Houston Car and Truck Accident Law w. Hank Stout

Co-founded by Hank Stout and Graham Sutliff, Sutliff & Stout Injury & Accident Law Firm is one of Texas's premier personal injury firms, with offices in Houston, Austin, Marble Falls, and San Angelo. The firm has recovered over $1 billion in verdicts and settlements for injured Texans since 2007 and both founding partners are Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law. Named Texas Super Lawyers annually since 2012. No fees unless they win. Free consultation at sutliffstout.com Phone: (713) 987-7111

Houston Car and Truck Accident Law w. Hank Stout is a education podcast hosted by Hank Stout, with 9 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Hank Stout hosts Houston Car and Truck Accident Law w. Hank Stout, a education show with 9 episodes published.

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  Episode #11

  How Long Do You Have to File a Truck Accident Lawsuit in Houston, TX?

  Sep 3, 202626 minS1

  Texas rewrote the rules for commercial truck lawsuits in 2021, and most Houston drivers do not find out until they are already fighting an 18-wheeler claim. Hank Stout, Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law and co-founder of Sutliff & Stout, sits down with Abby to break down Texas HB 19's two-phase trial, the evidence it keeps from the jury, and the two-year filing deadline that can quietly end a case before it starts. Questions answered: - What is Texas HB 19, and why was it passed in 2021? - What is the bifurcated, two-phase trial HB 19 created? - What evidence does a jury hear first, and what gets held back? - How did HB 19 change the use of federal safety violations as evidence? - How did HB 19 change negligent hiring and supervision claims against carriers? - Can a victim still recover punitive damages from a trucking company after HB 19? - What is a corporate representative deposition, and why does it matter? - How does Texas's 51% comparative fault rule decide what a victim recovers? - How long do you have to file a truck accident lawsuit in Texas? - When does the two-year filing clock actually start running? - What happens if a victim misses the Texas filing deadline? Topics covered include Texas House Bill 19, the bifurcated two-phase trial, compensatory versus punitive damages, federal motor carrier safety violations, negligent hiring and supervision claims, corporate representative depositions, Texas's 51% comparative fault rule, joint and several liability, the two-year statute of limitations, the discovery rule, wrongful death filing deadlines, government notice requirements, and Houston/Harris County truck litigation. "It makes it where if you're suing a trucking company, then there's a two-part or two-phase trial. It's called bifurcated." — Hank Stout, 0:52 "The longer you wait, the more evidence disappears. Phone records go away, video goes away, dash cam video goes away, audio goes away, records go away. They all get deleted." — Hank Stout, 20:07 "[Corporate representative depositions] can be very impactful because oftentimes those people are not prepared. They can't justify the behavior of their organization, and juries don't appreciate the manner in which they are behaving in the business world." — Hank Stout, 15:39 "If you're held greater than fifty percent or fifty-one percent at fault, then you're responsible for the whole judgment." — Hank Stout, 16:51 "If you do not file within the two years, the insurance company or the trucking company has no legal responsibility to pay you, and they won't." — Hank Stout, 22:23 Hank Stout and Graham Sutliff, co-founders of Sutliff & Stout, are both Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, a credential held by a small fraction of Texas attorneys. The firm works on contingency: no fee unless we win. Protect your deadline before the trucking company's lawyers get ahead of your case. Free consultation: sutliffstout.com Phone: (713) 987-7111 Office: Houston, TX #TexasHB19 #BifurcatedTrial #HoustonTruckAccidentLawyer #TexasStatuteOfLimitations #CorporateRepresentativeDeposition #TexasComparativeFault #HarrisCountyTruckLitigation This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Watching does not create an attorney-client relationship with Sutliff & Stout. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Hank Stout and Graham Sutliff are licensed in Texas and Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

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  Episode #10

  Who Can File a Wrongful Death Claim in Texas After a Truck Accident?

