Beaumont Lost Loads/Unsecured Loads Truck Accident Attorneys
Falling cargo from a moving truck can be extremely dangerous—even a 20-pound object falling from a truck that’s driving 55 miles an hour can hit your car with the impact of half a ton. Most fallen objects, though, weigh even more and could also be toxic or flammable, posing an even greater danger to you and other drivers.
Unsecured load truck accidents can happen even if you did nothing wrong. If you or a loved one has been involved in an unsecured load truck accident in the Beaumont area, you are likely entitled to compensation for the damages caused by the truck accident.
To help you collect the largest settlement from your lawsuit, the Beaumont unsecured load truck accident attorneys at Portner Bond, PLLC offer a combined 70 years of legal experience in Texas with an impressive track record of success.
Our lawyers are eager to help you during this difficult time as you try to put your life back together after the unsecured load truck accident you were involved in. Call Portner Bond, PLLC at (409) 838-4444 to set up a free, confidential consultation about your case today.
Why Do I Need a Lawyer?
Even if you know that the unsecured load truck accident wasn’t your fault, you still need to prove to the court or to the insurance companies that you weren’t to blame. Often, the defendant (the truck driver, the trucking company, or the truck manufacturer) or your insurance company are looking for reasons to get out of paying you the compensation you deserve.
You need to prove that the unsecured load truck accident was caused by negligence and that you suffered significant damages as a result. That can sometimes that can be a very technical and highly-complicated process. To help you navigate all the aspects of personal injury law, you’ll need the help of a qualified attorney like those at Portner Bond, PLLC.
Working with a competent lawyer can help you win more compensation from your case and can also relieve a huge burden so you can dedicate your energy to a more complete recovery for you and your family. Call us now at (409) 838-4444 so we can begin to help you move forward toward the justice you deserve.
Why Choose Portner Bond, PLLC?
Our attorneys at Portner Bond, PLLC are dedicated to protecting the innocent victims of unsecured load truck accidents caused by negligence. We understand how devastating this kind of accident can be. We will treat you and your case with one-on-one compassion and care.
Portner Bond, PLLC layers are highly qualified to represent you in your unsecured load truck accident case. Christ Portner and Trent Bond are members of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and the Multi-Million Advocates Forum respectively. Both of these forums are some of the most highly-acclaimed groups of attorneys in the nation.
Because Portner Bond, PLLC lawyers collectively have thousands of similar cases under their belts, you don’t need to spend time worrying about who to trust with your unsecured load truck accident case. Call us at (409) 838-4444 to schedule a no-obligation consultation today about the specific details of your case.
Types of Unsecured Load Truck Accident Cases We Handle
Unsecured load truck accident cases tend to fall into three categories. We cover all of these types of cases:
- Your vehicle was struck by an object falling off of a truck
- You hit an object on the road that had fallen off a truck
- You crashed attempting to avoid an object falling off a truck or that had fallen off a truck onto the road
However, you might be considered partially at fault for the accident if you were:
- Speeding
- Tailgating
- Distracted
If the accident was caused by the truck driver’s negligence and caused you harm, you may be able to receive compensation for the following damages:
- Medical bills (for muscles injuries, burns, fractures, internal organ damage, cuts, brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and neck injuries, among others)
- Lost pay due to unemployment or missed days of work after the accident
- Loss of potential income if you are disabled and can’t work anymore or if you are unable to go back to work in the job you were doing before the accident
- Damages to your vehicle
- Compensation for pain and suffering, including emotional and mental trauma
If you lost a loved one in an unsecured load truck accident, you can file a wrongful death lawsuit to recover damages such as funeral expenses, loss of primary household income, and loss of companionship as well.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do I need to do after I’ve been involved in an unsecured load truck accident?
- Seek medical attention as soon as possible. If you are not obviously injured at the site of the unsecured load truck accident and are not transported to a hospital by emergency services, then get to the emergency room as quickly as you are able to after the accident. Some serious injuries have delayed symptoms, which means you may not realize you’re injured right away. If you don’t seek medical attention until the injuries become apparent, the insurance company may reject your injuries as being related to the truck accident.
