The highways of Dallas and Fort Worth are filled with commercial tractor-trailer rigs that weigh up to 80,000 pounds when fully loaded. One of the major dangers posed by large trucks is that they are susceptible to jackknifing. A jackknife accident is unique to articulated vehicles. It occurs when the truck slides out of control at high speed. The trailer then skids toward the cab at an acute angle, resembling the folding of a pocket knife. A jackknifing truck poses a safety hazard to anyone in its path.
If you’ve been hurt in a jackknife truck accident, you may be owed compensation for your medical bills, lost income, and more. However, getting full compensation from the at-fault driver or their insurance company can be challenging. You need a Dallas jackknife truck accident lawyer on your side, fighting hard to get you every cent of the money available to you. Turn to the trusted personal injury lawyers at Kraft & Associates, Attorneys at Law, P.C., for help. We’ll discuss your legal options and tell you how we can help during a free consultation.
Why Hire a Lawyer After a Jackknife Truck Accident?
Once your physical condition stabilizes after a serious truck wreck, you may have questions about the legal implications of your situation. A jackknife truck accident lawyer can provide legal guidance to help you decide the proper steps to take. If we handle your truck accident claim, a truck accident lawyer will:
- Investigate the cause of the crash. An independent examination of the wreck and its causes can establish who is at fault for your injuries. That is the first step toward demanding financial accountability. Truck accidents have more complicated evidence than other traffic collisions, including federally mandated electronic logging devices.
- Calculate what compensation you’re owed. A truck accident lawyer with Kraft & Associates will analyze the harm you’ve suffered from the jackknife accident, including your medical expenses, your loss of income, and your pain and suffering. Our experience handling truck accident claims can help ensure that you pursue the full amount you’re entitled to under Texas civil law.
- Handle all paperwork. The attorney representing you will draft a demand letter to submit to the responsible parties, detailing the extent of your injuries and requesting a specific amount of compensation. Our firm will also be prepared to file a lawsuit on your behalf.
- Represent you in settlement negotiations. Many commercial vehicle accidents are settled out of court through negotiations or mediation. These negotiations can be difficult, as the other party’s insurance company may dig in their heels. Our injury attorneys at Kraft & Associates are experienced negotiators and have successfully resolved thousands of accident claims. We will use our negotiating experience to demand a fair settlement for you.
- Litigate your case. If the at-fault party refuses to agree to a fair settlement, we will be prepared to take your case to trial and present your case to a Texas civil jury.
Why Choose Kraft & Associates, Attorneys at Law, P.C. for Your Jackknife Truck Accident?
You’re in good hands with our legal team. Since 1971, we’ve been helping Dallas-area clients assert their rights and demand the compensation they need for accidents caused by others. Our attorneys hold memberships in the following organizations:
- North Dallas Bar Association
- State Bar of Texas
- American Association for Justice (formerly the Association of Trial Lawyers of America)
- Texas Center for Legal Ethics and Professionalism
- Dallas Trial Lawyers Association
We combine compassion with tenacity, fighting to get each client the maximum compensation for their commercial truck injuries. As your attorneys, we can provide legal advice appropriate to your situation and representation at each stage of your case.
How Our Attorneys Can Help You Overcome a Jackknife Truck Accident
You’re in pain. You’re dealing with serious injuries, and you want justice. Our Texas truck accident lawyers can help you hold those to blame financially accountable for causing the jackknife collision.
While no amount of money can erase the accident, a settlement can cover your financial losses and compensate you for your emotional trauma, pain and suffering, and diminished quality of life. It can ease your financial stress and provide you with money to fulfill your goals or get much-needed treatment.
As skilled personal injury attorneys, Kraft & Associates has the experience to value your claim and the tenacity to argue even the toughest truck accident cases.