  Sep 3, 202632 minS1

  A fatal 18-wheeler crash is commercial litigation from day one, not a bigger fender-bender. Hank Stout, Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law and co-founder of Sutliff & Stout, sits down with Abby Arnold to walk a Houston family through who can file, what a Texas wrongful death claim actually recovers, how the company's fault gets proven, and the insurance and deadlines that decide what is collectible. Questions answered in this episode: Who has standing to file a wrongful death claim in Texas? Who can be held responsible after a fatal Houston truck crash? What is gross negligence and why does it matter in a fatal truck case? How does Texas comparative fault affect a wrongful death recovery? What is the deadline to file a wrongful death claim in Texas? Topics covered: standing under the Texas wrongful death statute, survival claims, economic and non-economic damages, loss of consortium, family apportionment agreements, respondeat superior, the federal motor carrier regulations, negligent hiring and negligent entrustment, gross negligence and exemplary damages, oil and gas hauler exemptions, the tower of insurance, derivative claims and comparative fault, and Texas's two-year statute of limitations, across Houston and West Texas. Hank Stout on respondeat superior: "In Texas, the doctrine of respondeat superior means that if you put someone on the roadway, you're responsible for their actions because they're your agent, whether they're your employee or, in the context of a truck driver, the federal motor carrier regulations say that if someone is driving under your DOT number, you are financially responsible for that driver." Sutliff & Stout co-founders Hank Stout and Graham Sutliff are both Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. The firm works on contingency: no fee unless we win. Free consultation: sutliffstout.com Phone: (713) 987-7111 Office: Houston, TX #TexasWrongfulDeath #RespondeatSuperior #GrossNegligence #NegligentEntrustment #HoustonTruckAccident #TexasComparativeFault This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Watching does not create an attorney-client relationship with Sutliff & Stout. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Hank Stout and Graham Sutliff are licensed in Texas and Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Chapters 00:00:00 Welcome back to Houston Car & Truck Accident Law w. Hank Stout 00:01:18 Who Has Standing to File a Wrongful Death Claim in Texas? 00:02:58 What's the Difference Between a Texas Wrongful Death and a Survival Claim? 00:05:08 Why Is a Fatal 18-Wheeler Case Different From a Car Accident Claim? 00:06:54 Who Can Be Held Responsible After a Fatal Houston Truck Crash? 00:09:18 What Damages Can a Family Recover in a Texas Wrongful Death Case? 00:12:36 How Does Texas Value a Family's Loss of Companionship? 00:14:39 How Is Lost Income Calculated in a Texas Wrongful Death Case? 00:16:22 Who Receives the Money in a Texas Wrongful Death Settlement? 00:17:56 How Do Attorneys Prove Layers of Liability in a Houston Truck Case? 00:20:48 How Does Respondeat Superior Put a Texas Trucking Company on the Hook? 00:22:54 What Is Negligent Hiring or Entrustment in a Fatal Texas Truck Case? 00:24:30 What Is Gross Negligence in a Fatal Texas Truck Case? 00:26:41 Can a Family Recover Punitive Damages From a Texas Trucking Company? 00:28:40 Why Do Oil and Gas Haulers Cause So Many Fatal Texas Crashes? 00:30:53 How Does the Tower of Insurance Decide What a Family Can Collect? 00:33:15 How Do Insurers' Quick Response Teams Work a Fatal Truck Claim? 00:35:21 How Does Texas Comparative Fault Reduce a Wrongful Death Recovery? 00:36:29 Should a Houston Family Settle a Wrongful Death Case or Go to Trial? 00:38:50 What Is the Deadline to File a Wrongful Death Claim in Texas? 00:41:05 Sutliff & Stout: Contact a Lawyer Quickly After a Fatal Houston Truck Crash

