Legal Options After a Truck Accident Caused by Texting and Driving

 Posted on June 05, 2023 in Truck Accident

Smartphones have revolutionized our day-to-day lives. We use our phones for communication, social media, surfing the web, and much more. Unfortunately, some people use their phones when they should be concentrating on driving. 

Operating a large commercial truck takes extreme focus and attention. Truck drivers who are texting and driving can cause commercial truck accidents in which others are hurt or killed.

Truck Driver Texting and Driving Laws

Semi-trucks can weigh as much as 80,000 pounds, and the damage caused in a semi-truck collision is often catastrophic. Texting and driving or other smartphone use behind the wheel significantly increases the risk of accidents. Because of these risks, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration prohibits the use of hand-held cell phones behind the wheel of a commercial truck or bus. However, not all truck drivers comply with this important rule.

Justice for Injuries and Deaths Caused by Negligent Truck Drivers

If you or a loved one were injured in a commercial truck accident, you may be able to take legal action against the negligent party and pursue financial compensation for damages. A truck accident injury claim may allow you to recover compensation for your economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages are damages with a direct financial cost such as medical expenses, lost wages from missed work, and reduced earning capacity. Non-economic damages are the consequences of an accident that cannot be expressed by a bill or receipt. Physical pain, mental and emotional suffering, and disfigurement are examples of non-economic damages for which an injured person may recover compensation.

Texas law also allows the surviving loved ones of a deceased person to pursue legal action against a negligent truck driver. A wrongful death claim may allow a grieving family to gain a sense of justice after losing a loved one in a truck crash caused by texting and driving. In addition to recovering for medical or funeral expenses, the family may also be able to recover financial reimbursement for:

• The victim's lost earning capacity

• The loss of the services, care, companionship, and support the victim provided to family members

• The loss of inheritance sustained by the victim's children

Contact a Collin County Truck Accident Lawyer

If a commercial truck driver's choice to text and drive results in the injury or death of someone else, the driver and the trucking company should be held responsible. If you or a loved one were the victim of a commercial truck accident, contact our skilled McKinney personal injury attorneys to discuss your legal options. You may be entitled to monetary damages.

Call 214-726-0016 for a confidential consultation.

Sources:

https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/driver-safety/distracted-driving/no-texting-rule-fact-sheet

https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/CP/htm/CP.71.htm