A tractor trailer traveling from San Antonio to Fort Worth was rounding a curve when the truck turned over, causing serious and fatal injuries to the occupants of two cars in the adjacent lane. When an 18-wheeler flips over, it seems logical that the truck driver would be at fault. But crashes involving large trucks such as tractor trailers, tanker trucks, semi-trucks and other big rigs may have multiple contributing causes. Who is at fault can be a complex question.

Perhaps the tractor trailer was carrying a load of gasoline. When the truck rounded the curve, the fuel may have shifted suddenly in the tank, causing the truck to flip. A commercial truck driver more experienced at driving a cargo tanker might have anticipated the situation and slowed when approaching the curve. Perhaps the trucking company that employed the driver had failed to give the trucker proper training about the differences in handling a tanker truck compared to other big rigs. If so, the truck driver and trucking company may share liability for the accident. Or perhaps one of the passenger vehicles drifted out of its lane on the curve, causing the truck driver to take evasive action to avoid a crash and setting off a chain of tragic events.

If you or a family member has been seriously injured in a Texas tractor-trailer crash, you need an experienced truck accident lawyer who is skilled at analyzing truck accidents and identifying all of the parties potentially responsible. The attorneys at Arnold & Itkin LLP have years of experience handling Texas highway accidents and have confronted some of the biggest trucking companies in the United States on behalf of seriously injured clients.  It’s important to identify all of the parties potentially at fault, because it broadens the number of parties that may pay compensation for your injuries.

Contact an experienced tractor-trailer accident lawyer at Arnold & Itkin LLP for a free consultation by calling (866) 222-2606 or by using our online contact form.

Truckers are involved in a disproportionate share of serious and fatal highway accidents. It’s a fact that one out of nine fatal highway accidents in the U.S. involves a large truck such as a tractor trailer, semi, 18-wheeler, tanker truck or other type of large truck. Nowhere is that more apparent than in the Lone Star State. Texas has by far the highest number of fatal tractor-trailer accidents in the United States. Tractor-trailer accidents in Texas cause about 400 deaths annually and thousands of serious injuries.

A truck driver can be at fault in a serious accident by speeding, driving too fast for conditions, being distracted by a cell phone, or driving fatigued. To guard against driver fatigue, federal regulations limit the number of hours per day and per week that a commercial truck driver may operate a tractor trailer. Yet drivers often push the limits to meet a delivery deadline, putting at risk other motorists on the highway because of dangerous fatigue.

A trucking company may share responsibility for a Texas 18-wheeler accident. The company may have left on the road a commercial driver with a history of citations for speeding and aggressive driving. Or the company may have fostered an atmosphere of permissiveness by failing to conduct required random drug and alcohol testing of drivers — a commonly identified issue. The trucking company may have failed to perform routine safety checks on its tractor trailers to identify worn tires or safety components before they cause a wreck. That failure can make a trucking company negligent in its duty to put safe trucks and safe drivers on the highway. Negligent maintenance is challenging to prove. So the Texas accident attorneys at Arnold & Itkin LLP work with accident reconstruction experts and mechanical experts to identify all parties potentially at fault in an accident.

Defective parts such as truck tires that separate, or hydraulic brakes that fail, also cause serious and deadly crashes. Manufacturers of truck parts and equipment have a legal duty to produce safe products.  The 18-wheeler attorneys at Arnold & Itkin LLP work with product engineers to identify defective designs in truck components and parts.

Tractor trailer accidents are often complex, and several parties may be at fault. Even when the police have identified a single party, such a truck driver, at fault, the liability may be shared by a driver, a trucking company and a freight shipper and could involve all of their insurance companies. Tractor trailer accidents are best handled by knowledgeable truck accident lawyers.

The Texas law firm of Arnold & Itkin LLP, based in Houston, represents victims of truck accidents across Texas, including in Texas, including Houston, Harris County, San Antonio and Fort Worth. We are skilled trial lawyers and aggressive advocates for victims of tractor-trailer collisions and semi accidents. We have successfully handled cases involving speeding, driver error, aggressive driving, negligent maintenance and issues of corporate responsibility in commercial vehicle accidents of all types. We have stood up to some of the largest trucking companies in the United States on behalf of our clients. We have obtained many successful verdicts and settlements for truck accident victims and their families, including multi-million dollar recoveries. We secured more than $100 million on behalf of clients in 2009.

We’re prepared to stand up to trucking companies to secure a fair settlement that recognizes the severity of your injuries and the disruption to your family. We have extensive experience handling commercial motor vehicle accidents and a track record of success to prove it. Contact an experienced truck accident lawyer at Arnold & Itkin LLP for a free consultation by calling (866) 222-2606 or by using our online contact form.