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  Episode #9

  Truck Accident Black Box Data: 30-Day Spoliation Window in Houston, TX

  Jul 22, 202626 minS1

  A Houston truck wreck case is often won or lost in the first 30 days, before the black box, ELD, and dashcam data get written over. Hank Stout, Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law and co-founder of Sutliff & Stout, Injury & Accident Lawyers, joins Abby Arnold to walk through the electronic evidence a truck case lives or dies on and how fast a spoliation letter has to go out in Houston. Questions answered in this episode: Why do the first 30 days after a Houston truck wreck decide the case? What is the difference between a black box, ECM, and ELD? Who owns the black box data after a truck crash? Can a trucking company legally delete black box data in Texas? What happens in court when a carrier destroys evidence after a warning? How do you get a Houston CR-3 crash report? Does Texas House Bill 19 change how truck wreck evidence is used? Topics covered: ECM and black box data, Electronic Logging Device data, dashcam and telematics, spoliation and preservation letters, accident reconstruction, the Houston CR-3 crash report, the Port of Houston and I-45 freight corridor, House Bill 19's bifurcated trial, and federal motor carrier recordkeeping requirements. Hank Stout on the 30-day window: "If you don't preserve that evidence quickly afterwards, then it'll just get written over." Hank Stout on data destruction: "It's typically the cover-up that gets you in trouble the most." Hank Stout is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law and co-founder of Sutliff & Stout, Injury & Accident Lawyers (no fee unless we win). Free consultation: sutliffstout.com Phone: (713) 987-7111 Office: Houston, TX #ElectronicLoggingDevice #BlackBoxECM #SpoliationLetter #HoustonTruckAccidentLawyer #TexasHB19 #CR3CrashReport This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Watching does not create an attorney-client relationship with Sutliff & Stout. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Hank Stout and Graham Sutliff are licensed in Texas and Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Chapters 00:00:00 Welcome back to Houston Car & Truck Accident Law w. Hank Stout 00:01:10 Why Does the First 30 Days After a Houston Truck Wreck Decide the Case? 00:02:40 What Evidence Disappears First After a Texas Truck Accident? Dashcam Data 00:03:18 How Long Is Black Box ECM Data Stored on a Commercial Truck? 00:04:00 What Is a Spoliation Letter in a Texas Trucking Case? 00:05:48 What Is the Difference Between a Black Box, ECM, and ELD? 00:08:20 Can a Truck's Black Box Prove Speed and Braking Before a Houston Crash? 00:09:12 How Does an Accident Reconstructionist Use Black Box Data to Prove Fault? 00:10:48 Who Owns the Black Box Data After a Houston Truck Crash? 00:11:38 Can GPS and Telematics Data Replace a Wiped Truck Black Box? 00:12:45 Can a Trucking Company Legally Delete Black Box Data in Texas? 00:14:28 What Should a Spoliation Letter Demand From a Trucking Company? 00:15:48 What Happens in a Harris County Court When a Carrier Destroys Evidence? 00:17:00 Why Does a Houston Truck Wreck Need a Rapid Response Investigation? 00:18:22 What Does an Accident Reconstructionist Do With Truck Crash Data? 00:19:18 Is Dashcam Footage Admissible in a Texas Truck Accident Case? 00:20:10 How Do You Get a Trucking Company's Insurance After a Houston Crash? 00:21:12 How Do You Get a Houston CR-3 Crash Report? 00:21:48 How Do Federal Trucking Regulations Help Preserve Evidence in Texas? 00:23:28 Does Texas House Bill 19 Change How Truck Wreck Evidence Is Used? 00:24:28 Why Are Truck Accident Cases More Evidence-Heavy Than Car Wrecks? 00:25:28 Hank Stout's Advice for the First 30 Days After a Houston Truck Wreck

