A recent article concerning the deadliness of semi-truck accidents prompts me to relate the unbiased findings and opinions of the author - and offer them as support of my regular mantra on the topic. Let me preface this entry by noting that - overall -today's vehicles are designed to endure a head-on crash at 35 miles per hour with minimal damage to the driver and passenger(s).
Automobile engineers are perennially and deliberately striving to create an even more secure driving and riding experience. While we applaud the vehicle manufacturers for this, it cannot be denied that they have a long way to go before they eliminate the average 40,000 deaths that occur annually from car and truck crashes on American roadways.
One of the most commonly fatal types of semi-truck accidents occurs when a vehicle crashes into the back of the rig and 'rides under'. Most often in these cases the top half of the car is instantly sheared off and anyone in the vehicle is killed instantly - a gruesome fact I have seen to many times in my Texas personal injury paractice - but the truth nevertheless. In fact, statistics find that over 400 deaths and 5,000 injuries can be attributed to 'underride' accidents.
Because this type of accident contributes to the annual Texas wrongful death rate in no small measure, more and more legislators are considering answering the call for semi-trucks to install 'underride guards' which are optimally designed to prevent cars from driving under a semi-truck in the case of a rear end collision.
More specifically - the government is calling for stronger requirements than what are currently in place.
Why? Because even with the current use of underride guards crash tests with 'dummies' have results that researchers have stated 'are difficult to watch - because the effects - if translated to real human beings - would still result in decapitation and catastrophic injuries.
Note to the federal government and the semi-truck industry - if you're going to do something - do it right. Create and install underride guards that actually prevent injuries and deaths.
Greg Baumgartner is an 18 wheeler accident lawyer and the founder of the Baumgartner law firm, which is dedicated to helping personal injury victims seek civil justice.
