the accident. Your attorney can help secure this evidence and obtain statements from the witnesses who saw what happened.

Filing Your Auto Insurance Claim for a Truck Accident in Beaumont

Once you prove the exact cause of your accident and identify the parties responsible for causing it, your Beaumont truck accident lawyer can help file a claim against their auto insurance policy. Every driver in Texas must have at least $30,000 in bodily injury liability coverage per person injured in an accident they caused, with a total accident liability requirement of $60,000. Additionally, their policy must provide at least $25,000 in property damage coverage.

These coverage amounts may be enough to fully compensate you for your losses after a minor accident, but truck drivers and their employers generally have more insurance coverage than the average individual driver. However, it does not mean you should assume that insurance alone will be able to fully compensate you for your damages or that filing your claim will be easy. Insurance companies almost always try to fight back against claims for compensation.

A Beaumont truck accident lawyer can help file your claim for coverage, and once the insurance carrier sees that you have legal counsel, they will be more inclined to handle your case appropriately and deliver a fair settlement offer. Your attorney can review their offer to ensure it is acceptable under the terms of the policy, and they will know how to resolve any bad faith you encounter.

Claiming Compensation With a Personal Injury Suit in Beaumont

The objective of any personal injury claim is to prove fault for a personal injury and collect compensation for the resulting damages. Once you have proven liability for a truck accident and collected what you can from auto insurance, a personal injury claim can enable you to recover compensation for damages that insurance won’t cover. You will also need to pursue a personal injury suit if the party who caused your accident does not have insurance.

In a personal injury claim, the plaintiff filing the case typically seeks compensation for economic and non-economic damages. Punitive damages can come into play when a defendant has broken the law in causing the injury or if their actions exceed the extent of typical negligence. Economic damages are the direct financial losses the victim suffered due to the defendant’s actions, and these often include:

• Vehicle repair costs, some of which may be covered by auto insurance. If your vehicle was damaged or destroyed in the accident, the defendant who caused the accident is liable for all associated repair and replacement costs.
• Medical treatment costs. Truck accidents can easily cause devastating injuries that require extensive medical care. The defendant is liable for the full extent of your medical expenses following the truck accident, including any costs associated with necessary ongoing rehabilitative care and in-home medical treatment you need to reach maximum medical improvement from your injuries.
• Lost wages. If your injuries prevent you from working, the defendant is responsible for the income you cannot earn during recovery. This also applies to your lost earning capacity if the accident has left you permanently disabled and you will not be able to return to work in the future. Your attorney can help accurately assess these projected losses.

Non-economic damages are more complex and subjective. These include the intangible losses you suffered from the accident, such as physical pain, psychological distress, trauma, and emotional suffering. Texas law does not cap pain and suffering damages in motor vehicle accident cases, and the amount you could receive generally depends on the severity of your injury and whether you face long-term complications or disabilities.

Punitive damages could come into play if the defendant caused your accident by driving under the influence or through some other illegal act. The amount they will need to pay will depend on the severity of their actions and their overall financial status. An experienced lawyer can explain how a defendant’s illegal actions could impact your recovery.

Find Your Beaumont Truck Accident Lawyer Today

Ultimately, you could be entitled to claim more compensation than you initially expected, and the right legal team is an invaluable asset for helping you maximize your recovery. Renick Law Firm, PLLC, is ready to provide compassionate and meticulous legal counsel through every stage of your truck accident case, from gathering evidence and proving fault to uncovering all the various forms of compensation you can claim and creating a recovery strategy.

We know that you likely have many pressing legal questions that you cannot answer on your own, and our firm is ready to assist you with the complexities of your upcoming case. Contact Renick Law Firm, PLLC, today and schedule your free consultation with a Beaumont truck accident lawyer. We’ll answer your questions, let you know what our team can do for your recovery, and help you confront your case with confidence.