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  Episode #8

  Houston Truck Accidents & FMCSA Hours-of-Service Violations

  Jul 17, 202628 minS1

  A Houston truck accident with a fatigued driver often comes down to one number: did the trucker break the federal Hours of Service rules before the wreck. Hank Stout, Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law and co-founder of Sutliff & Stout, Injury & Accident Lawyers, joins Abby Arnold to break down the ELD and black box data that proves a violation and how Texas law decides who pays when a tired trucker causes a crash in Harris County. Questions answered in this episode: What are the federal Hours of Service rules for truck drivers? What is an ELD and what does it record? How fast does ELD data disappear after a truck crash? How does respondeat superior apply to trucking companies in Texas? How does the Texas 51% comparative fault rule work? How long do I have to file a truck accident lawsuit in Texas? Topics covered: Hours of Service Rules, the 11-hour limit, ELD data, spoliation letters, ECM black box data, dashcam footage, respondeat superior, negligent entrustment, House Bill 19, bifurcated trials, the 51% comparative fault rule, and the MCS-90 endorsement. Hank Stout on driver fatigue: "Fatigue clearly caused this collision, and getting that evidence to show how reckless this driver was was really helpful to make our case against the company and the driver." Hank Stout on the Texas 51% rule: "If it's 51% or greater, then a plaintiff doesn't recover anything. If it's less than 51%, the plaintiff will recover whatever his damages are less his percentage of fault." Hank Stout is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law and co-founder of Sutliff & Stout, Injury & Accident Lawyers (no fee unless we win). Free consultation: sutliffstout.com Phone: (713) 987-7111 Office: Houston, TX #HoursOfServiceRules #RespondeatSuperior #TexasHB19 #Texas51PercentRule #HoustonTruckAccidentLawyer #ELDData This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Watching does not create an attorney-client relationship with Sutliff & Stout. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Hank Stout and Graham Sutliff are licensed in Texas and Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Chapters 00:00:00 Welcome back to Houston Car and Truck Accident Law w. Hank Stout 00:00:45 What Are the Federal Hours of Service Rules in Houston Trucking? 00:02:55 What Is the DOT 11-Hour Driving Limit for Texas Truckers? 00:03:45 What Are the 30-Minute Break and 70-Hour Weekly Limits? FMCSA Rules 00:05:25 How Do Hours of Service Violations Become Evidence in a Houston Truck Case? 00:06:45 What Is an ELD? Electronic Logging Device Data After a Crash 00:08:00 How Fast Does ELD Data Disappear? Spoliation Letters in Texas 00:10:40 What Does the Truck's Black Box (ECM) Reveal in a Texas Crash? 00:12:15 Does Dashcam Footage Prove Fatigue in Houston Truck Accidents? 00:13:25 Who Is Liable in an I-10 or I-45 Houston Truck Accident? 00:14:30 How Is a Trucking Company Liable? Respondeat Superior in Texas 00:16:05 What Is Negligent Entrustment Under Texas Trucking Law? 00:17:15 How Did Texas House Bill 19 Change Trucking Lawsuits? 00:18:30 What Is a Bifurcated Trial in a Harris County Trucking Case? 00:20:28 How Does Texas's 51% Comparative Fault Rule Affect Recovery? 00:21:20 How Long to File a Texas Truck Accident Lawsuit? Two-Year Statute 00:23:10 What Injuries Result From Houston Truck Driver Fatigue Crashes? 00:24:00 How Do You Value a Lifetime of Care After a Truck Crash in Houston? 00:25:40 When Can a Texas Jury Award Punitive Damages for Truck Fatigue? 00:26:30 What Is the MCS-90 Endorsement in Texas Trucking Insurance? 00:27:20 What Should You Do After a Houston Truck Accident Right Now? 00:28:10 Hank Stout's Final Advice for Houston Truck Accident Victims

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  Episode #7

  What Is My Uber Accident Settlement Worth in Houston, Texas?

