What to Do After a Truck Accident in Houston: Your Legal Rights Explained

Experiencing a truck accident in Houston can be an extremely distressing and challenging situation. Collisions involving commercial trucks are usually the worst in terms of injuries, damages to properties, and issues of finances that last for a long time. It is essential to know the correct steps to take right after the accident and to have a clear understanding of your legal rights as this can really help in the protection of your claim and the getting of fair compensation. In this article, a Houston Truck Accident Lawyer will be beneficial on what to do after a truck accident. 

If possible, take photos or videos first and then write the accident scene before moving the vehicles. Take down the truck's company name, the license plate, and any visible identification numbers on the vehicle. This information is important in the allocation of liability especially if several parties are involved. Make sure to include in the documentation the visible injuries, skid marks, road conditions, and traffic signs or signals in the photographs and videos.

At the scene, all involved parties should exchange their contact details and their insurance details but should not talk about who was to blame. Conversations that take place just after the accident might be misunderstood or used later against you. Work with the police and tell them only the truth but don't guess the cause of the accident. Ask for the police report or write down how to get it when it is ready.

From a legal stand point, truck accidents are complicated situations since the law applies both to the vehicles and the commercial entities involved with the interstate regulations. Just as with the cases of other accidents, trucking companies and their insurance companies might start their investigation at the scene, and this could happen as soon as a few hours. Insurance adjusters might soon reach you out asking for a recorded statement or making an offer for an instant settlement. It is really needed to know that these early settlements are usually much less than what your full claim is worth, especially when the injuries are not completely assessed yet.

According to Texas law, individuals who were harmed in a truck accident might receive a reimbursement for the following: medical bills, salary, damage to personal property, physical and emotional distress, and other losses. On the other hand, Texas implements a modified comparative fault law. In case you are considered partly liable for the accident, then the value of your compensation will be decreased accordingly to the ratio of your fault. In addition, if your fault is more than 50 percent, you will not be allowed to claim any damages. Insurers often try to put the blame on others in order to pay less, thus legal help at the outset is very important.

In addition to the bodily injuries, the emotional and psychological traumas are the serious effects of truck accidents as well. The persons who are part of the accident undergo anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress that interfere with their daily lives and work. Non-economic damages can be claimed under Texas law, but one must have good documentation and evidence to support such claims.

If you follow the right procedures after a truck accident in Houston, get familiar with your legal rights, and then the shield of unfair practices will be upon you and you would be able to demand the compensation necessary for a confident restart.