Were You Injured in a Truck Accident?
Get a truck accident attorney who will fight for you
Life can feel out of control after a bad truck accident.
Getting hit by a multi-ton semi-truck is a violent and traumatic experience that throws your daily life and your future into chaos.
If you were injured or lost a loved one in a bad truck accident in the Wichita Falls and Lawton area, you don’t have to face the trucking company alone. You can get sharp legal counsel from an experienced truck accident attorney at no out-of-pocket expense to you.
Call Hoover Rogers Law, LLP now for a free truck accident case evaluation. At your free review, we can explain how the law applies to your situation and the legal steps you can take to pursue full compensation for your injuries.
How truck accidents happen
Serious truck accidents come in many forms, but the most common are:
Top factors associated with truck accidents include:
- Brake problems
- Traffic flow interruption (e.g., congestion, previous crash)
- Prescription drug use
- Speeding
- Driver errors caused by unfamiliarity with local roads
- Overweight or improperly loaded cargo
- Unable to stop for unplanned reasons like a car accident or something in the road
- Roadway infrastructure problems
- Over the counter (OTC) drug use
- Inadequate surveillance/blocked or obscured view
- Driver fatigue
Brake problems are the factor most frequently cited in tractor-trailer accidents. Poor brakes are identified as an issue in almost 30 percent of truck crashes.
In an analysis of relative risk factors, the FMCSA says “cargo shift” is the number one issue that could lead to a severe truck accident. Cargo shift happens when a truck is overloaded or improperly loaded. As the truck travels, the vehicle’s motion moves freight around the trailer. This throws off the truck’s balance and can contribute to many accident types including rollovers.
In most situations, the contents of a hazardous materials truck are not released in a crash. When they are, the content spilling across the road is most often some type of flammable liquid.
Illegal maneuvers and tailgating are also significant factors. Because trucks have long stopping distances and take wide turns, truckers need to operate their vehicles with caution.
A serious problem in Texas and Oklahoma
Truck accidents are becoming more common in Texas as well as Oklahoma and across the nation. More than 13 million large trucks are registered in the U.S. In any given year, they travel over 3 million miles. Total accidents reported as well as per mile crash rates have risen steadily since the 2010s. About 10 percent of all fatal traffic accidents in the U.S. involve large trucks.
Texas is a particularly dangerous place for truck accidents. The state often far outpaces others in the number of deadly truck accidents reported. About one in eight fatal truck accidents happen here.
While Texas reports more total large truck crashes than almost any other state, it is Oklahoma that has the higher rate of fatal truck accidents per mile traveled. The Sooner State is often among the top 10 states in the nation with the most fatal truck crashes per 100 million miles.
Overall, more than 20,000 truck accidents take place in Texas and over 3,000 in Oklahoma every year. More than 100,000 occur annually across the U.S., according to federal data.
There are hundreds of fatal accidents involving semi-trucks every year in Texas. Oklahoma often reports well over 100 deadly truck crashes.
Common truck accident injuries
When truck accidents happen, it is often the people in the passenger vehicles - not the truck - who are most seriously injured. In fact, about 70 percent of people killed in truck accidents are occupants of other vehicles.
Injuries that may stem from a serious truck collision include:
- Broken bones — Usually in the legs - tibia, fibula; arms - ulna, radius; chest - ribs, clavicle; skull, eye socket, pelvis, wrist, knee, or ankle
- Constant pain in the back, shoulders, sides, chest, head
- Nerve damage, paralysis
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) — Concussions, hematoma, coup-contrecoup, etc.
- Mental health issues — Increased levels of anxiety, depression, the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or other responses to trauma.
The heavier the truck involved in a crash, the higher the risk for the incident to turn fatal. More than half of all deadly truck crashes include a vehicle weighing more than 33,000 lbs., according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
We know the trucking safety regulations
Trucking is a highly regulated industry. Most federal and state trucking rules are aimed at equipment and truck driving safety.
Strict legal standards have been set for truck driver education, health, and hours worked. Tractor trucks and other large trucks are required to be regularly maintained and pass various inspections. A failure in any one of these aspects could lead to a dangerous truck accident.
Some regulations the trucking industry must follow are:
- A trucking company cannot knowingly employ a driver whose license has been suspended, revoked, or canceled.
