Katy Garbage Truck Accident Attorney
While sanitation services are an essential foundation of our society, garbage trucks and recycling trucks are sometimes involved in serious collisions that leave victims with life-altering injuries. If you were injured in a garbage truck collision, you have the right to file a personal injury lawsuit against the sanitation company to recover your damages. The Katy garbage truck accident attorneys at The West Law Office can help you file a personal injury claim against the at-fault party for maximum compensation.
Types of Driver Neglect
- Speeding—Garbage truck drivers have a route to make, and the sooner they get done with the route, the sooner they get off work. Speeding is potentially the most dangerous driving behavior a garbage truck driver can commit. Garbage trucks are wide, tall, and incredibly heavy. This makes them difficult to control, and allows for poor driver visibility to the sides and rear. When speeding is added on top of it all, it can become a deadly mix.
- Distraction—Nearly all drivers, both truck and passenger vehicle drivers, distract themselves while they drive. Whether a truck driver is looking down at their phone or eating breakfast as they operate the truck claw, they are engaging in a knowingly dangerous act.
- Fatigue—Garbage truck operators usually have to wake incredibly early to perform their jobs. If a driver wakes at 5:00 AM regularly, and falls asleep at 11:00 PM, there is no question that they are sleep deprived, which can lead to loss of motor control, delayed reaction time, and poor decision making.
Other types of neglect can arise from driver intoxication, aggressive driving, reckless driving, and even road rage.
Other Types of Negligence
- Falling debris;
- Poor maintenance resulting in defective brakes, turn signals, or claw operation;
- Careless or reckless claw operation; and
- Overloading the truck.
Injuries to Pedestrians and Vulnerable Road Users
Because of their proximity to homes, garbage trucks pose a particularly high risk to pedestrians, cyclists, and children. If you have ever seen a garbage truck speed and slam on the brakes from one driveway to the next as the driver collects trash or recycling, you probably wondered how it can be safe for such a large vehicle to be moving that quickly. The truth is, that it is never safe. Garbage trucks can weigh over 60,000 pounds when fully loaded, making them slow to stop. Tragedy can strike if a child is playing on the sidewalk or riding their bike around a cul-de-sac when a garbage truck pulls up. Adult cyclists and pedestrians can be equally at risk.
Contact a Katy Garbage Truck Accident Attorney Today
Filing a lawsuit against a sanitation company is a big undertaking. Such companies are heavily insured, meaning the policy limit is large. However, the trucking company’s insurance carrier will put up a fight equal to the value of your claim, and will use every tactic at their disposal to protect themselves and their client financially. In order to be fairly compensated for your medical expenses, pain and suffering, property damage, lost wages, and more, you need to work with a Katy garbage truck accident attorney at The West Law Office. Contact us today at 283-347-3247 to schedule a free consultation.
