San Antonio Truck Accident Lawyer

Michael Grossman Explains the Importance of a Lawyer in a Truck Accident Case

Suffering an injury or loss due to a truck accident can be a devastating experience that leaves many people wondering what legal options they can pursue in the aftermath of such an accident.

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San Antonio truck accident lawyer Michael Grossman of Grossman Law Offices can help answer any questions you might have regarding your legal options in pursuing compensation as a result of being injured or losing a loved one because of an 18-wheeler wreck. Additionally, the information contained in this article can serve to help you know why enlisting the help of an experienced Texas truck accident attorney is an important and likely vital step towards securing compensation for your injury or loss. Often, without the proper legal help to guide you through this rather detailed process, an injured or bereaved victim could stand to receive little to no compensation.


Why Can’t I Just Self-Represent?

Knowledge of the law and application of the law are two different things. Even if you’re very aware of the laws that relate to your tractor-trailer accident case, you must also know how to apply those laws in court. Furthermore, proper procedure must be followed so that the case is not thrown out on a technicality. Often, even an inexperienced attorney can make a mistake in the process of seeking compensation against a large insurance company because they simply lack the courtroom experience that is often necessary in order for a victim to have a fighting chance at receiving compensation. As such, self-representation is often not a good idea. Since compensation due to an injured victim or a bereaved family from a negligent trucking company is likely to be quite a sizable sum, a plaintiff often cannot take the risk of self-representation with so much money likely on the line. By enlisting the help of a competent San Antonio truck accident lawyer, an injured victim or bereaved family member will likely stand a much greater opportunity of receiving full and fair compensation for their injury or loss.


Why Do 18-Wheeler Accidents Require the Help of an Experienced Texas Truck Accident Attorney?

18 wheeler accidents are complex for a number of different factors, but perhaps the most important of these is the fact that trucking companies are covered by massive commercial insurance policies. In other words, they have a lot of money on the line, and they will employ aggressive insurance adjusters and defense attorneys to build a case against you in order to defend it.


Aggressive Insurance Adjusters

These insurance adjusters will often employ certain tactics in order to foist as much blame as possible on the victim in order to release their clients from any liability. If they can somehow get a victim to admit to even a portion of liability for the accident, that can lessen the possible compensation package that their insurance company will have to pay out. If an aggressive insurance adjuster can somehow get a victim to admit to a majority of the liability for an accident, the claim could be completely denied, resulting in no compensation whatsoever for the injured victim or bereaved family member.

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Quickly Responding Defense Attorneys

Rapid-response defense attorneys will also be employed by these insurance companies. They will often respond to the scene of an 18-wheeler crash as quickly as possible, sometimes even within minutes of the accident having occurred. They do this in order to get a head start in building a case against you, attempting to investigate the scene of the accident with their eye on their client’s best interests. By enlisting the help of San Antonio truck accident lawyer Michael Grossman and his investigative team at Grossman Law Offices, you will be sure to have legal help that will investigate the scene of an accident with your best interests in mind.


Legal Gray Areas

Furthermore, commercial trucks are governed by the Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration, which provides a set of federal regulations that trucking companies are supposed to adhere to. Unfortunately, in practice, these regulations often provide a legal loophole that defense attorneys can use to slip their clients through state laws. By having an experienced Texas truck accident attorney on your team that understands these regulations, you will have a knowledgeable ally that can assist you in fighting back against these tactics.


Multiple Defendants

Additionally, many trucking accident cases involve multiple potential defendants. For instance, if a truck driver causes a wreck by driving negligently, the truck driver may be held responsible for any damages caused by that wreck, but the trucking company itself could also be held liable for not properly training the driver or screening for a good driving record. In almost all cases, a trucking company is ultimately held responsible for the actions of its drivers through a legal concept called respondeat superior. Again, an inexperienced trucking accident lawyer may not even know to look for other liable parties, but, with our 20 years of litigation experience against negligent truck drivers and their employers, we will know where to look in order to ensure that all liable parties are held accountable for their negligent actions resulting in your injury or loss. 18-wheeler accident cases can become quite complex, especially when unique cases have to be built for each possible defendant. However, San Antonio truck accident lawyer Michael Grossman has the necessary experience in 18-wheeler accident cases that will ensure that all liable parties are brought to justice.


