Houston Truck Attorneys for Underride Accident Victims

A Houston underride accident lawyer at Armstrong Lee & Baker LLP will leverage their knowledge and skill to help you secure every dollar you deserve if you or a loved one has been injured due to another party’s negligence.

What is a Truck Underride Accident?

Anytime a truck collides with a passenger car, the consequences can be catastrophic. However, an underride accident is among the worst types of truck/car collisions. It happens when the smaller vehicle slides under the truck or trailer’s rear or side.

The impact can crush the car and shear off the top, often leading to horrible injuries and deaths. In 2021, more than 400 people lost their lives in underride accidents. The two main types of these accidents include:

Rear Underride Accidents

These happen when a smaller vehicle crashes into the back of a truck or trailer. If the truck doesn’t have a proper underride guard, the smaller vehicle can slide underneath the truck’s chassis, leading to catastrophic damage to the car and its occupants. These accidents often occur at high speeds or when a truck is stopped or moving slowly on a highway.

Side Underride Accidents

These occur when the passenger vehicle crashes into the side of a truck, typically at intersections or during lane changes. Side underride guards, which are less commonly required than rear guards, can help prevent such accidents. Without them, the smaller vehicle can easily slip under the truck, causing severe injuries to the passengers.

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Causes of Truck Underride Accidents

Truck underride accidents result from a combination of factors, including truck driver error, visibility issues, truck design flaws, and adverse road conditions. Here’s some brief information on each.

• Truck driver errors: Truck drivers often contribute to underride accidents through mistakes or negligence. Common errors include abrupt braking without proper signaling and sudden lane changes.
• Visibility issues: Poor visibility and inadequate truck lighting significantly increase the risk of underride accidents. Trucks often have large blind spots, making it difficult for truck drivers to see smaller vehicles. The risk is higher at night or in low-light conditions if trucks lack sufficient reflective tape, side markers, or working tail lights. Inadequate visibility can prevent other drivers from recognizing the truck’s position and speed, leading to collisions where smaller vehicles slip under the truck.
• Truck design: Truck design flaws can also contribute to underride accidents. Many trucks lack proper underride guards, which are critical for preventing smaller vehicles from sliding underneath in a collision. In addition, the height and structure of a truck’s chassis can worsen the severity of underride incidents if not correctly designed and maintained.

How a Houston Underride Accident Lawyer Can Help Victims

In the event of an underride accident, determining liability is crucial for securing compensation. A skilled Armstrong Lee & Baker LLP Houston underride accident lawyer can hold various parties liable, including the truck driver, trucking company, truck manufacturer, and others.

The truck driver, for example, may be liable if the accident resulted from negligent driving practices such as speeding or improper lane changes. The trucking company could be responsible for failing to maintain their vehicles properly, or not equipping trucks with necessary safety features like underride guards. The truck manufacturer might be liable if a design flaw contributed to the accident.

Compensation

Victims of underride accidents and their families may be entitled to several types of compensation. This compensation can include:

• Medical expenses: Coverage for hospital stays, surgeries, rehabilitation, and ongoing medical care.
• Lost wages: Compensation for income lost due to the victim’s inability to work and loss of future earning capacity.
• Pain and suffering: Damages for physical pain, emotional distress, and diminished quality of life.
• Wrongful death: In cases where the accident results in a fatality, the victim’s family may receive compensation for funeral expenses, loss of companionship, and loss of financial support.

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The Legal Process

Pursuing an underride accident claim involves several steps, where an experienced Houston underride accident lawyer’s experience can prove invaluable. These steps include the following:

• Investigation: Your attorney will investigate, gathering evidence such as accident reports, witness statements, and expert testimony to build a strong case.
• Establishing liability: They’ll use that evidence to identify all potentially liable parties and demonstrate their negligence or fault.
• Filing a claim: Your Houston underride accident lawyer will then prepare and file the necessary legal documents to initiate the claim process, meeting all deadlines and procedural requirements.
• Negotiation: Next, your attorney will negotiate with insurance companies and other parties to seek a fair settlement.
• Litigation: If the insurance companies covering the at-fault parties refuse to offer a fair settlement, your lawyer will take the case to court to secure a favorable verdict.

Do Side Underride Guards Work? Why Don’t More Trucks Have Them?

Side underride guards are crucial safety features designed to prevent smaller vehicles from sliding underneath trucks during collisions. Research and crash tests have demonstrated that properly designed and maintained guards significantly reduce the severity of crashes.

Challenges and Limitations

Despite their proven effectiveness, not all trucks have quality side underride guards. There are several reasons for this:

• Regulatory gaps: While rear underride guards are mandatory in the US, federal law doesn’t mandate side underride guards. This lack of comprehensive regulation means that many trucks on the road don’t have adequate protection against side underride accidents.
• Cost considerations: Installing side underride guards involves additional costs for trucking companies. These costs include the initial installation, maintenance, and potential retrofitting of existing fleets. Smaller trucking companies may find it challenging to bear these expenses.
• Industry resistance: There can be resistance within the trucking industry due to concerns about increased weight and potential impacts on fuel efficiency and cargo capacity. These operational concerns can slow the adoption of side underride guards.

Houston Underride Accident Attorneys Ready to Fight for Justice

Don’t hesitate to reach out to a personal injury lawyer at Armstrong Lee & Baker LLP today.

Our attorneys have years of experience helping people involved in similar accidents, and have helped them obtain millions of dollars in compensation. Whether it’s the driver, trucking company, or manufacturer at fault, we’ll leave no stone unturned in holding everyone responsible for your suffering.

For a free case review, please contact us online or call (832) 402-6637. We look forward to hearing from you and doing everything we can to help you secure the compensation you deserve for the suffering you’ve endured.

Types Of Truck Injury Cases We Handle

Scott Armstrong

Scott Armstrong obtains remarkable results for his clients. He has successfully tried numerous cases to favorable verdicts and reached significant settlements on his clients’ behalf, recovering millions for them. Our lawyers have 25+ years of combined experience.

Scott is known for his aggressive approach to every case. He has been recognized as a Rising Star by Super Lawyers, an accolade awarded to only 2.5% of attorneys under forty and practicing for less than ten years. Houstonia Magazine, H-Texas Magazine, and others have recognized Scott as a “top lawyer” in Houston.

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What our clients are saying about us

B. Farmer

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Josh Lee and the rest of the staff are all amazing. They kept me up to date and informed. I was treated like a priority every time I called, Josh even called me back on a Saturday, when the office was closed. They got me way more money than I thought even possible! I am more than satisfied and so grateful that I chose this firm. If you want a very personable, honest attorney who looks out for your best interest and gets results, call them!

Mary G.

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I live roughly eight hours from Armstrong Lee & Baker and communication exceeded my expectations all my needs were met at every level Mr Adam and his wonderful team guided me step by step,I definitely recommend Mr Adam if ever you need a lawyer that will fight very hard for you.He was successful with my injury case got me what I deserve and more,I am forever grateful to Mr Adam and his wonderful team God bless you all

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Recently I had the honor of being represented by The Law firm of Armstrong Lee & Baker LLP, the actual lawyer who handled my case was Mr. Clint Reed. He was very professional and understanding during this whole process. The communication was great, if I had any questions he would answer them. His knowledge of the law and his persistence to find out every detail that he could really in my opinion, went above and beyond any expectations I had. If I could give him a 10 star review I would.

Tommy N.

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Armstrong, Lee & Baker did an absolutely wonderful job with my case. The resolution of my case was above and beyond what I expected! Shruti, the associate who handled my case showed great professionalism and I could not be more satisfied with the outcome. Thank you all!

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