Houston Truck Accident Lawyer Blog

Several unusual driving accidents have been in the Houston news lately.

*According to the female driver her brakes failed causing her to lose control of her car. It careened through the storefront of a business in a strip mall. Pictures show that it is completely inside the building! Fortunately, the store was unoccupied and no one was hurt - not even the driver who had actually been on her way to a nearby locale to get her hair done.

*Recently another driver lost control of his vehicle - and it ended up in a local and well known waterway. Emergency crews responded - and the only injuries were cuts and scrapes - and a bruised ego. It seems the driver was probably distracted by holiday errands. His wife will probably have something to say about this.

*A teen driver on her way to work ended up driving into the back of a delivery truck - in a delivery truck accident where the operator was busy sorting holiday packages to be dropped off at surrounding houses. The driver joked and called this a 'special delivery'. The teen, who had intended to drop off packages at the delivery company before arriving at her job - handed the mail to the driver who gladly accepted responsibility for posting and sending it.

Everyone is busy at this holiday time - which is reason enough to stay focused on your driving until you reach your destination safely. THEN you can get into the hustle and bustle of the season.

Greg Baumgartner is a semi truck accident attorney and the founder of the Baumgartner law firm, a Texas personal injury law firm dedicated to helping families of people injured or killed in accidents. For a free no obligation consultation with an 18 wheeler accident attorney call the Baumgartner law firm at toll free at 1-866-758-4529.

I am a semi-truck and automobile accident attorney. I see the tragedy that can result from these accidents on a daily basis which prompts me to regularly address the public about some of the more simple safety driving precautions. I hope the following will be beneficial to you and your family when out motoring.

*Don't drink and drive. Certainly there has been enough media attention on the dangers of this particular behavior. Even if you've only had a couple drinks your driving acuity may be impaired. I always suggest that those who enjoy a night out on the town find a safer way home than getting behind the wheel of their vehicle themselves.

*Don't drive distracted. Researchers have found this behavior to be as dangerous as drunk driving in many cases. That means - put your cell phone down and keep your eyes on the road. Don't eat your breakfast or dinner, don't finish getting ready for work, don't discipline the kids, and don't watch a movie or read the paper (yes, this happens). Keep your eyes on the road.

*Don't allow your car to fall into disrepair. Take it in for regular check-ups. Keep the tires filled and replace them when the tread is worn. Keep all fluids topped off. Change your oil when needed. Keep your brakes in tip-top shape and keep the gas tank filled.

Do not be the cause of an injury or fatality accident because of your own negligent behavior.

If you have lost a loved one after a fatal accident contact an experienced and successful wrongful death attorney as soon as possible after the accident before critical evidence disappears.

Continue reading "Causes of Fatal Auto Accidents" »

If improperly loaded trucks pose a hazard to the driving public - one can be sure that so, too, does an improperly parked truck. Now, there is no question that truck drivers are usually faced with a dilemma in most parking situations. In city driving - there is usually little room to turn or maneuver and few parking areas allotted to hold a vehicle of such massive size and girth. Highway driving is equally problematic.

If a semi-truck driver suddenly needs to pull off the road - it requires ample space for them to get up to speed again before pulling back onto the road. Of course, it is true that over-the-road or long-distance truckers are usually able to find a place to park either short or long term if they need to grab a bite to eat or get some sleep (most are equipped with sleeping berths).

Unfortunately, even though there are ordinances that govern where a truck can stop and park - often truck drivers overlook these rules in the name of convenience. When this happens -accidents that result from improperly parked trucks are very common - and many have resulted in catastrophic injuries or even death.

Recently, reports indicate a UPS driver double parked his vehicle on a busy city street to drop off a package. In the moments it took for him to exit the truck and return, a teenager rear-ended the delivery vehicle because he did not realize it was stopped. The young man suffered extensive spinal injuries and is still not walking.

In another incident, a semi-truck driver pulled off a freeway ramp to get a few hours of shut-eye. An older man on his way to work failed to see the truck and sideswiped it - flipping his own vehicle. He died at the scene.

If you have questions about a truck accident and would like to speak with a truck accident attorney about your rights and options call the Texas truck accident attorneys at the Baumgartner Law Firm for a no obligation consultation.

The truck driving industry is fraught with dangers and problems compounded by lower profit margins and greater competition. Poorly maintained equipment, unprofessional drivers and questionable industry tactics are but a few of the challenges that have the potential to impact the driving public at large.

In addition, an often hidden hazard in the trucking industry is an improperly loaded truck. In these instances, cargo has a tendency to shift and this can adversely affect the trajectory of a tractor trailer causing a number of scenarios.

For instance, in one case improperly loaded material shifted when a truck took a highway curve too quickly and the tractor trailer overturned. The driver was thrown from the vehicle and later died from injuries he sustained. The driver was not responsible for loading the material on the truck - and the accident remains under investigation while blame can be determined.

Recently, the Baumgartner Law Firm handled a semi truck accident case where a big rig rolled over and a passenger was seriously injured, in the case we sued both the driver and the company who loaded the semi truck.

Another example of an improperly loaded truck is one that has been overloaded. An overloaded truck can cause the tires to burst, the vehicle to roll over, difficulty in bringing the truck to a stop or causing the brakes to fail altogether, and jackknifing. Too, an overloaded truck may not be able to maneuver up a steep incline.

As you can tell, an improperly loaded truck - one that is under or overloaded or one in which the load has not been secured correctly - can lead to deadly accidents. This is just one more reason to give semi-trucks a lot of room on the open road.

Continue reading "Houston Area Loading Accidents" »

Tanker trucks are a specific type of semi-truck designed to carry liquefied loads, gases or dry bulk cargo. Because this encompasses such a wide variety of products tankers take a variety of forms.

Tanker trucks are actually prone to roll over accidents for several reasons. First, the design of the carrier makes it more likely to roll in extreme weight shifts. Then, if it does roll, it has a tendency to roll multiple times (like a ball) before coming to rest.

Tankers are also more difficult to stop in certain circumstances and behave very differently when loaded than when empty. Truckers who drive tankers must be aware of the unique ways in which this vehicle behaves under different circumstances before getting behind the wheel and taking to the open road.

Unfortunately, other causes of tanker truck accidents are similar to that of fellow semi-truck drivers. Driver fatigue and inattention are two reasons for serious truck accidents. A poorly maintained vehicle or inexperience can also lead to injury and death of the truck driver or other innocent drivers and passengers on the road.

Finally, tankers are usually transporting flammable or toxic materials that make them an even greater danger and more reason to travel cautiously - a warning to all those on the road. Tanker trucks in particular are the cause of several accidents a week in and around Houston and the country. Some are deadly - all are unsettling and even the truck accident without injury can have huge costs in cleanup and traffic delay.

Continue reading "Tanker Truck Accidents" »