Deceptive Truck Drivers

Other challenges in 18-wheeler accident cases concern the unethical practices of some truck drivers and some self-insured trucking companies. Some truck drivers will blatantly lie about their involvement in a wreck in order to save their jobs. Often, such a story requires a thorough investigation to be made or a careful deposition process to be undertaken in order to discover the truth of the truck driver’s claims. Texas truck accident attorney Michael Grossman and his investigative team at Grossman Law Offices have been able to prove or disprove a truck driver’s story many times in the past.


Unethical Treatment by a Self-Insured Trucking Company

Furthermore, a trucking company may be self-insured. While the details of such an insurance policy are largely irrelevant, such companies are somewhat prone to acting unethically when a claim is brought against them simply because they do not have to hold themselves to the same standards as a general insurance company. As such, many victims have contacted our law offices after they’ve been mistreated as a result of taking a claim against a self-insured trucking company. These unethical practices have taken the form of witness badgering, evidence tampering or deletion, or illegally approaching a plaintiff. By enlisting the help of an attorney that has seen these types of tactics before, you can often save yourself from a very frustrating experience. If you are already in the middle of such a circumstance, we can work to legally compel the negligent company to begin acting rightly so that you have a fair opportunity to receive compensation.

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San Antonio Truck Accident Lawyer Michael Grossman Can Help You

The bottom line is that 18 wheeler accidents are complex, and the lawsuits that can be filed by their victims are technical and sophisticated. However, an experienced 18 wheeler accident lawyer can help guide you through the process and assist you in making the best decision for you and your family. The attorneys at Grossman Law Offices have twenty years of experience with these types of cases. Trucking companies know of our successful track record, and they are often very cooperative with our attorneys for fear of facing us in court. Don’t let a trucking company’s negligence go unpunished. Contact a San Antonio truck accident lawyer from Grossman Law Offices today. We offer free consultations at 1-855-393-0000 (Toll Free) in which you can share the details of your case and ask further questions regarding your possible legal options so that you can stand to receive full and fair compensation for your injury or loss.


Some of Our Most Recent Successful Cases
$875,000.00 Recovery - Commercial Vehicle Accident (Back Injury Requiring Surgery)
Plaintiff suffered a back injury resulting in spinal fusion surgery when her car was rear-ended by an 18-wheeler. The defendants argued that the accident was unavoidable, thus denying liability. Litigation commenced and the case was satisfactorily resolved soon thereafter.
Total Recovery:
$875,000.00
Attorney Fees:
$288,750.00
Litigation Expenses:
$2,500.00
$250,000.00 Recovery - Wrongful Death / Commercial Vehicle Accident
(policy limits) A young mother was killed in an accident involving two commercial vehicles, one an 18-wheeler. The accident occurred as the young woman was a passenger in a vehicle that was traveling down a highway in the early morning hours. Without warning, the vehicle in which she was a passenger collided with a stalled 18-wheeler that parked in the right of way, resulting in catastrophic injuries that claimed the young woman's life soon thereafter.

The authorities initially faulted the driver of the vehicle in which the victim was a passenger, stating that he was using an electronic device rather than paying full attention to the roadway. However, the 18-wheeler was indeed blocking the roadway and plaintiff alleged that the vehicle did not follow the requirements of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Act in regard to providing adequate reflective or laminated warning at specific intervals. Further, the plaintiffs alleged that the defendant failed to remove his vehicle from the roadway when he first noticed signs of mechanical failure.

