The vast majority of car accidents are caused by negligent driving such as speeding, driving while intoxicated, or simply not paying attention to the road. In fact, an estimated 94 percent of crashes are caused by human error. However, sometimes a car accident can be caused by a defect in one of the vehicle's components. In these cases, it may be possible for an injured party to take legal action against the designer, manufacturer, or distributor of the defective part in order to recover damages.

Basics of Product Liability Claims

Companies that design, build, and sell consumer products are held to certain quality standards. If a defective product such as a defective steering mechanism or defective brake system causes a crash, the party or parties responsible for the defect may be required to pay damages to the crash victims.

It can be extremely difficult to prove that a defective vehicle component caused an accident. It is important to have a qualified attorney review the facts of the case and determine whether filing a product liability claim is appropriate.

Whether it is due to an auto accident or another incident, losing a loved one unexpectedly is incredibly difficult. Even after a long period of mourning and healing, there are often financial obligations that need to be taken care of. In some cases, the surviving members of the family may be able to file a wrongful death claim in order to receive compensation for their loss. 

If your loved one died in a car wreck in Texas, you might be wondering if filing a wrongful death claim is an option for your family. Generally speaking, wrongful death claims are allowed in the state of Texas, as long as certain criteria are met. To determine if you can file a wrongful death claim in your case specifically, it is important to consult with an experienced attorney.

What Is a Wrongful Death Claim? 

Any unexpected death can feel like a so-called “wrongful” death. However, Texas defines a wrongful death as a death caused by another party’s wrongful actions, negligent actions, carelessness, unskillfulness, or failure to act. Drunk driving, distracted driving, speeding, failure to yield, reckless driving, and other forms of negligence may lead to a wrongful death case.  

Crashes involving semi-trucks, flatbeds, delivery trucks, and other commercial trucks often cause significant injuries and property damage. A truck crash injury claim may allow for the recovery of damages, but bringing a successful claim is easier said than done. To recover financial compensation for vehicle damage, medical bills, and other damages, the injured person will need to bring a compelling claim backed by strong evidence. In many cases, information from the truck’s event data recorder is a crucial component in this evidence.

What Is an Event Data Recorder?

An event data recorder (EDR) is a device that records vehicle data during a crash. The devices are similar to the black boxes found in airplanes that are recovered and analyzed after a plane crash. Most EDRs are triggered by a sudden change in speed. For example, a trucker who slams on the brakes to avoid a collision would likely activate the EDR. 

EDRs vary, but most record information such as:

 Car accidents happen every day, and most are minor “fender benders” after which parties walk away relatively unscathed. However, some accidents leave victims with catastrophic injuries that they never fully recover from. Loss of a limb is one of the most traumatic injuries a person can suffer because of a crash. Individuals who have lost an arm or leg not only face months, if not years, of medical and rehabilitative treatment, they also face a life that differs dramatically from the life they used to live.

If you or someone you care about lost a limb because of a car accident, read on to learn about your legal options.

Insurance Claims Involving Dismemberment or Amputation

When a limb is severely damaged in an accident, doctors may be unable to save the limb. In some cases, they are forced to amputate. The costs associated with surgery, hospital care, physical therapy, medications, and other medical needs are often astronomical. Typically, the first avenue for seeking financial compensation is the at-fault party’s insurance company. However, insurance companies are interested in protecting their bottom line. Many insurers are quick to offer a settlement after a severe crash, but the offer rarely covers all of the victim’s past and future crash-related expenses.

A United States Department of Justice statement issued earlier this year states that a federal grand jury in Midland, Texas, charged an oil industry company and its vice president with obstructing a federal job safety investigation and violating federal clean air laws. The indictment alleged that violations of federal safe water laws and false statements made on forms documenting the company’s injection wells’ mechanical integrity, as well as three other job safety crimes, were responsible for the deaths of two employees overcome by hydrogen sulfide at a facility in Odessa.

In 2019, attorneys in Houston filed a lawsuit against the company and related entities on behalf of the families of the two victims. That oil field accident lawsuit came almost immediately after the United States Chemical Safety Board (CSB) said it found multiple safety issues at the site where the deaths occurred.

Best Oil Field Safety Practices

Everybody knows that oil field work is a grueling profession that takes a tremendous toll on a person’s health. None of that means people should be placing their lives in immediate danger, however, so employers need to take steps to help improve worker safety on job sites.