Houston Truck Accident Lawyer Blog

Injury and fatality accidents that are the result of a semi or other big truck in the act of 'backing-up' are simply much more common than people realize.

In one recent incident a package delivery worker backed over a woman as she crossed the roadway in front of a busy airline terminal. In another case, a garbage hauler failed to see a resident as he was backing up his truck and - again - the homeowner was killed instantly as a result.

Of course, the responsibility lay with the driver (and person in control) of the vehicle but these horrifying accidents carry with them a warning for pedestrians across the country. Simply put - maintain a healthy vigilance when you are in the area of motor vehicles (cars and trucks alike) Even if they appear to be moving slowly a sudden and unexpected movement could result in your injury or even death if you do not behave with caution.

There are really two problems with large trucks backing up. First, the drivers tend to believe that there are less concerns for the persons around them because a truck that is backing up is moving at much slower speeds than if they were traveling forward on a roadway.

This tends to lull everyone into a false sense of safety. Whether a truck is moving backward slowly or forward quickly - pedestrians have little time to react when the vehicle is moving towards them - and the same is true for the driver.

In addition, even all the mirrors in the world do not guarantee that drivers will see everything behind them - in time to react appropriately. There are bound to be valuable seconds of time in which the walker is in a blind spot.

Safety equipment such as rear monitors can be installed for as little as $100 and in my opinion should be installed on all tractor-trailers on the road today as an after market item.

Move cautiously around any type of truck in the act of backing up. Give them lots of room and make sure they can see you at all times.

Continue reading "Loading Accidents Can Be Prevented " »

Reports indicate that a big rig had a blowout while traveling down Interstate 10 near San Jacinto yesterday morning and the result was a fatality. Fire crews and hazardous materials quick response teams struggled to put out the fire which was Northwest of downtown Houston and caused a huge traffic jam on both sides of Interstate 10.

As reported, a witness observed a tire blowout on the tractor-trailer and the driver appearing to lose control and striking the highway divider bursting into flames. Many of the 18 wheelers on the roadway today have the gas tank's exposed on the side of the tractor. Apparently the gas tank caught fire when the rig contacted the divider.

The witness heard an explosion and then saw the flames from the big rig. Reports also indicate that the driver appeared to perish in the fire and that rescuers could not help them due to the intense fire.

Tire failure can lead to very serious consequences such as this fatal accident. The motor carrier has an obligation to ensure that the trucks are in a safe and proper operating condition before they are dispatched. For further information on this Houston area fatal truck accident see the report from chron.com.

Continue reading "Blowout Truck accident a Fatality in Houston" »

If a person is in a vehicle collision one or more bones may be fractured. In that case - anyone administering first aid must behave with great caution.

The symptoms of a fractured bone include (but are not limited to) severe pain at the actual point of the fracture and radiating outward, immediate loss of the ability to move or use the limb in which the bone has been fractured, and an increase in the pain the individual is experiencing when movement is attempted.

If you come upon an accident scene and want to provide help - please consider the following first-aid recommendations.

*First, make sure the victim is out of the way of sustaining further injury.

*Call emergency services immediately. Do not attempt to move the individual if you suspect internal bleeding or fractured bones. To do so may inflict further (even unseen) damage.

*If a bone is visibly jutting through the skin - do not attempt to push it back in.

*Make sure the patient is not having trouble breathing.

*If need be - elevate the broken limb to slightly higher than the heart.

*Cover the wounded area with a dry, clean cloth to avoid further contamination until medical help arrives.

Of course, alternatives in emergencies include splinting a bone or carefully putting it in a sling. If you want to ensure that you have the necessary and proper skills to perform this type of advanced first aid - contact your local Red Cross or similar agency and enroll in professionally conducted first aid classes. It is also amazing what you can learn on Youtube for free.

Continue reading "First Aid After a Semi Truck Accident" »

There have been a number of vehicle collisions on Texas roadways of late. One of the services of this website is to keep Texas families informed about these accidents and any related information of significance that may help them to avoid a similar fate.

*According to news reports, a Texas man took to the road against the advice of his family doctor and caused an accident that left one mother dead in a head-on collision. The man reportedly has epilepsy - a condition that can incapacitate a driver at a moment's notice and leave a vehicle virtually without a motorist necessary for safety.