  Jun 26, 202625 minS1

  Board Certified personal injury attorney Hank Stout of Sutliff & Stout in Houston explains exactly what drives the value of an Uber or Lyft accident settlement in Texas — from the four-tier rideshare insurance period stack that sets the coverage ceiling to the 51% comparative fault bar that can silently erase a claim. Questions answered in this episode: What is the honest answer when a Houston rider asks what their Uber accident settlement is worth? What are the four things that actually move the number on a rideshare settlement? What economic and non-economic damages make up an Uber accident settlement in Texas? How does pain and suffering get valued in a Texas rideshare case, and are there caps? Why does the Uber insurance period stack change three times during one trip — and why does that matter? When does Uber's $1 million commercial policy kick in for a Houston passenger? How does a Period 1 crash on the waiting-for-ride minimum shrink the recovery ceiling? Who is legally on the hook — the driver, Uber, or someone else? How does the independent contractor label limit what a Houston rider can recover from Uber? Can Uber be sued for negligent hiring in Texas? What happens when the Uber driver wasn't at fault and another car caused the crash? Topics covered: Uber and Lyft insurance period stack (Period 0 through Period 3), $1 million combined single limit commercial policy, $50K/$100K Period 1 contingent minimum, Texas 30/60 personal auto minimum, independent-contractor classification, respondeat superior, negligent hiring, Texas comparative fault 51% bar, two-year statute of limitations, economic damages, non-economic damages, traumatic brain injury, wrongful death derivative claims, app and trip data preservation, period-shift defense, dashcam evidence, Harris County District Courts. Hank Stout on the period stack: "If they actually had a rider and they were on a trip, the coverage amount goes to a million dollars." Hank Stout on the negligent hiring limit: "The only benefit that you get out of having an Uber case is you get the stepped-up amount of insurance, which is much... typically, if they're in the app and under a ride, it's a million dollars." Hank Stout on protecting your claim: "If you don't document your injuries, the insurance companies are gonna say that you're not injured, and it's gonna make it harder for you to recover." Hank Stout of Sutliff & Stout represents rideshare accident victims throughout Houston and Harris County in Uber, Lyft, and delivery driver crashes. Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law in Texas. Free consultation, no fee unless we win: https://www.sutliffstout.com/ | (713) 987-7111 #HoustonRideshareAccident #SutliffAndStout #HankStout #UberAccidentHouston #HoustonCarAccidentLaw #TexasRideshareSettlement The information shared in this episode is for educational purposes only and is not legal advice. Every case is different. Contact Sutliff & Stout or a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction to discuss your specific situation. Chapters 00:00:00 Houston Car & Truck Accident Law w. Hank Stout 00:01:05 What Is a Houston Uber Accident Settlement Actually Worth? The Honest Answer 00:01:30 What Moves the Number on a Rideshare Settlement in Texas? 00:02:40 What Damages Make Up an Uber Accident Settlement in Houston? 00:04:10 Pain and Suffering in a Texas Rideshare Case: How It's Valued and Whether Caps Apply 00:05:30 Why Uber's Insurance Changes Three Times Per Trip and What That Means for Your Case 00:07:20 App Off at the Time of the Crash: Does That Wipe Out the Settlement? 00:08:15 When Does Uber's $1 Million Policy Actually Kick In for a Houston Passenger? 00:09:10 Period 1 Minimum Limits: How a Waiting-for-Ride Crash Shrinks the Recovery Ceiling 00:10:10 Who Is Actually on the Hook After a Houston Uber Crash: Driver, Uber, or Someone Else? 00:11:05 Independent Contractor Label: How It Limits What an Injured Houston Rider Can Recover 00:12:20 Can Uber Be Sued for Negligent Hiring in Texas? 00:13:05 Another Driver Caused the Crash: What If the Uber Driver Wasn't at Fault in Houston? 00:13:55 The 51% Comparative Fault Bar: How Texas Law Can Silently Cut a Rideshare Settlement 00:15:05 How Long Does a Houston Rider Have to File an Uber Accident Claim? 00:15:25 Traumatic Brain and Spine Injuries: How Catastrophic Harm Reshapes a Rideshare Settlement 00:17:10 Wrongful Death After a Houston Rideshare Crash: What the Settlement Looks Like 00:18:55 Trip Data Inside Uber's Servers: Why It Drives Settlement Value and How to Preserve It 00:20:35 Evidence to Gather at the Scene After a Houston Uber Crash 00:21:40 The Period-Shift Defense: How Insurers Try to Drop Your Case to a Thin Policy 00:22:30 The Road to a Settlement Check: What the Full Houston Rideshare Case Process Looks Like 00:24:00 Closing: One Thing Every Houston Rider Must Do to Protect Their Claim 00:25:05 Contact Sutliff & Stout for a Free Consultation

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