18 Wheeler Accidents
Houston Truck Accident Lawyer
If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a truck accident, one of the wisest things you can do is hire a Houston truck accident lawyer — and quickly. At the same time, it’s incredibly important that you choose a Houston truck accident law firm with both experience and credibility to their name. And in Houston, Texas, finding the right Houston truck accident lawyer can be overwhelming.
By choosing Mithoff Law, clients can rest assured that they’re working with one of the premier personal injury law firms in the country. Along with having won more prestigious awards than we can count, our founder Richard Mithoff has been twice designated a Forbes Top 10 Trial Lawyer in the United States. With almost 50 years of experience to his name, Mithoff and his team — all highly acclaimed in their own right — have won several of this century’s legal cases.
If these experiences have taught us anything, it’s that you and your family are going through a lot right now. This page answers some basic truck accident questions, but it is still the tip of the iceberg.
To learn more, call 713-654-1122 to speak with one of our Houston truck accident lawyers. The minute we begin building your case is the minute you can begin re-focusing on your family and health.
“Mithoff, a Houston personal injury lawyer, is no stranger to winning big payoffs for large groups of people. He negotiated a $2.3 billion settlement with the tobacco industry for Harris and other counties, and he won $80 million for residents of a nursing home who were killed in a 2005 bus explosion while fleeing Hurricane Rita.”
– Houston Chronicle, November 22, 2017
Our Houston truck accident lawyers have won the top awards in the industry
The National Trial Lawyers Top 100 (William Stradley)|
Forbes top 10 trial lawyer in nation (Mithoff – 1989 & 2005)
Lifetime excellency award from Texas Association of Civil Trial and Appellate Specialists
Houston Top 100 SuperLawyer (Mithoff — since 2003… 16 consecutive years)
Texas Top 100 SuperLawyer (Mithoff — since 2003… 16 consecutive years)
Texas Top 10 SuperLawyer (Mithoff — ranked by his peers among the top 10 lawyers in Texas for 12 years)
Professional Excellence Award – Texas Lawyer, 2016
Jurisprudence Award – Anti-Defamation League, 1997
Preeminent Rated by Martindale-Hubbell
Best Lawyers in America
Why should I hire a Houston truck accident lawyer?
1. Very few people know what to do after a trucking accident
While this is likely the first time you’ve ever been involved in a truck accident case, handling truck accident cases is simply part of a trucking company’s job. It’s not right to expect you to learn how to build a trucking accident case while you’re struggling with injuries but, as you’re readjusting to life post-accident, it’s in the trucking company’s best interests to begin to accrue evidence. An experienced Houston truck accident lawyer can help keep clients from losing strategic ground in their legal case while they recover.
2. If you sustained serious injuries, a challenging legal battle can be overwhelming
The average commercial vehicle weighs up to 80,000 pounds when fully loaded, which is just one reason why victims of a truck accident are likely to sustain serious, life-altering injuries.
Common severe injuries associated with trucking accidents include:
- Burns and disfigurement
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and skull fractures
- Spinal cord injuries
- Broken bones, fractures, and dislocations
Depending on the circumstances of your case, litigation can take anywhere from a few months to several years. Legal battles can be draining even for perfectly healthy individuals. Your Houston truck accident lawyer can be instrumental in keeping both you and your case going.
3. A Houston truck accident lawyer is familiar with the common causes of truck accidents
Many truck accidents occur when choices are made that conflict with safety standards, such as those set by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The safety standards include:
- Hour driving limits: Driving limits are meant to combat driver fatigue. Unfortunately, truckers are frequently paid by the mile, which can encourage them to either speed and/or continue driving without adequate rest. Truckers may also face pressure from companies to deliver shipments quickly despite the fact that doing so would push them past driving limits.
- Load limits: There are regulations stipulating the amount of cargo different trucks can carry. If a commercial driver overloaded their vehicle, your Houston truck accident attorney may be able to use that information in your case.
- Safety inspection: Truckers are instructed to inspect their vehicles and check the status of their brakes, tires, lights, and more before each trip. Trucks can also be loaded over their weight limit, making them more dangerous to drive.
Other common causes of trucking accidents include:
- Inadequate training and irresponsible driving: Truckers are required to have a commercial driver’s license (CDL), which carries training requirements. Inadequate or rushed training can lead to deadly decisions on the road. Even with proper training, some truckers still participate in bad driving behaviors such as tailgating, speeding, and driving while intoxicated (DWI).
- A problem with your car: Your Houston truck accident lawyer can also help you determine whether or not your car has manufacturing defects or other issues that contributed to your truck accident.
4. A Houston truck accident lawyer and can help determine what or who caused your accident
Your Houston truck accident lawyer can help determine whether a rushed or omitted inspection, reckless driving, or something else altogether contributed to your accident. Common strategies used to obtain this information include the retention and examination of:
- Logbooks
- Photos from the scene of the accident
- Your vehicle
- The truck’s black box (which records driving time)
- Other documents describing the truck load
Your Houston truck accident lawyer may also consult engineers and crash experts who specialize in accident reconstruction and inspections of the trailer.
“Since he started practicing in 1974, his cases have helped produce reforms in hospital credentialing of physicians and reporting of physician misconduct; prompted medical manufacturers to pull defective products off the market; led hospitals to improve their use of post-surgical intravenous solutions; and triggered a manufacturer’s recall of defective tires.”
– Super Lawyers, September 15, 2021
Start building your case today with a Houston truck accident attorney from Mithoff Law
According to a report by the Texas Department of Transportation, 5,767 commercial vehicle crashes — 15% of the total commercial vehicle accidents in Texas in 2018 — occurred in Harris County. It’s unfortunate yet unsurprising that Houston has a higher than average number of truck accident victims and, therefore, a higher than average number of truck accident cases and truck accident lawyers.
When you choose to be represented by Mithoff Law, you’re choosing to work with some of the best Houston truck accident lawyers available.
The time to act is now. Call a Houston auto accident attorney at Mithoff Law today to set up a free consultation at 713-654-1122.