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Tow Truck Accident Lawyer

Tow trucks can be a valuable resource when moving disabled or damaged vehicles. Yet, if you have had the misfortune of experiencing an accident with a tow truck, you know the destruction these large vehicles can cause.

Fielding Law’s auto accident attorneys can help you with the unique challenges of recovering compensation by means of a tow truck accident claim. Our skilled attorneys have the resources and skills to represent your interests so you have the best chance of receiving maximum compensation.

Would you like to learn more about our legal services? Call (877) 880-4090 today to schedule your free personal injury consultation. We are ready to share the information you need.

A scene of a tow truck accident on a Texas highway: a large flatbed tow truck pulled over on the shoulder with a damaged sedan partially loaded, visible skid marks, traffic cones, and emergency lights flashing.

What You Need to Know About Tow Trucks

Tow trucks, also known as wreckers, are large vehicles with moving parts. Class A trucks can tow motorcycles, cars, and pickup trucks. These light-duty vehicles weigh around 7 tons and are capable of towing 8,600 to 10,000 pounds.

Class B, or medium-duty, tow trucks, are capable of transporting trucks, buses, and recreational vehicles up to 26,000 pounds. Their weight can reach up to 13 tons.

Heavy-duty trucks are designed for towing large buses, trailers, and heavy construction equipment. These Class C vehicles might weigh upwards of 24 tons. 

Class D trucks are super heavy duty. They might also transport specialized loads, such as irregularly shaped items and aircraft parts. 

Certain tow truck styles are used for distinct jobs. The six most common are:

  • Flatbeds: Tow truck operators load vehicles directly onto a hydraulic-powered platform
  • Hook and chain: This classic style attaches a hook to the car’s axle or bumper and chains around the frame to lift the front off the ground
  • Wheel lift: Tow trucks with a yoke that goes under the front wheels of the car
  • Integrated: Wreckers equipped with an arm in the center of the vehicle and an extra axle, allowing them to pull heavy loads 
  • Oversize: Tow trucks that transport large boats, vehicles, or construction equipment
  • Boom: Trucks equipped with hydraulic arms that extend past the end of the vehicle and with winches to pull cars into position

In general, Texas tow truck drivers must be properly licensed and their vehicles must comply with state safety rules. Texas regulates towing through the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR), which requires tow trucks and operators to be permitted/licensed under Texas Occupations Code Chapter 2308 and related administrative rules.

For example, Texas rules require each tow truck to have clear manufacturer capacity information for its boom/winch/carry mechanism, and the truck’s hydraulic lines, winch, and cables must be in good working condition and within manufacturer guidelines.

Texas law also limits the use of certain flashing or alternating warning lights to authorized situations involving tow trucks, such as when they are directed by law enforcement at a crash scene or are hooking up a disabled vehicle on a roadway.

While state law focuses heavily on permitting and the truck’s mechanical safety, state and local rules together often require or expect standard roadway-safety gear on wreckers, such as:

  • Amber warning lights / light bars for visibility during roadside tows

  • Securement equipment (tie-down chains or straps) to prevent shifting during transport

  • Traffic-control devices like cones or warning triangles

  • A charged fire extinguisher

State and local governments set these rules for tow truck owners and operators. A lawyer can investigate whether the towing company followed Texas permitting requirements and complied with the mechanical, lighting, and safety-equipment standards that protect the public.

Why Tow Truck Accidents Occur

Many tow truck collisions happen when towing companies ignore safety precautions. They need to ensure the weight of a vehicle does not exceed the wrecker’s maximum load capacity. 

Ignored safety precautions

Besides the state annual inspection requirements, wrecking companies also must perform regular maintenance and repair, including checking these essential components:

  • Headlights and taillights
  • Turn signals
  • Windshield wipers
  • Winch cables
  • Tires and rims
  • Boom or flatbed
  • Hydraulic lines
  • Wheel lift

Driver mistakes

Even a truck in perfect working order can become the instrument of a crash if the driver makes a mistake. Some errors are due to a lack of training or experience. 

Drivers must learn to manage the unique challenges of operating a tow truck, namely:

  • Limited visibility or blind spots
  • Added length when towing a vehicle 
  • Reduced maneuverability when compared to a standard car
  • The potential of rollaway cars during loading

Recklessness and acts of negligence

In other cases, reckless or negligent actions like those listed below cause preventable accidents:

If you suffered an injury, you could qualify for compensation. Yet, you must meet your state’s criteria for personal injury cases: For one, your injury must indeed have been caused by the collision.

Understanding Personal Injury Law

When someone’s negligence causes a tow truck accident, personal injury law requires that that party pay for the damages. The law defines a negligent party as one:

  1. Having a duty: Tow truck companies and drivers have a duty to other motorists
  2. Breaching a duty: Companies use unsafe vehicles or drivers who do not operate them with reasonable care
  3. Causing an event: The undue risk resulted in a tow truck accident
  4. Resulting in harm: Property damage, injuries, or death directly linked to the event

Our legal team can determine whether your claim meets the criteria during your free case review. We can also identify the liable party – whether it be the trucker, his or her employer, or the parts manufacturer. Acting soon is in your best interests since state deadlines restrict your time to file. 

Pursuing Maximum Compensation 

Are you wondering what financial relief is available for your losses? Our experienced lawyers have successfully recovered millions of dollars in compensation for clients over the years.

Medical bills

Getting medical treatment is expensive in the United States, especially if you visit an emergency room. Studies reveal that the average cost of a non-fatal injury initially treated in a hospital emergency department was $6,620. Fatalities averaged between $6,880 and $41,570, depending on the injury type. 

Unfortunately, most accident injuries continue to generate debt long after the initial treatment. You might require years of surgery, therapy, and rehabilitation. Our forward-thinking personal injury team can help you pursue compensation with complete recovery in view.

Lost wages

Your injuries could keep you from work for various reasons as you recuperate. You might need to go to doctor’s appointments or travel to see a specialist. Your accident might have caused temporary or permanent disabilities that prevented you from doing the job you once did.

At Fielding Law, we understand your need to make a living. Our truck crash attorneys want to help you recover as much past and future lost income as possible. 

Property damage

Was your vehicle or property damaged in a tow truck accident? You could be eligible for:

  • Repairs for property damage
  • Towing expenses 
  • Rental car costs 
  • Reimbursement for personal items inside the car
  • Replacement for totaled vehicles

Your car accident attorney can help you understand your rights. Send us a message describing your car and your injuries for free information. 

Pain and suffering 

Pain and suffering damages represent the physical pain and emotional trauma your accident caused. If you find less joy in life after an accident for various reasons, you could qualify for this category of compensation. A lawyer can advise you on how to document your pain and suffering after your accident. 

Wrongful death

Losing a loved one is an unfortunate consequence of too many motor vehicle accidents. Both tow truck drivers and the occupants of other vehicles are at risk in tow truck accidents as well as in other types of truck accidents. Grieving families often experience severe financial losses after a fatal crash.

Wrongful death damages reimburse funeral and burial costs. Close family members might also qualify for additional compensation. 

Successful claims are based on solid proof. Our competent personal injury lawyers can help you obtain the right information to support your case. 

Contact Trustworthy Attorneys Ready to Cater to Your Needs

Tow truck collisions are not like other accidents. Handling the complex factors involved requires knowledge and attention – two qualities our law firm prides itself on demonstrating for our clients.

Would you like the peace of mind that comes from being well-informed? Contact Fielding Law at (877) 880-4090 today for a free consultation.