- Interstate truckers can drive no more than 11 hours, or be on duty for more than 14 hours, after 10 uninterrupted hours off duty.
- The 11-hour and 14-hour limits may be extended by up to 2 hours to accommodate for bad weather and driving conditions.
- Semi-trucks, 18 wheelers, tractor-trailers, and other large trucks must carry certain safety equipment. In general, this equipment includes brakes on every wheel, rear underride guards, “electronic stability control” (ESC has been required on new trucks since 2019).
- Equipment used to secure cargo, like chains, wire rope, synthetic webbing, cordage, and steel strapping must meet minimum manufacturing standards.
- In general, large trucks cannot weigh more than 80,000 lbs. when fully loaded. Size and weight limits are also in place for axle weight, vehicle length, width, and height.
However, too many trucking companies cut corners on safety and violate these regulations meant to protect truckers and other road users. When that happens, we hold them accountable.
We know how to investigate truck accidents
Truck accidents are complicated. There are almost always more people responsible for the crash than just the trucker behind the wheel, like the trucking parent company, subsidies, cargo owners, defective parts manufacturers, and maintenance crews. There are multiple insurance companies involved, and while they’re nominally competitors, they are all playing the same game: trying to pay you as little as possible.
Hoover Rogers Law is a game changer.
We don’t play around or wait on the sidelines when you’ve been in a bad accident. Armed with a deep understanding of accident law, we investigate truck accidents and gather the information you need to support your claim against stubborn trucking companies and adjusters.
Trucking is a highly regulated industry. This creates a wealth of evidence to prove your injury claim. Among the records trucking companies must keep are:
- Black box recording
- Driving logs
- Contracts and agreements
- Vehicle inspections
- Transfer records
- Financial ledgers
- Work journals
- Shipping orders
- Weight records
- Time sheets
- Certifications
- Medical exams
- Maintenance records
- Driver BAC levels (in cases of suspected drunk driving)
We will take prompt action to preserve this critical evidence. Based on our investigation, we’ll build a strong case to hold the responsible party at fault for the truck accident – whether that’s the trucking company, shipping company, truck manufacturer, or another at-fault party.
Get a law firm that can handle high-stakes trucking litigation
Federal law requires trucking companies to carry a significant amount of liability insurance – typically a minimum of $750,000-$5 million for personal and property damage. This is a double-edged sword. It means there is potentially more coverage available to pay for your injuries, but it also means the insurance company has additional motivation to fight your claim. They will put their most experienced attorneys and adjusters on the case and use every trick in the book to minimize your compensation.
Stories may change, evidence may go missing, documents may be delayed and arranged in the most confusing manner possible to obscure the data.
Most of all, they must pin the blame on someone else — and often that’s the accident victim. Business owners with a stake in the accident, insurance company adjusters, and lawyers know your situation — in serious pain, suffering from severe injuries, out of work, no money coming in, and no prior experience negotiating with corporate lawyers — and they are going to do whatever they can to use it to their advantage.
Attorneys Ben Hoover and Grant Rogers have successfully represented many truck-accident victims in the Wichita Falls & Lawton area. Our wins can be attributed to our unwavering determination, hallmark thorough investigations, hard-charging negotiation style, and total lack of fear if a lawsuit must be filed to get you the money you deserve.
Hoover Rogers Law, LLP has the well-honed skills you need to identify all the people at-fault, investigate them, and hold them responsible for their negligence.
With more than 25 years of combined local legal experience, truck accident attorneys Ben Hoover and Grant Rogers are ready to go to any length to get the evidence and make the arguments you need to win.
Truck accident lawyers who don’t back down
It is becoming more and more common for insurance companies to reject claims as an opening bid in the hopes that injured people won’t have the energy to push back.
Hoover Rogers Law forces the trucking companies and their insurance companies to take your claim seriously.
Truck accident attorneys Ben Hoover and Grant Rogers don’t get tired, they get fired up. Preventing the poor treatment of our neighbors in need is what gets us out of bed in the morning and keeps us fighting for you no matter what the insurance company tries to throw in our way.
Our law firm offers free case evaluations to truck accident victims and their families. If you were injured or lost a loved one in a Texas or Oklahoma truck accident, contact Hoover Rogers Law, LLP to schedule a free evaluation now.