New Braunfels, Texas Rear-End Collision Attorney

Rear-End Truck Crash Lawyer in Seguin, Comal County, and Hays County

Rear-end wrecks are among the most serious car and truck crash cases. Most popular cars and vans have little or no trunk or back, so there is almost no barrier between an onrushing big rig and the people inside the passenger compartments. These same passenger compartments leave the victims vulnerable to injury. Even if they are wearing seat belts, their heads are nearly always violently thrown forward, leading to serious neck and spinal injuries. To recover, many victims face extended hospital stays, painful corrective surgery, and expensive physical therapy.

At The Bettersworth Law Firm, we aggressively pursue negligence cases, because holding these operators responsible for the damage they inflict is the best way to convince drivers to slow down, watch the road, stay sober, and otherwise drive responsibly. Our goal in each case is twofold: maximum compensation for victims and safer roads for everyone.

Injury in a Rear-End Collision

Whiplash is perhaps the most serious injury in a rear-end case. Many victims experience serious symptoms for months or even longer, including:

• Lost range of motion
• Fatigue and sleep deprivation
• Blurred vision
• Adverse mental symptoms, including severe depression and extreme irritability
• Debilitating headaches
• Dizziness
• Persistent, overwhelming pain

Consistent physical therapy and proper medication are the best – and perhaps only – ways to relieve these symptoms. It is important that this treatment program be supervised by a doctor who understands the unusual nature of car crash and whiplash injuries. In addition to whiplash, there are a number of other possible injuries from rear-end collisions, including:

• Internal injury: In a serious crash, internal blood vessels grind together and often collapse, resulting in severe blood loss that is difficult to stop, even if first responders arrive immediately.
• Broken bones: Sudden force often shatters bones, and doctors must use metal pins and screws to repair them.
• Projectile injury: Loose objects in cars like smartphones, books, purses, and briefcases can become high-speed missiles in a car crash because these objects keep moving even after the vehicle stops.

Why Are Rear-End Truck Crashes Common?

Semi trucks weigh 20-30 times more than standard cars. All of that extra mass means that trucks require significantly more time and distance to come to a complete stop. When truck drivers are not paying attention to changing road conditions or are otherwise distracted, they will not be able to stop in time to prevent an accident, even if they see the danger at the last moment.

To make matters even worse, many trucks are driving with worn-out brakes in need of repair. These two factors together lead to many rear-end truck crashes.

Are Rear-End Truck Crashes Often Fatal?

Rear-end crashes are often highly injurious, even when the two vehicles involved are of similar sizes. When the rear vehicle is a giant truck, however, the risk of wrongful death increases dramatically. Accidents that occur in stopped highway traffic can completely crush the car between the truck and another vehicle in front of that car.

Legal Strategy During Negotiation and at Trial

Fault may seem fairly clear-cut in these matters, but that is often not the case at all. Big insurance companies routinely try to deny victims fair compensation by invoking legal defenses such as:

• Sudden emergency: This common defense may not apply because a stopped or slow vehicle is not a "sudden emergency" in the legal sense of that phrase.
• Last clear chance: A defendant often argues that the plaintiff had the chance to avoid a crash. But the plaintiff must have the last "reasonable" chance, not the last "possible" chance.

Damages in a rear-end crash include compensation for both economic and noneconomic damages. Punitive damages are also available in many situations.

Contact Our Comal County Rear-End Truck Accident Lawyer

A sudden rear-end crash often leads to months or years of pain and suffering. For a free consultation with an attorney who routinely handles these cases, contact The Bettersworth Law Firm at 830-606-0404. Attorney James Bettersworth belongs to the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum due to his dedication to clients and success in the courtroom.