- Notify law enforcement to report the unsecured load truck accident.
- Get the truck driver’s insurance information. Do not, however, talk to any insurance company agents until you’ve retained legal counsel to guide you or to handle those conversations for you.
- Get detailed pictures of the accident scene, including the object(s) that fell off the truck, the truck and any identifying information such as the trucking company information, the DOT number, and the license plate number, and pictures of other vehicles that may have been involved in the accident.
- Get the names and phone numbers of any witnesses. Their testimony may be needed by your attorney for your case in settlement negotiations or in court.
How long do I have to file a lawsuit after my unsecured load truck accident?
You have a maximum of two years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. If your loved one was killed in an unsecured load truck accident, then you have two years from the date they died (which may be later than the date of the accident) to file a personal injury suit.
What are the laws regarding securing loads?
The following are some of the regulations about securing loads from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Your attorney will try to prove that the truck driver involved in your accident failed to comply with laws such as the following:
- “Cargo must be firmly immobilized or secured on or within a vehicle by structures of adequate strength, dunnage (loose materials used to support and protect cargo) or dunnage bags (inflatable bags intended to fill space between articles of cargo or between cargo and the wall of the vehicle), shoring bars, tie-downs or a combination of these.”
- “Articles of cargo that are likely to roll must be restrained by chocks, wedges, a cradle, or other equivalent means to prevent rolling.”
- “The system used to secure an article or group of articles against movement must be at least one-half the weight of the article or group of articles.”
- Objects need to be tied down once if they measure under 5 feet and weigh less than 1,100 pounds. They should have more tie-downs if they are larger or weigh more.
How much compensation will I be able to recover?
Texas’s “modified comparative fault” rule determines how much you will be awarded based on any responsibility you may have had in the unsecured load truck accident. This rule uses two factors to determine the amount you are owed:
- The first factor is the total cost of your damages (the sum of medical bills, lost income, vehicle damages, pain, and suffering, or wrongful death).
- The second factor is how much the defendant was at fault. For example, the truck driver might be 90% at fault and you might be 10% at fault.
The total compensation, for example, might be $530,000. Since your liability in the accident was 10%, then $53,000 will be deducted from the total compensation, which means you’ll receive $477,000.
You might also qualify to win punitive damages—that is, the defendant has to pay you additional money beyond the sum of your losses as punishment for their negligent behavior. Texas allows you to recover punitive damages up to twice the value of your economic damages.
Texas law also states that if you 50% or more responsible for the accident, you cannot claim any damages.
How much does it cost to hire an attorney from Portner Bond, PLLC?
You don’t pay us anything until we win the compensation you are owed. When we win your case, we take a small portion of the compensation as payment for our legal services.
We offer our clients a free initial consultation so that they know upfront what to expect. We’ll listen to the details of the case to get a general idea of what we’ll need to do to successfully settle your claim. Then we’ll give you an honest and comprehensive roadmap of how we will work your case. Contact us now at (409) 838-4444 today so we can help you get started.
Unsecured Load Truck Accident Statistics
According to a nationwide 2011-2014 study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety,
- There are 33,000 truck accidents involving unsecured loads per year
- In the 50,000 accidents involving any kind of loose debris, 10,000 people were injured
- 125 people die each year from accidents involving loose debris
- 37% of deaths occurred from swerving around falling objects
- Most accidents involving loose debris occurred between 10 am to 4 pm
Contact an Unsecured Load Truck Accident Attorney in Beaumont
If you or a loved one were injured or were killed in an unsecured load truck accident in the Beaumont-Port Arthur Metropolitan area, you deserve fair and just compensation for the losses you have and are suffering.
We want negligent truck drivers and negligent trucking companies to be held accountable for their accidents, and we want to ensure that you receive justice. We will fight for the best possible settlement in your case and we will confidently take your case to court if we’re unable to reach an acceptable settlement to cover your losses with the insurance companies.
Contact the Beaumont unsecured load truck accident attorneys today at (409) 838-4444 to begin your journey toward recovery from the losses you’ve endured.