Experienced Lubbock Truck Accident Lawyers: Fighting for Your Rights After a Devastating Collision

In the last years, Texas saw more fatalities resulting from large truck crashes than any other state: 810 deaths, or an average of about two every day.
Unfortunately, truck accidents are not uncommon in Lubbock and surrounding cities. If you or a loved one was involved in a commercial truck accident, our Lubbock truck accident lawyers are here to fight for your rights. We can guide you through an insurance claim or lawsuit to seek compensation from the trucking company and start moving forward from this catastrophic event. 

Contact Fadduol, Cluff, Hardy & Conaway, P.C. today to speak with a Lubbock personal injury attorney about your case. 

Why Are Commercial Truck Accidents So Common in Lubbock? 

Commercial truck accidents aren’t any more common than accidents involving passenger vehicles, but they tend to cause more severe damage and make headlines more often. Still, several underlying factors contribute to the frequency of truck crashes and Lubbock accident claims, such as the following:

• Tired/distracted truck drivers: Truck drivers in Texas are permitted to drive 12 hours a day or 70 hours over a seven-day span. Being on the road this long is mentally and physically tiring, leading some drivers to fall asleep at the wheel and others to distract themselves with texting or other unsafe activities.  
• Mechanical failure: Commercial trucks require daily maintenance and strategic loading to remain safe on the road. Lack of maintenance and care can lead to mechanical failures that cause accidents. 
• Congested traffic: Even though Lubbock was included in the Top 5 Cities for Best Traffic in 2017, it still experiences congested roadways like any major Texas city. Accidents frequently happen during rush hour, when vehicles must stop quickly and maneuver around other drivers. Major roadways, like Interstate 27, also pass through Lubbock. 
• Lack of training/experience: The nationwide truck driver shortage has led some trucking companies to relax their standards for new drivers. Truck drivers may not have much training or experience before they begin operating these massive vehicles, leading to accidents. 

While these causes explain why truck accidents happen, they don’t excuse them. If you or a loved one suffered serious injuries in a Lubbock truck accident, holding the at-fault party financially liable is a small way to prevent these accidents in the future. Our law firm can be your truck accident legal representation and guide you every step of the way. 

Who Is Liable in a Lubbock Truck Accident?

Texas follows a comparative fault policy for personal injury cases. This means insurance companies can find multiple parties partially at fault for the same accident. Any party can seek compensation as long as they are no more than 50% responsible for the accident. 

Truck accidents are often complicated, and more than one party may have been at fault for yours. Your Lubbock truck accident lawyer can evaluate your case to determine whom to hold liable, such as:

• The truck driver: If the truck driver made a mistake, was texting and driving, was under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or otherwise violated traffic laws, they may be liable. Still, many truck companies assume vicarious liability for their drivers, meaning you’d hold the driver’s employer liable instead. 
• The truck driver’s employer: The trucking company may be liable if it failed to train the driver properly, forced the driver to work unsafe hours, failed to maintain the vehicle adequately, or otherwise directly or indirectly caused the accident. 
• A manufacturer: Truck manufacturers and equipment producers are sometimes liable for accidents when they produce faulty parts. This is a type of product liability incident. 
• Another driver: Perhaps another driver swerved into the truck driver’s lane, causing them to swerve into you. 
• Another third party: Some other third party could be partially responsible, such as a company responsible for maintaining the commercial truck.

Our Texas truck accident law firm can help you gather evidence that one or several parties contributed to your accident. If the insurance company finds you partially responsible, we’ll help you prove that you were no more than 50% liable so that you can still collect compensation. 

What Compensation Can You Pursue After a Truck Accident?

If you were less than 50% responsible for a truck accident in Lubbock, you can pursue compensation from the liable party or parties. The exact compensation you qualify for depends on whether you’re filing an insurance claim or lawsuit.

In an insurance claim, you’d seek repayment for the direct economic damages you incurred from the accident. These may include:

• Physical damage to your vehicle
• Medical bills from your injuries
• Time off work
• Loss of ability to work/future earning capacity
• At-home medical equipment

If you decide to sue the liable party with the help of a commercial vehicle accident lawyer, you can also pursue non-economic damages. These damages don’t have an exact price tag but help make up for the other ways the accident impacted your life. They may include:

• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Loss of quality of life
• Loss of consortium

If the liable party in your crash was acting particularly recklessly when they caused the accident, you may even qualify for punitive damages in addition to the damages above. These punish the at-fault party and set a legal precedent for future cases. They sometimes arise in cases involving drugs and alcohol where drivers put everyone on the road at risk. 

Building a Solid Truck Accident Case

Our Lubbock truck accident lawyers will help you gather evidence to support your accident case. Compelling evidence may include:

• Black box data from the truck showing its speed and mechanical activities leading up to the crash
• Photos and videos of the accident scene
• Maintenance records for the truck
• The driver’s employment history showcasing their training and experience with operating commercial vehicles
• Witness testimonies from those who saw the crash happen
• Testimony from accident reconstructionists explaining the events leading up to the crash

We will use this evidence to show that:

• The at-fault party owed you a duty of care
• The at-fault party breached that duty of care
• An accident occurred because of the breach
• You suffered injuries in the accident

These are the four main tenets of any personal injury case and lay the groundwork for your truck accident claim. 

Truck companies usually aren’t willing to hand over black box data without a court order. We’ll take care of requesting this evidence and as much other proof as possible to support your case. You can focus on your accident recovery while we do the legwork for you. 

Our Lubbock Truck Accident Lawyers Can Fight for Your Rights

Moving forward after a severe truck accident can be challenging. But with our Lubbock truck accident lawyers on your side, securing the compensation you need to move forward becomes a bit easier. 

We have over 30 years of experience and a track record of success representing victims in personal injury accidents. We will work tirelessly on your behalf to improve your case outcomes. 

Call Fadduol, Cluff, Hardy & Conaway, P.C. today at 806-763-9377 to schedule your consultation with our truck collision legal professionals.