Austin Rollover Truck Accident Lawyer

Truck crashes are among the most dangerous and frightening accidents that occur on Texas roadways, and rollover crashes can be especially harmful. The Texas Department of Transportation reports that there were 581 deaths and 1,245 suspected serious injuries as a result of commercial motor vehicle accidents in 2020. Furthermore, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration found that a rollover was the first harmful event in 4 percent of all fatal crashes involving large trucks in the U.S.

A passenger vehicle can be easily crushed or forcefully impacted in a rollover truck accident. These accidents tend to lead to serious injuries with lifelong effects, and also take a significant toll on victims’ finances in the form of medical expenses, lost wages, and more.

An Austin truck accident attorney can help if you’ve been involved in a rollover truck accident. Adam Loewy has spent more than 15 years as an Austin personal injury lawyer, and he’s helped accident victims recover millions in compensation. To learn more about how the Loewy Law Firm can help you with your rollover truck accident case, contact our office for a free initial consultation.

Why Rollover Accidents Happen

Rollover truck crashes are generally referred to as “accidents,” but that’s not really an accurate term for most of these events, since rollover crashes are rarely blameless. Many rollover truck accidents are the result of negligence on the part of the truck driver, the trucking company, or another party. Some examples of negligence that can lead to a rollover crash include:

Truck drivers accelerating or braking too quickly, especially in slippery road conditions
Truck drivers driving too quickly for the road conditions, particularly when the weather is poor
Truck drivers changing lanes or making a turn at unsafe speeds
Cargo not being properly secured or loaded, causing the truck to become unbalanced
A lack of proper maintenance on the truck (worn brakes, low tire pressure, not keeping up with engine maintenance, etc.)
Truck drivers getting behind the wheel while they’re intoxicated, fatigued, distracted, or otherwise impaired
Trucking companies hiring inexperienced or unqualified drivers
Mechanical defects with the truck, which may be due to a design or manufacturing defect by the company that made the truck

One of the most important roles of a truck accident lawyer is to demonstrate how the truck driver, trucking company, or another party was negligent. By examining evidence from the accident scene, police reports, witness statements, medical records, information from the truck’s electronic data recorder, the truck driver’s logs, and other sources, an attorney can help establish how your injuries are the result of negligence and why you should receive compensation for your injuries.

Why Are Rollover Accidents So Devastating?

Truck accidents are generally more dangerous than car accidents because of how much bigger and heavier semi-trucks are compared to passenger vehicles. A semi-truck might weigh more than 20 times what a passenger car weighs, especially with a fully loaded trailer. Semis are also taller, longer, and sit higher off the road than most passenger vehicles.

In a rollover truck accident, an 80,000-pound truck can easily crush a passenger vehicle or even multiple passenger vehicles that are in the truck’s path. It can additionally slide into other vehicles on the road with a substantial force of impact that could result in severe injuries.

Furthermore, rollover accidents can cause a truck’s cargo to spill onto the road. This can lead to additional crashes, and if the cargo is flammable, it can explode and lead to further injuries. Lastly, there may be little to no warning before a rollover crash. If the truck overturns while making a turn or changing lanes, a nearby car may not have the opportunity to take any action before the truck comes crashing down on them.

Common Rollover Crash Injuries

The injuries from rollover crashes are often devastating, especially if the full weight of a truck or its trailer comes down on another vehicle. Some of the more common injuries from rollover crashes include:

Severed or crushed limbs
Damage to the spinal cord, including partial or complete paralysis
Damage to internal organs
Multiple broken bones
Head injuries
Traumatic brain injuries
Death

Who Is Responsible in a Rollover Crash?

There are four main parties who may be liable for a truck rollover accident. They are:

The truck driver – If a truck driver is impaired by drugs or alcohol, fatigued, distracted, or engaging in negligent driving behavior (speeding, unsafe lane changes, etc.), they’ll have a much greater chance of causing an accident.
The trucking company – Trucking fleets are supposed to monitor their employees to make sure they’re following official regulations and not engaging in dangerous driving behaviors. If a trucking company knows a driver is behaving negligently (by drinking and driving, for example), the company can be held liable for the driver’s actions. The same is true if the company hires a driver who’s unqualified, inexperienced, or has a poor safety record (such as a history of speeding or drunk driving).
Maintenance teams and cargo loaders – Trucks are more complicated than other vehicles and require regular and detailed maintenance. If maintenance workers neglect their duties, a truck may experience a mechanical failure that could cause an accident. Likewise, cargo that’s improperly loaded or secured can cause the truck to become unbalanced, leading to a rollover.
The manufacturer of the truck or certain parts – A design or manufacturing defect with a truck may compromise its performance on the road, making it difficult for the driver to safely maintain control. This makes a rollover accident more likely, and manufacturers can be held responsible for their negligence.

Compensation for a Rollover Truck Accident

Because of the severe injuries often associated with rollover accidents, victims may experience significant physical, emotional, and financial harm. A truck accident lawyer can help you recover compensation for your injuries, including compensation for:

Any medical costs related to your injuries
Any lost wages while you recover from your injuries
Your reduced earning capacity as a result of your injuries
Your damaged personal property, such as your car
The physical and emotional pain you’ve suffered as a result of your injuries

Contact an Austin Truck Accident Lawyer

The Austin truck accident lawyers at the Loewy Law Firm want to help you rebuild your life after a rollover truck accident. You can get a free initial consultation with our team by calling our office in Austin at (512) 280-0800, speaking with our online chat service, or visiting our contact page. We look forward to hearing from you.