Texas Truck Wreck Attorney Blog

Semi-truck accidents perpetually plague America's roadways and endanger the lives of innocent drivers and passengers around them - in many cases because of careless driving. Unfortunately, the cause can often be traced to driver error - that of the semi-truck driver that is.

What follows are several accounts of accidents that were the arguably the result of careless rig driving.

*A semi-truck driver in a nearby state failed to gauge the flow of traffic ahead of him on the highway. He therefore did not realize that the traffic was slowing before it was too late. He rear-ended a semi-truck that had slowed in front of him and before the accident was over both semis burst into flames and both trucks and their contents were considered a total loss.

*A semi-truck driver who it was discovered to be an OTR or over-the-road hauler had a dvd player and small video unit installed in his dashboard as a means of staying entertained on the long trips across the country. Unfortunately the presence of a video playback center served as a distraction more than anything else.

When a particularly dramatic filled moment played out on screen the driver lost focus of his truck for more than a moment - and ended up running it off the road and into a field. In this case, no one was hurt - but the driver was ticketed for distracted driving

If nothing else, these stories should serve to remind small car and truck drivers that not all semi-truck drivers are giving their full attention to their 'job'. Your best bet is to drive defensively.

Continue reading "18 Wheeler Accidents and Driver Inattention" »

There are over 5000 wrongful death truck accidents in United States each year. A good percentage of those fatal 18-wheeler accidents happen in Texas. Part of the reason for the large number of semi truck accidents in Texas is the sheer number of miles of highway in our state.

The major metropolitan areas such as Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, Austin and El Paso have a large share of the serious truck accidents either in the city limits or on a highway not far from the city. The majority of serious truck accidents occur on a highway at highway speeds.

The cost to Texas for the large number of semi truck accidents involves both lives and money is substantial. Many times or truck accidents where fortunately there are no injuries but the 18-wheeler overturned and caused a major traffic delay and cleanup effort for the community.

Unbelievably, many trucking companies push their workers to the limit and sometimes cause a fatigued driver, which is clearly an unsafe condition. Other trucking companies just do not monitor and enforce the rules required by the state of Texas and also the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, which can lead to devastating results.

Additionally, many times the actual condition of the big rig can cause or contribute to the accident and in such cases it is not only the truck driver responsible but also the trucking company which bears ultimate responsibility for the condition of the big rig.

If you been the victim of a truck accident in Houston or elsewhere across the state of Texas you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries. Anyone who's been involved in a serious truck accident Texas should consider hiring a Texas truck accident attorney as early as possible to represent them in their claim against the motor carrier and driver.

The National Transportation Safety Board recently called for a ban on the use of cellular phones by professional truck drivers in an effort to curb serious truck accidents. In a recent 18-wheeler accident a semi truck driver's use of the cellular phone was cited as the probable cause of a truck accident that took 11 people's lives. The NTSB investigated the accident and has recommended that commercial truck drivers be precluded from cell phone use except in emergency situations.

In truth, banning cell phone use by drivers whether they are commercial truck drivers or soccer moms is a good idea for safety. The reason that professional truck drivers are single out is because of the potential of an 80,000-pound rig to do catastrophic damage to multiple people such as the accident investigated by the NTSB officials.

In Texas, Gov. Rick Perry recently vetoed House bill 242, which was widely supported in the Texas Legislature as a necessary measure to improve safety of Texas families. The bill would have banned texting while driving in Texas-a known and dangerous distractor and a major cause of serious injury accidents and wrongful death.

While the Gov.'s veto in our opinion was wrong, the government did support additional education on the dangers of texting while driving in Texas, even if there were no funds provided for such education. Texting while driving has been one of the growing dangers on Texas roadways mainly due to the rapid increase of cell phone use and mobile communications. Not only is it possible now to text anytime anywhere, but also video chats and other methods of communication on mobile devices have grown tenfold each and every year over the past several years.

Some experts have suggested that texting while driving can give up as much as 2 car lengths of safety and can be as dangerous as drunken-driving. Let us hope that the ban on commercial truck driver's use of cell phones while driving will be followed by a ban on texting while driving in Texas after Gov. Perry leaves office.

Continue reading "Ban ON Cell Phone Use By Truckers A Good Idea" »

There are many Houston lawyers who handle a variety of legal matters including criminal law, family law, personal injury and wills and estates. Some of these are very good attorneys and very capable in anything that they attempt. The reality is that attorneys who handle truck accidents on an everyday basis are generally better equipped to get the expert witness help and move the case from start to finish without having to reinvent the wheel.

Obviously, semi trucks operate differently than passenger cars and or different animal than a typical car wreck case. Not only are the vehicles different but also the statutes applicable to everyday drivers are different from those that apply to professional truck drivers. The Federal motor carrier safety regulations provide strict rules for both carriers and their drivers across a wide variety of subjects including driver's safety, rules of the road and safety of the tractor-trailers.

Often, a truck accident lawsuit can revolve around the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations and their applicability to the facts of the case. It is essential, that a truck accident victim a Texas truck accident attorney who can recite the regulations that apply in the lawsuit. In short, attorneys who are actively engaged in truck accident litigation are generally better prepared to prosecute a case for victim.

Another factor that families should consider when choosing a semi truck accident attorney is that law firm's track record of success in helping victims of an 18-wheeler accident. While each case is unique the results from any one-law firm can be very revealing in their ability to successfully conclude a serious case.

Although I am officially a Texas semi-truck accident lawyer I am not so inflexible as to be unwilling to acknowledge that some semi-truck accidents are the fault of other drivers - and can end in the tragic injury and/or death to a perfectly lawful truck driver.

*Recently a semi driver was cut off by another driver causing him to lose control of his rig. The 18-wheeler left the highway and crashed into a grocery store sitting directly off the highway. The driver was killed and 3 local fire stations were called in to contain the blaze.

I am always frustrated when I read about semi-truck accidents caused by reckless driving. A split-second decision can result in the injury or death of an otherwise innocent driver.

*In another case the driver of an SUV began tailgating a semi-truck on a two lane highway. In an attempt to let the other driver pass the semi began to pull into an industrial park. He miscalculated the turn, however, and lost control of the rig - causing it to flip on it's side. The rig driver was seriously injured as a result.

Drivers need to settle down when they're behind the wheel of their vehicle - particularly on a two lane highway.

You can start by giving yourself enough time to get where you're going safely and without endangering yourself, your passengers and the other drivers on the road. Start building a fifteen minute window into your destination 'time-frame'.

That may help to dispel some of the pressure you feel to be on time for wherever you are headed and whatever you plan to do.