What To Do After a Jackknife Truck Accident in Dallas, TX
Preserving your health is your first responsibility after a truck accident. Get checked out by a doctor either as soon as possible after the wreck if you do not require emergency medical treatment. Some truck accident injuries may not present obvious symptoms right away. You may not realize just how badly you’re hurt. Consider taking these steps to lay the groundwork for a strong case:
- Gather your evidence. If you can, take photos and videos of the crash scene or your injuries. Jot down what you remember before the crash and any information about witnesses.
- Save all medical documentation. This includes anything related to your initial evaluation and any follow-up appointments that you have because of the crash. If you see a therapist about anxiety or other mental health concerns after the wreck, save those records, too.
- Only talk to your lawyer. Don’t be surprised if you get a phone call or visit from the trucker’s insurance company asking for a statement about the crash. You don’t have to talk to them. Refer them to your attorney. Insurance companies might try to twist your words after a crash to minimize their liability and blame you for the crash.
How Much Does a Lawyer Charge for a Jackknife Truck Accident Case?
Like most personal injury attorneys in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, our law firm handles jackknife accident cases on a contingency basis. We only get paid if we win your case. We take our fee as an agreed-upon percentage of the settlement or award we secure on your behalf. If we don’t obtain a settlement or court award for you, we don’t get paid. This arrangement allows people who have been seriously injured to retain quality legal representation that they might not be able to afford otherwise.
Who is Liable in a Jackknife Truck Accident?
Although the truck driver is often the person immediately suspected of being at fault in a truck accident, other parties may share liability for the collision. They could include the following:
- The trucking company that employed the driver
- The truck or trailer manufacturer, if the truck jackknifed due to a faulty coupling or other malfunction
- The municipality is responsible for maintaining the roadway if a road hazard causes the driver to lose control
- Another driver, if the trucker lost control because someone stopped unexpectedly in front of them
- The cargo loaders, if the trucker lost control of the truck due to shifting or improperly loaded cargo
When multiple parties share liability for a truck accident, more insurance policies may be available to provide compensation for your losses. Kraft & Associates will seek to identify every party who could share the blame for the accident.
Time Limit for Filing a Jackknife Truck Accident Lawsuit in Texas
Under Texas’s statute of limitations on truck accident claims, you have two years from the date of the accident to file. Time is of the essence for securing evidence before it is lost or deteriorates. Contact an attorney as soon after the crash as possible.
Compensation You Might Seek in a Jackknife Truck Accident Claim
Those injured in truck accidents may seek compensation for related financial losses, such as:
- Medical care, hospital stays, and rehabilitative care
- Renovations to their home or vehicle if they become disabled
- Unearned wages from time missed at work
- Reduced earning capacity if the injured person can no longer continue in their line of work due to disability
Not all of the losses caused by a truck accident are financial in nature. The law allows financial recovery for intangible losses such as:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional trauma or mental anguish
- Reduced quality of life
- Loss of consortium or companionship between spouses
- Scarring or disfigurement
Common Causes of Jackknife Truck Accidents in Texas
A semi-truck driver could cause a jackknife accident by improper braking at high speed. The driver could brake too hard, causing the cab to slow and the trailer which still has momentum, to sweep across the road out of control.
Some of the underlying causes of jackknife accidents include:
- Speeding
- Distracted driving, causing the driver to slam on their brakes to avoid an accident
- Standing water on the road
- Malfunctioning or defective brakes
Common Injuries in Jackknife Truck Accidents in Texas
The force imparted by a 40-ton truck can have devastating consequences on the occupants of any smaller car involved in a jackknife collision. Victims frequently suffer:
- Broken bones
- Facial lacerations
- Spinal cord damage
- Internal organ injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
Find an Experienced Jackknife Truck Accident Lawyer Near You
Do you need help pursuing justice after a jackknife truck accident? An experienced civil litigator from Kraft & Associates, Attorneys at Law, P.C., can demand the money you deserve for the harm you suffered because of a collision someone else caused. Call our offices today at (214) 999-9999 or fill out our online contact form for a consultation with a Dallas jackknife truck accident lawyer.