A rollover truck accident is among the most dangerous types of auto accidents. When trucks roll over, they can crush other vehicles and cause catastrophic or fatal injuries. Various factors can contribute to truck rollover accidents. These types of accidents are generally preventable and caused by one or more party’s negligence or recklessness.
If you or your loved one have been injured in a truck rollover accident in Texas or Arkansas, you may be entitled to compensation for damages. Don’t hesitate to contact the attorneys at Rochelle McCullough, LLP to learn more about how our skilled personal injury attorneys can fight for you.
Who Is Liable for Truck Accidents?
If you or your loved one has been injured in a truck rollover accident, you may suffer severe injuries and may not be able to return to work. You may be understandably fearful of how you can recover.
A personal injury lawyer can help you by investigating your case and determining who is liable or at fault for your injuries. Trucking companies are frequently liable for accidents involving their commercial trucks and negligent drivers. However, the following parties may also be liable for your injuries:
- The cargo loading company
- A product manufacturer
- The maintenance crew
- Municipalities
- Construction companies
- Negligent third-party drivers
Common Causes of Truck Rollover Accidents
Many types of large commercial trucks can be involved in rollover accidents. For example, large semi trucks, tractor-trailers, mail delivery trucks, garbage trucks, and dump trucks can cause devastating injuries when they roll over onto other vehicles. The majority of rollover truck accidents are caused by negligence.
Many rollover truck accidents occur when an event increases the roll movement of a commercial truck’s longitudinal axis. When a driver turns too quickly, for example, one side of the truck may rise or drop, causing a rollover accident. Some of the most common causes of rollover accidents include the following types of negligence:
- Defective motor vehicle parts
- Speeding
- Oversteering
- Negligent driving
- Improperly loaded trucks
- Distracted truck drivers
- Inexperienced truck drivers
- Loss of control over the truck
- Dangerous or defective road conditions
Speeding Can Cause Multi-Vehicle Highway Accidents
Speeding is a major cause of rollover truck accidents. Trucking companies may pressure their drivers to deliver their cargo in unrealistic amounts of time, causing them to speed. When a truck’s front wheels turn more quickly than the cargo carried by the truck, the truck can become unstable and rollover. Many commercial trucks use Texas highways and interstates to transport cargo.
Trucks travel at higher speeds than are safe for the road conditions, the type of commercial truck, and the cargo the truck carries. A majority of rollover accidents occur on curved on and off ramps. When truck drivers misjudge the speed they need to take the curve, the truck can roll over. Other drivers on the highway may collide with the truck, causing a dangerous multi-vehicle collision.
Examples of Negligent Driving
Speeding isn’t the only negligent behavior that can cause rollover truck accidents. Any time a truck driver isn’t focused on the road ahead, there is a danger of a dangerous collision. Some of the most common types of truck driver negligence include the following:
- Lack of alertness
- Road rage by truck drivers or other motorists
- Lack of alertness
- Falling asleep while driving
- Inappropriate maneuvering of the vehicle
- Failure to maintain control of the vehicle
- Daydreaming while driving
- Dangerous braking or downshifting
- Failure to maintain a safe stopping distance
- Unsafe steering, including understeering or oversteering
- Overcorrection
- Failure to check blind spots
- Visibility issues
- Dangerous turns
- Overcorrection
Defective Truck Parts
Malfunctioning motor vehicle parts can cause devastating truck accidents. For example, when brakes malfunction and a truck driver cannot slow the truck down properly, he or she may be unable to avoid a rollover accident. Brake failure and rollover accidents can occur on steep curves, downgrades, and intersections.
When trucking companies fail to make necessary repairs and truck drivers fail to conduct inspections before they begin driving the truck, they can be liable for the resulting injuries. Other types of truck part malfunctions with the potential to cause rollover accidents include the following:
- Tire blowouts
- Defective airbag inflators
- Steering malfunctions
- Shifting problems
- Faulty suspension systems
Pursuing Compensation for Your Injuries
Victims of rollover truck accidents may have the right to pursue an insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit. If a negligent truck driver caused your injuries, you can pursue a claim through the driver’s employer’s commercial insurance policies. While these policies generally have extremely high coverage, insurance adjusters are reluctant to pay out claims. If the insurance company refuses to meet your damages and pay for your losses, you have the right to pursue a lawsuit.
Through a personal injury lawsuit, plaintiffs can pursue compensation for their medical expenses, property damage, lost earnings, and property damage. After a serious truck accident, the law entitles victims to recover non-economic damages for their non-financial and intangible losses.
Plaintiffs can pursue compensation for the pain and suffering, mental anguish, and loss of consortium caused by their injuries. Additionally, courts have the authority to award initial punitive damages if the at-fault party acted maliciously or recklessly. Punitive damages are intended to punish the at-fault party and deter others from engaging in reckless behavior in the future.
Why You Need a Skilled Truck Accident Lawyer
Commercial trucking accidents can be more complex than standard car accident claims in Texas or Arkansas. Pursuing compensation from a large Texas trucking company, manufacturer, or insurance company can be daunting. Trucking companies have significant resources to fight against paying victims the compensation they deserve.
Working with an experienced attorney from Rochelle McCullough, LLP, can help you strengthen your legal claim. We will carefully evaluate your case, answer any questions you have, identify the liable party or parties, file your claim, and pursue your financial recovery.
Discuss Your Case with Our Skilled Truck Accident Attorneys in Dallas and Arkansas
Our skilled legal teams at Rochelle McCullough, LLP, have extensive experience handling rollover truck accident claims. We recognize how different claims involving commercial trucks are from typical passenger vehicle accidents. You only have a limited amount of time from the date of your commercial trucking accident to pursue punitive damages through a personal injury claim. Don’t hesitate to contact to the Texas truck accident attorneys at Rochelle McCullough, LLP to schedule a complimentary case evaluation.
We extend our personal injury legal services to help clients with truck rollover accident cases throughout Texas, including Dallas, & Fort Worth, as well as in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Committed to advocating for your rights and securing the compensation you deserve.