Houston Truck Accident Lawyer Blog

Trucking is big business in the United States. One source offers the following statistics.

"The trucking companies, warehouses and private sector in the U.S. employs an estimated 8.9 million people employed in trucking-related jobs; nearly 3.5 million were truck drivers. Of this figure UPS employs 60,000 workers and 9% are owner operators. LTL shippers account for around 13.6 percent of America's trucking sector".

In addition, there are 15.5 million trucks on U.S. roadways of which 2 million are semis and trucks deliver over 70% of all freight in the country.

These figures show how much the truck industry in a vital part of our economy. I doubt there isn't a person out there who hasn't been annoyed by semi trucks on the road at one time or another. They're oversized and intimidating alongside any automobile or SUV on the market and there can be no question they are harmful to the environment.

To safely pass one people worry about the truck coming into their lane and may even be saying a silent prayer. The same holds true when a semi comes up behind you or zooms by with enough force to rock your vehicle.

Yet, a little respect please. The trucking industry is vital to the American economy. Until someone either comes up with an alternative, viable solution for transporting goods from one coast to the other - then semi trucks will be a regular spectacle on our highways and maying the industry safer the challenge of this blog.

I believe it is important to regularly review safety rules related to semi trucks on the road. Please heed the following advice.

1. When you pass a semi truck on the highway always pass on the left side and do not linger beside the truck - otherwise you may be in their blind spot.

2. Never tailgate a semi truck - again they may not be able to see you (for that matter never tailgate at all!)

3. Trucks that are hauling hazardous material must perform a complete stop at all railroad crossings.

4. Semi trucks have eighteen tires that may be problematic. If a tire blows it does so with such force that the flying pieces can cause damage to anything in its path.

5. Watch out for semi trucks parked on the side of the road they can be unexpected and can kill.

6. Be aware if a truck in front of you is turning do not try to pass it until the turn is complete because the driver may not be able to see you.

7. Remember the size of a truck causes it to be slow to start and slow to stop. Give them wide berth on the roadways.

8. Use your turn signals to allow the truck driver to know your intentions. Be sure to turn them off when done to prevent confusion.

9. Be patient. The size of semi trucks makes it understandable that moving them is cumbersome for even the best drivers out there.

As always, be careful and courteous out there.

Continue reading "18 wheeler safety rules" »

Spinal injuries and paralysis as well as brain injuries are not an unlikely result of vehicle collisions and rollovers.

However, other reasons for spinal injuries in a car include seatbelt failures, roof collapse, and seat collapse. Spinal cord injuries are usually either complete or incomplete.

A complete spinal cord injury reflects a victim's inability to function below the level of the injury. There are currently no cures for complete paralysis and those who suffer from this will never recover. Victims who suffer from incomplete spinal injuries will often make full recoveries.

A variety of other back injuries can result from auto accidents as well including whiplash and lumbar sprains. Symptoms of spinal cord injuries may experience a number of symptoms including pain, numbness or loss of muscle control. In addition, one may suffer sexual dysfunction, muscle spasms and infections.

Traumatic brain injuries are caused by the sudden occurrence of physical damage to the brain. They are categorized as either closed head or penetrating brain injuries. Closed head injuries are often the result of a person's head colliding with another object whereas the latter will result when an object pierce's a person's brain.

Automobile accidents are the leading cause of brain injury in all age categories. Statistics place the number of brain injuries due to vehicle collisions at 2 million annually. There have been medical advances to treat these problems but avoiding head injuries is the obvious best idea.

This is your regular reminder to drive defensively - the life you save may be your own.

Continue reading "Spine injury from auto accidents" »

Tire blowouts are a dangerous occurrence for the driver and all those around them on the road. According to the NTHSA at least nine percent of drivers have at least one bald tire on their car that has the potential to blow out.

Motorists who choose to drive on tires that are bald or under-inflated take the chance at experiencing injury and death.

However, there are other causes of blowouts as well. For instance, a defective rim may cut into the side of the tire or allow the bead to break and the tire to slip from the rim. Another cause is low air pressure, and there can even be defects in the tires that can be traced to the manufacturer and lead to a product liability lawsuit.

What should a driver do when they are on the road and a tire blows out? The first thing to know is that when a tire blows it is often a surprise to the driver and one must be mentally prepared and able to control your impulses.

In this way you will be better able to protect your automobile and passengers. First, maintain a firm grip on the steering wheel holding it with both hands and keeping the car straight on the road.

Next ease your foot onto the brake pedal and begin to slow. Hit your turn signal to let the drivers around you know your intentions. Carefully drift to the side of the road and pull off. Turn on your hazard lights and call roadside assistance or change the tire yourself. If you have flares or warning markers - be sure to use them.

Consider making regular tire checkups a part of your maintenance routine.

Continue reading "Tire safety begins with you" »

Recent flash floods and strong storms reminded me that there are special circumstances to consider when driving in rainy conditions and/or through standing water.

Among the more obvious problems are reduced visibility and a tendency to hydroplane in inclement weather. Too, it is common for water to puddle on the sides of the roads so it is better to drive in the center lanes when it rains.

Should you come to standing water on a roadway the first choice should be to turn around and find an alternate route to reach your destination. If that is not possible then start across the waterlogged road slowly.

As you continue if the water reaches the bottom of the doors then back up and out of the water. Streaming water is very dangerous and powerful enough to sweep a car away. If you drive through it too quickly it can also cause the water to wave and further damage your vehicle.

Further, in Houston, several underpasses are misleadingly deep and can put you and your passengers at great risk if you attempt to drive through them.

For instance, should you drive too quickly through standing water - the air intake located at the front of the engine bay may have water sucked into the engine and cause serious damage.

