Houston Truck Accident Lawyer Blog

Semi-truck accidents that cause catastrophic injury and death occur nearly every day in and around Houston and across the state of Texas. What follows is a short litany of reports of vehicle collisions that occurred over the past week or two.

*On a clear Sunday morning a passenger vehicle collided with a semi-truck on a rural Texas road - leaving the driver of the car dead as a result. The investigation is still in its preliminary stages and anyone who was witness to the accident is asked to contact the authorities.

*A particularly heinous semi-truck accident last week led to the decapitation of a small truck driver as he passed under the turning rig on a Texas country road. In this case, the final determination of fault is still pending while accident reconstruction is underway. But it is difficult to imagine the emotional trauma incurred by surviving family and friends. Truck accident attorneys sometimes see this type of injury with 18-wheelers jackknifing across the roadway.

*Not all semi-truck accidents involve drivers and passengers in other vehicles. A man unloading a rig was pinned by a semi-truck while on the dock and died as a result. Preliminary reports say that there were no witnesses to the accident except the driver of the 18-wheeler - which may make getting to the truth of the accident difficult to discern. Loading accidents are much more common that one would expect, heavy cargo can be very dangerous if not loaded properly or if there is not enough manpower or proper equipment for the job.

Semi-trucks are dangerous vehicles and should be treated with a respectable caution when you are driving or otherwise in the vicinity of these big rigs because the sheer size of a tractor- trailer makes than dangerous.

Continue reading "Recent Texas 18 Wheeler Accidents" »

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.

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.

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" »

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" »

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" »

Semi-truck accidents are some of the more gruesome types of collisions on the roadways - for obvious reasons. In any type of run-in between a 40 ton vehicle and a 5 or 6 ton car or light truck there can be no doubt that the injuries and damages will be catastrophic for the smaller motor vehicle and its driver and passengers.

While we have discussed some of the more germane statistics related to semi-truck accidents - they bear repeating on a regular basis - if only to serve as a reminder to all drivers on the road to drive defensively.

*One in eight - or 12% of - highway fatalities are the result of a collision with a semi-truck.

*The more populous states can experience rates of semi-truck accidents that are 3 or 4x higher than their less populated counterparts. For instance, the number of semi-truck deaths is clearly 3 times greater in Indiana and Michigan than New Mexico.

*Regulation is imperative. The bottom line in the trucking industry is the bottom line. Many companies and even independent drivers have been found to make choices that adversely affect other drivers on the road in order to improve their own profitability.

*Some of the more common driving errors on the part of semi-truck drivers include distracted driving, drowsy driving, speeding and driving in unsafe weather conditions.

If you see a semi-truck driver taking chances on public roadways - contact the local highway patrol or police agency. As cliché as it may sound - the life you save may be your own.

Continue reading "Fatal Accidents with Big Rigs" »

The National Transportation Safety Board is not a legislative body and cannot, therefore, enact laws related to any mode of transportation - air, marine, highway or otherwise. However, they are an investigative group who throw the full weight of the government into researching the cause of accidents and drawing conclusions from which they make transportation related recommendations.

The public can access their reports dating back several decades. For our purposes let us consider some of the recommendations made related to semi-truck driving and safety. As mentioned in a previous blog, reports indicate that after an accident that took the lives of 10 people when the truck driver lost control of his rig and crossed into the path of a van when he became distracted by his cell phone, the NTSB has called for a ban on cell phone usage of any kind by semi-truck drivers when they are actually in the act of driving itself.

Needless to say, many truckers are up in arms about this proposition. They claim they use the technology safely and to impose a blanket proclamation of this kind is nothing more than an impingement on their civil rights. However, commercial trucking is an industry - and subject to the regulatory and legislative oversight necessary to ensure (as best as can be done) the safety of the driving public in general.

I urge my readers to take the time to visit the ntsb.gov website and review some of the more recent accident investigations and resulting recommendations. You will find that the accident reconstructionists have been extremely thorough in their investigations - explaining in painful detail how the events of some of the more horrific semi-truck accidents unfolded - and how they can be prevented in the future. This is an exceptional example of our tax dollars at work.

Continue reading "NTSB Investigations of Truck Accidents" »

Unfortunately, it is often only in the case of catastrophe that our government and other organizations can be persuaded to make common sense changes that improve the safety and well-being of the public at large.

Such is the case with banning cell phone use of any kind by semi-truck drivers who are behind the wheel of a rig and motoring down America's roadways. Last year, in a reported accident that can be characterized as nothing less than horrific, a 45 year old semi-truck driver lost control of his rig in the pre-dawn hours of a perfect morning, crossed the median and struck a van carrying 12 people - killing himself and nine passengers in the van.

Reports indicate that records show that he had dialed a number just as the vehicle went awry - and had made a combination of 69 phone calls and text messages in the 24 hours prior to the accident. All other causes than distracted driving have been ruled out.

So, now the NTSB is calling for a complete ban on the use of cell phone devices by semi-truck drivers who are driving. That is both hand-held and hands-free devices. No phones, period. No phone calls, period. Keep your eyes on the road and your focus on awesome responsibility of safely moving an 80 plus ton vehicle from point A to point B.

Although the NTSB does not enact legislation - their recommendations carry weight.

So do yours. Contact your state and federal legislators and tell them you do not want distracted semi-truck drivers on the road.

Continue reading "Why Cell Phone Use By Truckers is a Bad Idea" »

Another fatal 18-wheeler accident happened last Friday afternoon on Highway 290 in Northwest Houston. According to reports, the victim was stopped on the right shoulder of the highway exchanging insurance information after a fender bender. While retrieving his insurance information the victim was struck by an 18-wheeler and killed. My heart goes out to the family of the deceased victim.

