Dallas Garbage Truck Accident Lawyers

Helping Victims of Dallas Garbage Truck Accidents

Garbage trucks are a common sight on residential roads. After all, they are an essential part of the way neighborhoods and cities run. Without them, waste would pile up with no place to go. However, garbage trucks can pose a huge threat to the cars and pedestrians that share the streets. These trucks commonly cause serious accidents, as well as serious injuries.

If you have been injured by a trash truck in Dallas, then you are likely at a loss on what to do next. But you don’t have to be. We at The Lenahan Law Firm have worked with many injury victims in Dallas, including those who suffered severe injuries due to a negligent garbage truck driver. We are dedicated to getting our clients the compensation that they deserve. To find out more about your rights, call us at (214) 295-1008 today.

What Makes a Garbage Truck Dangerous?

Garbage trucks are dangerous because of:

Residential Roads: You may be wondering why a truck that mostly travels on quiet, community streets would be a threat in the first place. Well, the fact that these trucks keep to roads frequented by pedestrians is part of what makes them so dangerous. Cars and trucks are large and loud: they are easy to not just see but hear. Pedestrians and bike riders, on the other hand, are small and quiet, and if the truck driver doesn’t bother to check the blind spots, then he could easy hit someone crossing the street or riding alongside the truck.

Poor Visibility: Garbage trucks have terrible visibility. The container that holds the garbage effectively creates a massive blind spot all around the back of the truck. This makes it difficult for the driver to see even cars that are nearby.

High Center of Gravity: Due to their size and weight, garage trucks have high centers of gravity. This means some conditions make it is easy for them to fall or rollover. If the truck driver takes a turn too quickly or has to swerve to avoid an object in the road, the truck could fall over and cause serious damage to any nearby pedestrians or vehicles.

What Are Some Consequences of Garbage Truck Accidents?

However your accident happened, you are likely facing serious injuries as a result. While trash trucks may not get as big or as heavy as semi-trucks, they are still incredibly dangerous. As Dallas garbage truck accident attorneys, we at The Lenahan Law Firm have worked with many truck accident victims and have seen firsthand just how devastating their injuries can be. Common injuries include:

• Broken bones
• Crush injuries
• Brain damage
• Organ damage
• Spinal cord injuries
• Loss of limb
• Road rash
• Deep lacerations

Injuries this severe can often lead to permanent disabilities, which could impact you for the rest of your life. A disability such as paralysis or traumatic amputation can make it difficult to work, leave you with hefty medical bills, and even leave you unable to participate in your favorite pastimes and hobbies. But if the accident wasn’t your fault, you may be able to file a claim against the at-fault party.

Who Can Be Liable?

Garbage trucks are such a common sight in our day-to-day lives that many people view them as a part of the scenery. That image can make it difficult to file a claim against your local garbage man, or his company. You should keep in mind how much the accident is costing you in time, emotional trauma, and medical bills. On top of that, the at-fault party’s insurance will be covering the costs of your compensation, not the at-fault party himself.

The first step to putting together a claim is figuring out just who is liable for the accident. When it comes to garbage truck accidents, there are multiple parties that could be considered liable. In our experience the most common are:

The driver: The driver is the one in control of the truck, and the one responsible for operating it as safely as possible. If the driver doesn’t bother to check blind spots, takes a turn too quickly, or ignores the right of way, then he or she is responsible for the resulting accident as well as your damages.

The company: Garbage trucks are controlled by larger waste management companies. These are the privately owned companies that residents pay in order to have their garbage and recycling picked up every week. Dallas has several of these companies operating in the city. These companies are responsible for hiring component drivers, training drivers, and maintaining their trucks. If they fail in any of these responsibilities and an accident occurs as a result, then the company may be responsible along with the driver.

The mechanic: Trash trucks are driven almost every day, for hours on end. While they may not make particularly far trips, the time they spend on the road is more than enough to cause serious wear and tear. Due to that, they need to be serviced by a mechanic regularly. If the mechanic misses an obvious malfunction or issue that any other mechanic would have spotted and fixed, then that mechanic is responsible for any accidents due to the malfunction.

Providing the Quality Legal Support You Deserve

Finding out who is responsible for your accident is not an easy task. It may require an expert to launch a full investigation into how your injuries occurred and who acted in negligence. If you are recovering from serious injuries, the last thing you should have to deal with is investigating your own traumatic accident. Work with our firm, The Lenahan Law Firm. With years of experience as Dallas truck accident attorneys, we know just how to handle such an investigation, as well as the claims process that comes after. To speak with a dedicated and compassionate attorney, call us at (214) 295-1008 today. We fight to get our clients the compensation they deserve.