Experts state that it only takes just an egg cupful of water in the combustion chamber to wreck the engine. Driving through standing water that is too deep can also damage electrical parts, brakes and body work and has recently lead to a few drowning deaths in Houston.

Perhaps the best advice to be given is to try to avoid being on the roads in inclement weather and do not drive in deep water.

Continue reading "Watch out for wet roads and running water" »

Teenage drivers present a unique set of challenges to the experienced drivers with whom they share the road.

Automobile accidents are the number one killer of teenagers dwarfing all other causes of death including the other top two - murder and suicide. Statistics tell the grim story. Teenagers between the ages of 16 and 19 are four times more likely to die in an accident than older drivers and - shockingly - 16 year old drivers are 40% more likely to be killed in an auto accident than even 18 or 19 year olds.

There are many reasons for this. First, and most obvious, is the inexperience that comes with beginning driving. Young drivers may take to the road legally after as little as fifty hours of practice driving.

Couple this with the youthful sense of immortality and it becomes immediately apparent that teenagers and driving are often a deadly combination. In addition, though, friends and cells also cause distracted driving that can lead to an accident. But perhaps the two biggest culprits are drinking and speeding.

On the books, it is illegal for teenagers to drink but in reality it happens all the time. Speeding is also against the law but many young drivers do not seem to be able to help themselves when they get behind the wheel of a car.

While it may not be possible to put an end to teenage deaths from automobile accidents there are preventative measures that have been shown to be successful. These include imposing a curfew on young drivers and monitoring their comings and goings more closely.

Continue reading "Teenage drivers at risk for auto accidents" »

Police reports indicate that a driver of a pickup truck fled the scene of an automobile accident after crashing into a car in West Houston Sunday evening.

The auto accident happened on Westheimer near Jeanetta about midnight and reports indicate that the pickup truck is thought to have run a red light prior to slamming into the victim's vehicle.

The driver of the call are that was struck by the pickup has been taken to the hospital and noted as in serious but stable condition.

The Houston area has been plagued by hit and run accidents where a Houstonian has been injured or killed and the driver of the bullet vehicle having fled the scene.

If you have any information about the hit and run please contact the Houston Police Department.

Continue reading "Another hit and run in Houston" »

Technology to prevent or reduce truck accidents has come a long way in the last 10 years. One such technological advancement is the antilock braking system.

In anti-lock braking system is a computerized system that keeps eight trucks wheels from completely locking up during heartbreak application.

The ABS is an additional breaking element in other words it is in addition to a proximal break. The ABS does not decrease or increase normal braking capacity it only activates when the wheels are about to lock up.

ASB systems contain sensors that detect when a truck's wheel may lock up; the system then activates and prevents the wheels from locking up.

ABS systems are particularly helpful on wet roadways and have been shown to reduce jackknife and skid accidents.

Even if an ABS is only on the tractor or only on the trailer it's still provides the truck driver with more control over the vehicle during hard braking applications.

Continue reading "Antilock braking systems on 18-wheelers" »

Traumatic brain injury is a huge problem in the United States. Every year people die from brain injuries and even more people suffer partial or permanent disability.

Estimates indicate that at least 1.7 million Americans sustain a head injury each and every year.

A blow to the head from a car accident, a bump or even a jolt as well as penetrations into the skull, can cause brain injury. Fortunately, not every blow to the head causes brain injury. Some however do cause serious injury.

Head injuries are categorized from mild to severe. And the results of a blow to the head are sometimes unknown after an accident. In a recent blog post I noted the case of a Houston woman he was in a minor fender bender and believed herself uninjured at the time of the accident. The woman exchanged insurance information at the accident scene and went home. The next day, due to headaches, she went to the hospital and she died in hospital 10 days later due to a head injury.

Be particularly wary of lapses of consciousness after a car accident, dizziness, headaches or change in personality after a car wreck. If you have any of these symptoms get checked out promptly.

Many people in car accidents go to the emergency room only to be x-rayed and discharged sometime later. Those people assume because they were checked out they were okay. That is a mistaken assumption, please read your discharge instructions if you suffer headaches, dizziness, lapses in memory or other symptoms after the accident and go back to your preferred medical provider for assistance as you may be suffering from a head injury.

A semi truck flipped over on a Houston toll road this week and caught fire. The tractor-trailer was carrying gasoline and the fire was huge.

According to witnesses the tractor-trailer was struck by a van when another vehicle ran a red light and caused the truck accident.

A massive fire resulted when the trucks fuel spilled onto the roadway and caught fire. The flames were so high that it was well over an hour before firefighters could extinguish the fuel fed fire.

The truck driver appeared to survive the truck wreck without injury. The driver of the van was taken to Willowbrook Methodist Hospital for treatment of injuries.

The traffic on the Houston tollway was backed up and for quite some time closed in both directions. Hazmat crews would have been dispatched to assist in the cleanup whenever a fuel spill is affecting the roadway.

A garbage truck struck and killed a Texas woman this week and the truck driver refuses to discuss the accident. Reports from news media indicate that the woman was crossing the street in North East El Paso when the garbage truck backed over her causing her death.

Police are investigating the truck accident and have not released and official report yet. It remains to be seen if any charges will be filed against the truck driver.

As previous posts have indicated trucks are especially susceptible to running over pedestrians or vehicles when backing up due to limited visibility.

Several safety items have been tested which make commercial vehicles safer when backing up.

The most effective safety devise for backing up in a large truck is the video monitor which shows the driver exactly what is behind the truck. Such monitors are available as an after market devise for around a 100 dollars. A small price to pay for saving a life.

Continue reading "El Paso woman killed by dump truck" »