Witnesses believe they were watching the man in the throes of a seizure even in the aftermath of the accident - and family members of the woman killed were devastated to learn of the event. The man is currently being held in a local jail pending criminal negligence charges.

*Recently a spate of back-to-back accidents on Houston roadways ended in the death of another individual. It began as a minor fender-bender on a busy highway. As police were conducting an investigation an SUV happened upon the scene and was unable to stop before hitting one of the cars involved in the original accident.

Even as ambulances arrived to transport individuals to local hospitals for minor injuries - yet another sports car traveling at a high rate of speed also hit two vehicles. There was one fatality reported and the driver of the sports car was being held - suspected of intoxicated driving.

As everyone driving in Houston, Dallas, Austin or San Antonio knows we have major traffic congestion problems across the more populated areas of Texas.

While Texas has struggled with our state budget, one of the areas that is being left behind is necessary road construction to reduce traffic problems in our state. Our road construction budget really needs to triple to keep up with the population growth in Texas.

Keeping up with necessary road construction in Texas will reduce the number of wrongful death accidents in Texas.

Continue reading "Recent Texas Accidents" »

Not all vehicle collisions - and by that I mean automobile and semi-truck accidents - result in fatalities or wrongful death cases. Much more often there are victims that sustain injuries ranging from mild to catastrophic. Certainly we cannot review them in total in a single article so let us look at fracture related injuries for this electronic entry.

*The term 'broken bone' is a misnomer and not a medical term at all. When there is a break in a bone physicians refer to it as a bone fracture. Common types of fractures include the:

'closed' fracture in which there is a break in the bone but it does puncture through the skin

'open or compound' fractures in which the hematoma (or blood vessels, tissue and or an internal organ) is visible. There is a greater risk for infection with these types of fractures.

'complete' fractures in which the bone fragments are completely separated

''incomplete' fractures in which the bone fragments may remain partially joined
'oblique' fracture or a fracture diagonal to a bone's long axis which is opposite to a 'linear' fracture that runs parallel to the long axis of the bone.

There are addition types of fractures as well - such as ones in which the bone is broken into multiple pieces, ones in which the bone is twisted and ones in which the pieces of bone are actually driven into each other.

The human body - and its bones - are not designed to withstand the impact of a vehicle collision of any type. When one factors in the weight and size of a semi-truck (particularly in relation to an automobile) it is clear that those who are traveling in the smaller vehicle are bound to bear the physical brunt of the accident.

Fractured bones are just one type of injury that is quite common in a semi-truck accident.

It is important to note that emergency rooms frequently take xrays after a automobile accident but many times spinal cord issues do not involve fractures and more specialized tests such as an MRI or CT scan may be necessary.

Continue reading "Fractures From Semi Truck or Auto Accidents" »

As promised I will devote this blog to further consideration of a website started by the family of a young man killed in a semi-truck accident nearly a decade ago.

The website - Road Safe America - is filled with timely and valuable information related to all aspects of safe driving. The goal is to keep the public informed and educated about topics of importance to drivers of all ages.

The co-founder of this site is the parent of the young man who lost his life so tragically. In a show of authentic magnanimity and altruism - the family advocates for increased safety standards for semi-trucks among other things.

For instance, the family makes an impassioned and thoughtful plea for the creation of a national clearing house that tracks the identification of truck drivers who have tested positive for drugs and/or alcohol.

This information would be made available to potential employers as a proactive means of lowering the incidences of semi-truck accidents. Additionally, accident victims and their legal representatives would also be able to access this data in the case of a lawsuit against the driver and/or his company.

Other issues under consideration on the website include a call for decreased speed limits for all types of trucks and increased intervention on behalf of the federal government in a variety of regulatory matters related to the trucking industry in general.

In my daily interactions with families who have lost loved ones or suffered debilitating injuries due to semi-truck accidents I recognize that 'there but for the grace of God go any of us'. I salute anyone who joins in the fight to make semi-truck driving safer for anyone - particularly in the face of personal tragedy.

Continue reading "The Fight to Prevent Semi Truck Accidents" »