Houston Truck Accident Lawyer Blog

As a semi-truck accident lawyer - data is an integral part of my practice. What follows are some vital statistics that should be of interest to consumers.

*The average weight of a semi-truck is 80,000 pounds. That's 40,000 tons and in comparison to the average weight of a car coming in at 5 or 6 thousand pounds it is easy to see that major injuries are usually the result of semi-truck/automobile accidents.

*Statistics show that an automobile traveling at 60 mph in good weather and decent road conditions actually covers 88 feet for each second of forward motion. That translates to nearly a third of a football field each time you count to 'one'.

At that rate it takes the car nearly 300 feet or, conversely, no less than 3 seconds to come to a full stop. At the same time and in the same conditions it takes a semi-truck nearly twice as long to come to a complete stop. Even if a semi appears to be moving at a slower pace - their ability to react to a sudden change in the traffic pattern is negligible at best.

*In all, there are nearly 5200 large truck fatalities annually in the United States and almost 100,000 injuries as well. Moreover, there are an additional 140,000 truck accidents each year that do not result in fatalities.

Travel at a safe distance around semi-trucks and be cognizant of their ability to cause injury and death to unsuspecting drivers - and sometimes through no fault of their own.

Continue reading "100,000 Truck Accident Injuries Each Year" »

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" »