Reports further indicated that the 18-wheeler driver was taken into custody as a result of outstanding warrants. There is no indication that alcohol was a factor in the accident.

Highway 290 has been notorious for fatal truck accidents like this one. Given the congestion on Highway 290 the likelihood of serious or fatal accidents is increased with the heavy traffic.

Plans have been developed for the widening of Highway 290 but as of yet the plants have not been funded. One of the most pressing needs of the Houston area and in the state of Texas is to relieve traffic pressure in northwest Houston by the development of the grand parkway and also taking steps to improve Highway 290.

Truck drivers are supposed to be professional drivers and we expect more out of them as a professional driver then we do every day drivers. One of the duties of a commercial vehicle driver is to keep a proper lookout to ensure they do not end up in situations like this. A proper lookout is even more critical because an 18-wheeler takes much longer to stop than a passenger car or pickup truck.

Continue reading "Fatal Truck Accident on Highway 290 in Houston" »

Frequently in my Houston truck accident practice I see situations where a tire has failed and it led to a very serious if not fatal accident. On a commercial vehicle, such as an 18-wheeler tire failure can be extremely serious if it is one of the front tires of the rig. Fortunately, big rigs have dual tires on most of the rear axles, which tend to protect the truck from loss of control when one of the dual tires fails.

All of us have seen remnants of a semi truck tire on the highway at times and maybe even had to take evasive maneuvers to keep from running over the remnants. For the past new car owner tire maintenance is critically important to your family safety.

It is the rear tires of a passenger car or pickup truck that can be most problematic after a blowout or a tire failure. Many experts suggest that you slow down gradually without slamming on the brakes and when you can safely do so to pull off the roadway in a safe location.

Many people lose control after a blowout because they are confronted with an emergency and perhaps over steer or steer to the wrong direction, which can lead to loss of control and potential rollover.

One can purchase very inexpensively a tire pressure gauge to check your tire pressure and you should do so at least once a month to make sure your tires are being operated under the guidelines suggested by the manufacturer. Under inflation can be a particularly dangerous issue and can lead to premature tire failure.

When purchasing tires always look to new tires that have been rated highly and have a professional mount and balance the tires as well as ensure they are the proper size for your vehicle

Continue reading "The Importance of Maintaining Your Tires" »

A blown tire by a semi-truck driver initiated a chain reaction on a Texas highway that sent one man to the hospital. The driver of the automobile realized too late that the rig's tire had exploded. He swerved and lost control of the vehicle - flipping it before it came to a stop. Two children in the car were surprisingly unharmed.

In a nearby state an elderly couple's SUV was fully stopped behind a truck. A semi-truck was unable to stop and rammed them from behind - literally crushing the smaller vehicle between the rig and the truck in front of it. The passenger was killed instantly and the driver was air-lifted to a nearby hospital in critical condition.

In another Texas semi-truck accident a female driver was exiting a public parking lot when she was struck by a semi-truck. While the cause of the accident is still under investigation - the woman is in critical condition in a Texas hospital.

And...in another horrific semi-truck accident in another state a semi-truck driver struck a compact car while changing lanes on the highway and literally pushed it along the concrete median for one hundred feet. The car then fell onto the lanes of traffic heading in the other direction and was struck again by a semi-truck traveling in the opposite direction. The woman was killed instantly.

Semi-truck accidents are some of the worst on American roadways. They can be the result of driver distraction, improperly maintained 18-wheelers, driver fatigue or even bad tires on the 18 wheeler.

Drive defensively.

Continue reading "The Many Causes of Truck Wrecks" »

Semi-truck accidents are some of the worst on the roads. Statistics about 18 wheelers and collisions confirm this.

*In a single year recently there were nearly half-a-million semi-truck accidents across the United States that resulted in over 5000 deaths. This translates to a semi-truck accident fatality every 16 minutes somewhere in the country.

*Two-thirds of semi-truck accidents occur with rigs that are hauling a single trailer - the rest are collisions with rigs that have multiple trailers.

*Texas leads the nation in semi-truck accidents and deaths. Other states with high rates of semi-truck accidents include California, Florida and Pennsylvania.

*The majority of semi-truck accidents occur on dry pavement, during daylight hours and on 2- lane, rural roads.

*Semi-trucks logged close to a half billion miles on American roadways in a recent year. This number is expected to increase as the trucking industry is one of the few industries that are expected to grow in the next decade.

*In an accident between a semi-truck and passenger vehicle - 98% of the fatalities are to persons in the car.

*The trucking industry raked in well over half a billion dollars in revenue last year alone. Some of that money is used to employ lobbyists who keep the pressure on Washington to avoid adding more rules and regulations to their business. Unfortunately, we need the regulations to protect our families.

Stay informed.

Continue reading "Regulations Needed to Prevent Truck Accidents" »

A bus leaving Houston going to the Valley crashed after an impact with the pickup truck on Highway 77 near Victoria, Texas.

The bus was a Greyhound bus and in addition to the fatality numerous other people were injured in the truck accident. Apparently, according to reports, the pickup truck glanced off the side of the bus and the bus then careened into a telephone pole.

Numerous passengers were treated at local hospitals and initial reports indicate that the pickup driver was ticketed for failure to yield right of way.

The extent of the injuries from the crash are not known at this time but quite a few people were transported to the hospitals to be treated. Photos from the accident scene showed the crash to be significant ripping most of the front of the bus apart.

Greyhound bus in the United States and Canada carry almost 18,000,000 people each year.

Generally, bus travel is considered among the safest available and reduces the number of cars on the road significantly while reducing fuel cost per passenger mile.

Some Greyhound buses are equipped with three-point seatbelts -generally the newer models. It is unknown at this time whether the bus involved in this truck accident had seatbelts available to the passengers.

Continue reading "Fatal Houston Bus Accident" »