Tow Truck Accident Lawyer
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When a tow truck is driven properly and operated by a qualified driver, these vehicles provide an essential service to help motorists transport their cars after they malfunction or they have been in an accident. Tow trucks are also useful to the police, businesses and local government in keeping people from parking illegally, abandoning their cars, or blocking traffic or fire lanes. They are also essential in transporting new cars or trucks to dealerships or homes. Unfortunately, like any other complex piece of machinery, a tow truck in the wrong hands can the cause of terrible accidents and collisions with other vehicles or pedestrians. Tow truck accidents account for dozens of serious injuries throughout Texas each year.
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The Pascoe Law Firm represents people who are injured in accidents involving towed vehicles in the greater Houston and Galveston areas. Let our attorney investigate your tow accident case without any out-of-pocket cost to determine who the responsible parties are and how you might have claim against a tow truck driver or a towing company.
Causes of Towing Accidents
Determining which parties are at fault in a towing accident can be complicated. This is because there may be additional negligent factors by other parties that also could lead to the accident with injuries or fatalities. Other than the driver being cited for causing the accident, the towing vehicle owner, rental companies, roadway maintenance crews or other motorists along with product manufacturers and vehicle maintenance crews might also be involved. Because of the complexity of a towed vehicle accident, victims will often hire a personal injury attorney to handle the claim for compensation. Other factors can increase the potential of a towing accident, which includes:
- Driver Fatigue
- Uncontrollable Trailer Swaying
- Hitch Failure
- Inadequate Driver Training
- Reduced Visibility Including Blind Spots
- Malfunctioning Trailer Lights
- Restricted Maneuverability
- Brake Failure
- Overheated Engines
- Braking Failure
- Speeding
- Wide Turning
- Vehicle Jackknife
- Bad Weather Conditions
- Distracted Driving
- Truck Tire Blowouts
- Poorly Maintained Vehicles and Towing Equipment
Tow Accident Injuries
There is an excessive amount of additional weight load to the front vehicle anytime another vehicle is being towed. This heavyweight load can cause the driver to lose control, resulting in extensive property damage, injuries, and fatalities when involved in an accident. In many incidences, the results of a towing accident can be catastrophic and cause severe injury like:
- Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
- Neck and Back Injury
- Concussions and Contusions
- Lacerations and Burns
- Dental Injury
- Disfigurement
- Fractures and Broken Bones
- Internal Injury and Organ Damage
- Herniated Discs
- Spinal Cord Injury (SCI)
- Broken Ribs and Sternum Injury
- Whiplash
- Seatbelt Injuries
Filing a Claim for After a Texas Towing Accident
Negligence by commercial truckers and other drivers is one of the leading causes of towing accidents. Because of that, towing companies will attempt to limit the amount of liability they pay out for the driver at fault for the accident by following exculpatory clauses. It may be difficult for victims to prove that the other driver is at fault for the crash without reconstructing the scene of the accident, speaking to eyewitnesses and gathering pertinent evidence. Because this process can be extremely difficult, the victim will often hire personal injury attorneys who specialize in accident claims.
Types of Tow Trucks
Tow trucks are typically managed by either private business enterprises or by governmental agencies involved with operating roads and highways. Most private tow truck operators offer services not only for towing cars and trucks but also specialized services for managing large vehicles like tractor-trailers or relocating pieces of large machinery. Government departments regularly either manage their own tow trucks or contract out to private operators to manage parking for public places, police and fire departments, and transportation authorities.
There are five specific types of tow trucks in the towing industry, which all drivers see regularly on the streets and highways around Houston and in the suburbs. They are:
- Hook/Chain Trucks—In this setup, chains are hooked around a vehicle frame or axle and the vehicle is pulled up by a hydraulic pulley. The rear axle is left on the ground for transport purposes.
- Wheel-Lift Trucks—In this configuration, a vehicle is pulled onto the tow in a similar way as a hook/chain tow truck. The difference is that a metal device is placed under the front or rear wheels to prevent the bumper from getting scratched during towing.
- Flatbed Trucks—Here, a hydraulically powered tow truck bed is used to position the broken vehicle on the back of the truck.
- Integrated Trucks—These lighter trucks are often used to repossesses vehicles or tow away illegally parked cars. Most tow trucks also have devices called “booms” for the purpose of recovering abandoned vehicles where the keys may not be present.
Dangers of an Improperly Loaded Tow Truck
When a tow truck driver has not loaded a vehicle for transport in a safe manner, vehicles can shift while the truck is in motion. If a car shifts in this manner while a tow truck is on the road, it now presents a danger to the truck driver, the car being transported, and every other vehicle or pedestrian in the vicinity of the tow truck. Now a vehicle that was intended to clean up after an accident becomes the potential cause of another accident. In almost all cases, an improperly loaded vehicle that causes a crash would be the fault of the tow truck driver, unless faulty mechanical elements are found to be involved.
Employer Responsibility to Hire Safe Drivers and Maintain Vehicles
It is critical that commercial trucking operators hire safe drivers. They must ensure this responsibility by researching a driver’s history, criminal record, and eligibility to be insured. Drivers of any tow truck must be insured on company policy. If a commercial tow truck operator hires drivers with missing or no training, a criminal driving record or substance abuse issues, they can be found at fault in the event of an accident. Tow truck operators are also required to regularly inspect and maintain their vehicles in order to prevent accidents from happening.
Contact our Houston Truck Accident Lawyers Today
Truck accident cases involving tow truck accidents are complex and can prove confusing to their victims. Proving negligence in a crash that involves a tow truck takes an investment of time, experience and resources. If you have been injured in an accident involving a tow truck call the Pascoe Law Firm to find out what legal rights and options that you may have available to you. If you have suffered injuries or a loved one has died as the result of a towing accident in Texas, it is essential to speak with an attorney as quickly as possible. The Pascoe Law Firm will fight to protect your legal rights after an accident with a tow truck. Call us today at 713-829-4317 or visit our main Truck Accident page for more information.
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Webpage is intended solely for residents of Texas or Persons seeking representation within Texas. An Attorney-Client relationship only occurs when both parties agree that the Attorney will represent the Client and will not be created until that agreement occurs. Website and all of its pages is intended to be used for educational purposes and does not constituted as legal advice. All information on every page of the website does NOT suggest or claim that the attorney has a specialization in any area of legal practice or certification. Attorney not certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specializations.
