The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation places Texas as the state that moves the most freight by volume, a gateway to the east and west and strategic in moving goods from the Mexican border.
Truckers must carry commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) and are trained to anticipate problems, including those unique to sharing the road. While most are conscientious, some truckers are a danger to other motorists. If you are injured because of drunk driving truck accidents in Hitchcock, the commercial truck collision attorneys at Schechter, Shaffer & Harris offer you a helping hand by fighting to get you compensated for your physical, financial, and emotional losses.
Alcohol Legal Limits Are Lower for Truckers
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that one-third of all fatal road accidents nationally involve inebriated drivers. Although most states, including Texas, impose a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 percent on private motorists, Texas and federal law impose a 0.04 percent limit on commercial truckers. Registering this lower concentration means the truck driver can be charged with driving under the influence (DUI) which comes with severe penalties. These include:
- Criminal charges, especially if there is an accident with injuries or fatalities
- Loss of the trucking job, and an industry blackball
- Steep fines
- Suspension or cancellation of the CDL
If you are injured because a drunk truck driver caused an accident, you have recourse through an insurance settlement or personal injury lawsuit against the driver and company that can be held vicariously liable. After drunk driving truck crashes in Hitchcock, injured parties should contact Schechter, Shaffer & Harris to learn how our aggressive representation works for clients, getting them the settlements or damages awards necessary to cover their losses.
Negligence and Negligence Per Se
Negligence occurs when a truck driver’s actions fall below the standard a reasonable trucker would uphold to ensure other motorists in the truck’s proximity are not in danger. If these actions cause an accident in which another motorist is injured, truckers and their employers should be liable to pay for losses, such as medical and rehabilitation bills, lost wages, property damage, emotional trauma, pain and suffering, and loss of the enjoyment of life.
If a truck driver violates a law that directly relates to the injuries you suffer and law enforcement ticket them, the doctrine of negligence per se could make it easier for your attorney to prove negligence. If the ticket is for drunk driving and causing a truck accident, the courts will automatically assume the trucker breached the duty to drive safely, leaving only the elements of causation and damages for your Hitchcock attorney to show.
Contact Our Lawyers After a Drunk Trucker Injures You in Hitchcock
Most truck drivers are responsible and take precautions to ensure the loads they haul arrive intact, without incident. But long, lonely miles can be a stressor some truckers believe can be eased with alcohol or drugs. That misjudgment can cause irreparable harm to others.
You only have two years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit because Texas lawmakers know onboard camera and black box evidence can be easily lost, and witnesses forget. This may seem like a long time, but building a case requires carefully gathered, perused, and applied evidence. To discuss your drunk driving truck accident in Hitchcock with the caring and tenacious attorneys at Schechter, Shaffer & Harris, call now.