Had he simply moved to the shoulder of the road, plaintiffs argued, his lack of adequate warning signs would have been inconsequential. An initial settlement has been obtained in this case, yet litigation has commenced in full against the remaining defendant, and is currently ongoing.
Total Recovery:
$250,000.00
Attorney Fees:
$78,000.00
Litigation Expenses:
$370.00
$60,000.00 Recovery - Commercial Vehicle Accident (Soft-Tissue Injuries & Chiropractic Treatment)
Recovered for client who was rear-ended by an 18-wheeler resulting in soft tissue injuries and chiropractic treatment.
Total Recovery:
$60,000.00
Attorney Fees:
$20,000.00
Litigation Expenses:
$1,050.00
$350,000.00 Recovery - Commercial Vehicle Accident (Back Injury Requiring Surgery)
Our client, a middle-aged woman, was injured when an 18-wheeler rear-ended her vehicle. As a consequence of the wreck, she sustained a back injury which required surgery to remedy. Naturally, the defendants denied liability and argued that the accident was unavoidable. Our attorneys filed suit. The defendant driver initially claimed that our client suddenly changed lanes in front of his tractor-trailer and then inexplicably slammed onto her brakes. When confronted with eye-witness testimony and other physical evidence that reflected an entirely different scenario, the truck driver ultimately recanted. The case was successfully resolved through litigation.
Total Recovery:
$350,000.00
Attorney Fees:
$140,000.00
Litigation Expenses:
$8,188.00
$90,000.00 Recovery - Commercial Vehicle Accident (Soft-Tissue Injuries and Leg Contusions)
Recovered for client who suffered soft-tissue back injuries and leg contusions in an 18-wheeler accident.
Total Recovery:
$90,000.00
Attorney Fees:
$30,000.00
Litigation Expenses:
$562.00
$700,000.00 Recovery - Commercial Vehicle Accident / Work Injury (Fractured Pelvis, Other Internal Injuries)
A loading dock employee suffered a fractured and damage to internal organs as the result of a crushing injury sustained when an 18-wheeler backed into him and crushed him between the trailer and loading dock.
Total Recovery:
$700,000.00
Attorney Fees:
$175,000.00
Litigation Expenses:
$1,084.00
$300,000.00 Recovery - Commercial Vehicle Accident / Work Injury (Facial Fractures and Head Trauma)
A loading dock worker suffered serious including numerous facial fractures and minor brain trauma when an 18-wheeler back into him, crushing him against the loading dock. The plaintiff's employer was a subscriber to Texas Workers' Compensation coverage, thus a claim was rightly filed against the third party trucking company whom the truck driver operating the reversing 18-wheeler worked for.

The plaintiffs asserted the position that the trucking company in question was liable on the basis of respondeat superior and negligent retention. The defendants argued that the plaintiff was the sole proximate cause of his injuries by virtue of the plaintiff putting himself in harms way. They maintained that the plaintiff simply walked behind the reversing tractor trailer as it pushed back toward the loading dock.

It was later determined through deposition testimony that the truck driver had indeed instructed the plaintiff to stand behind the trailer in order to determine the vehicle's proximity to the dock. Once this fact came to light, the defendants agreed to mediate whereby the case was satisfactorily settled.
Total Recovery:
$300,000.00
Attorney Fees:
$120,000.00
Litigation Expenses:
$9,807.00
$200,000.00 Recovery - Automobile Accident (Closed Head Injury)
Recovered for car accident victim who suffered a closed head injury.
Total Recovery:
$200,000.00
Attorney Fees:
$66,666.00
Litigation Expenses:
$1,500.00
$41,000.00 Recovery - Commercial Vehicle Accident (Soft-Tissue Injuries)
Recovered for client suffered soft-tissue injuries when her car was side-swiped by a dump truck.
Total Recovery:
$41,000.00
Attorney Fees:
$13,666.00
Litigation Expenses:
$50.00
$1,450,000.00 Recovery - Commercial Vehicle Accident (Brain Injury)
Our firm was hired by a delivery driver who suffered a closed head injury resulting in the permanent loss of smell in a head-on accident. The incident occurred as the driver of an 18-wheeler lost control of his vehicle and veered into oncoming traffic. Our client's delivery vehicle was struck head-on, causing massive damage to both vehicles.

Our client was taken to an area hospital where he was treated for minor bodily injuries and a closed head injury which originally manifested itself as a concussion and temporary memory loss.

Suit was filed against the defendants following their failure to respond to our correspondence in a timely manner and litigation began. Included in the suit were both the defendant truck driver and his employer. The results of our investigation and the physical evidence from the accident scene made it apparent that the defendants had indeed caused the accident. Defense counsel soon conceded liability
Total Recovery:
$1,450,000.00
Attorney Fees:
$560,000.00
Litigation Expenses:
$31,410.00

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