Texas Truck Wreck Attorney Blog

I have been a Texas truck accident attorney for what seems to be a short period of time but in reality is over 25 years. One common theme in 18 wheeler accidents is that they tend to be very bad for the other vehicles occupants.

Such injuries as fractured spines, closed head injury, broken bones and paraplegia are very common in semi truck accident cases. Additionally many commercial vehicle accidents involve one or more wrongful death claims. The reason that we see such serious injury and high incidence of fatalities is due in part to the weight of the big rig compared to the vehicle it strikes. Analogies abound but it is similar to a professional football player running over a kindergarten student.

Walking away from a highway speed truck accident is a very fortunate person. The sheer mass of the big rig can wipe out entire families and even multiple victims in multiple cars. Not long ago, 11 people perished in a truck accident and this tragedy only serves as an example of the devastation that can be caused by an 18 wheeler.

Trucking companies and truck drivers all must operate under rules applicable to motor carriers and professional drivers, and for interstate travel that is the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations. The regulations have been adopted by many if not most of the states including the state of Texas and provide specific standards of care for companies and drivers. The extra regulation is necessary because of the potential for serious injury or wrongful death from a truck accident.

Today, there is a push toward less regulation by government and in the area of truck accidents we are in need of greater regulation as opposed to less regulation. The lives of the public depend upon the enforcement of the safety regulations to protect families and even truckers.

Continue reading "Why Truck Accidents Are So Severe" »

While motorcycles may beckon its owner to hit the open road - it should come with a great amount of caution because - unfortunately - many car and truck drivers fail to see motorcycles until it is too late. There are a number of circumstances in which a car or truck and motorcycle accident can occur - and the drivers of the larger vehicles often offer the following excuses.

#1 - I didn't see the motorcycle and/or the driver. Now you may be asking yourself how this could be but often a larger vehicle driver is looking for other cars and trucks. Motorcyclists have a tendency to be able to move agilely between lanes - but this ability to move quickly and freely make them harder to notice and react quickly.

#2 - Hazardous road conditions are much more dangerous for motorcyclists than car and truck drivers for the simple reason that the motorcyclist has no protective body surrounding them in the event of a crash. He or she has no airbags or seat belts - it's only him and the protective clothing they may be wearing. Even at that - many states no longer require motorcyclists to wear a helmet which places them in even graver danger.

#3 - Weather conditions also present greater problems for the motorcyclist than the average vehicle driver for much the same reasons as stated in reason #2. Motorcycles are more difficult to handle on wet, snowy or icy roads - and other vehicles can lose control in challenging weather conditions putting motorcyclists in danger.

Drive defensively - whether you are on a motorcycle or in a car or truck.

Continue reading "Motorcycle Accidents " »

One factor that is often overlooked by many lawyers attempting to handle truck accident cases is the condition of the brakes and the effect of that on the braking capacity of the 18-wheeler.

In some truck accident cases, particularly if there is no braking or if brake activity would not be relevant in determining what caused the accident then testing the brakes is not necessary.

In other cases, however, the condition of the brakes can have a huge impact on the outcome of a 18 wheeler accident lawsuit.

The reason that brake testing is so important is that both the truck driver and the trucking company have certain duties they owe as a matter of law with respect to the truck brakes. Additionally, maintenance companies may also owe a duty based upon their agreements with the trucking company or the work that they did on the big rig.

There are certain allowable limits and also acceptable parameters with respect to the truck brakes performance and deviations can be important in both evaluating the cause of the accident and in correctly placing responsibility.

It is critical that the Texas truck accident lawyer that you select be well-versed in not only the inner workings of a semi truck but also the parameters of acceptable braking and the ability to test the 18 wheelers brakes.

Occasionally I must return to the simple topic of safety tips - one I harp on with great regularity but people are still getting in accidents so it must mean I need to repeat myself! Hopefully my readers will not regard me with disdain when I inform you that today's tips will be as of yet unheard of and unaddressed by me!

Writing about traumatic brain injuries from accidents over the last couple weeks got me to thinking about the types of things that might pierce the brain in an accident. It occurred that in a collision those items that are loose in the car have the potential to go flying on impact and don't tend to stop until something stops them - like a part of your body.

Canned goods, bowling balls and other sports paraphernalia, even books and pens have the potential to catapult and harm. Always keep items secured in the vehicle.

A second rule of thumb should be to always slow down as you come up to an intersection and glance to both sides to ensure a driver is not running a red light. It is a statistical fact that one of the types of collisions most likely to be fatal is when a car or truck hits yours at a 90 degree angle.

This is your most vulnerable position - airbags and seat belts offer minimal to no protection for significant side impact accidents. There is no shame is having a healthy skepticism towards other drivers on the road.

Red lights get run all the time and are a leading cause of wrongful death from a car accident in this country.

There - two pieces of good advice - hope you use them.

A Texas man was hospitalized after being severely injured in a truck wreck on Highway 185 not far from US 59. The injured man was flown to Corpus Christi after being cut out of his vehicle.

The truck accident happened when the man driving a pickup truck rear-ended a commercial truck carrying gravel. Texas state troopers investigated the accident and supervised the traffic, which was backed up for cleanup and rescue.

The driver of the pickup truck has not been identified as of this date. Hopefully, his injuries are not life threatening. Whenever a victim is flown to a hospital it is not a good sign as for as injury goes.

There are no reports regarding the speeds of the vehicle at the time of the accident. Given the fact reported by DPS that the pickup driver had to be cut out of his vehicle, the impact had to be significant and the speed disparity great.

Commercial vehicles are required to maintain standards regarding design of the bumpers and under ride potential. Truck accident attorneys who handle mainly truck accident cases should be well versed in analyzing not only the cause of the accident but also the cause of the injuries.