Houston Truck Accident Lawyer Blog

There seems to be as many causes of semi-truck accidents as there are collisions themselves. Over time, though, semi-truck accident reconstructionists have come to several conclusions that may be helpful for all drivers to be cognizant of while on the roads - whether you be in urban, rural or highway traffic.

*A commercial semi-truck may weigh up to 80,000 pounds while the average personal vehicle comes in at approximately 4,000 pounds depending on type and passenger capacity. It would seem immediately obvious from these statistics that the personal vehicle and its passengers are more likely to suffer extreme injury and damages than the larger 18-wheeler. This is a simple scientific fact.

*While personal vehicles may have the newer ABS braking systems, a semi-truck (or other commercial vehicle) may be equipped with any number of braking systems from S-cam air brakes that utilize air pressure, to anti-lock brake system (ABS) equipped tractors or even electronically controlled braking system (EBS) equipped trailers. Each of these types of braking systems produce distinctively different stopping experiences due to such factors as 'drag' on the vehicle.

*Unfortunately, the drivers of passenger vehicles are just as likely to be the cause of an accident between their car and a semi-truck as the rig driver - often because the average driver is unaware of some basic information related to semi-truck driving.

For instance, semi-trucks lack the same maneuverability of a passenger car meaning they cannot accelerate, steer or apply the brakes at as quick a rate as cars which makes it difficult to avoid collisions with aggressive or distracted drivers.

The best advice is to drive defensively around semi-trucks.

Greg Baumgartner is a semi truck accident attorney and the founder of the Baumgartner law firm, which is dedicated to helping personal injury victims seek civil justice. If you would like to speak with a big rig accident lawyer call the Baumgartner firm.

Accident reconstruction as a profession has become increasingly sophisticated over the past few decades due to improved technology and the creation of various organizations that are charged with the oversight and investigation of collisions and/or disasters of all types. In my Houston personal injury practice I frequently use accident reconstruction experts to help analyze and present the case.

Vehicular accident reconstruction is a scientific process that involves the examination and analysis of motor vehicle collisions that ultimately result in professionals drawing conclusions as to the likely and probable cause and factors that contributed to the accident.

Many elements are taken into account. For instance, 'reconstructionists' employ such things as the laws of physics - including linear motion and kinetics - as well as engineering principles when recreating an accident scene. Today they are able to input information into computer software programs designed to support accident reconstruction investigation - thereby allowing for a more accurate analysis of all of the data.

Accident reconstruction is used most often in vehicular collisions that result in fatalities and wrongful death claims and/or serious personal injury cases. Courts and other relevant groups have begun to rely increasingly on the findings of those employed in this field. Information from their conclusions may be utilized to develop safer highways and even in the overall design of motor vehicles.

Those who work in the field of accident reconstruction must receive special training and/or have advanced skills. Typically, forensic engineers, law enforcement specialists or private consultants are those that have the expertise to carry out this work.

In some instances, particularly in wrongful death accidents which are investigated by DPS troopers an accident reconstruction may be done by the troopers and their training such that their own opinions regarding the cause of the accident may be admissible in a court of law.

The case law is split on whether an officer can testify as to the officer's opinion regarding the cause of an accident and the defining elements on whether the opinions may be admissible is the training of the officer in accident reconstruction and the actual work done with the scene.

If you have lost a loved one in an 18 wheeler accident or have been seriously injured you may want to speak to an 18 wheeler accident attorney regarding the potential for reconstruction of the specific accident.