Semi Truck Accident Attorney in Texas
Serious semi truck accidents in Texas occur on interstate highways as well as urban or rural roads. With mounting pressures to deliver large cargos to as many destinations as possible, commercial trucking companies are often compelled to push the limits on safe trucking practices.
Trucker fatigue
One of the top causes of Texas semi truck accidents is truck driver fatigue. Federal truck safety laws set limits on the number of hours a driver can operate a truck without taking a break. If a truck operator has been on duty for more than eleven consecutive hours or behind the wheel for more than ten consecutive hours, he or she is required to rest for seven hours. It is not uncommon for truck drivers and trucking companies to falsify safety logs and cut corners to save or make more money.
Negligent trucking business practices and commercial driver error can result in different types of accidents and incidents on Texas highways:
- Jackknife while swerving to avoid vehicles or obstacles on the road
- Brake failure or tire blowouts due to poor truck maintenance
- Overturned tractor trailer due to unbalanced or improperly loaded cargo
- Fiery crash due to flammable cargo
- Toxic contamination from hazardous cargo
Texas Truck Accident Attorney
Damages caused by a Texas semi truck accident can reach millions of dollars. And accidents typically involve many parties and all types of losses and casualties such as the following:
- Wrongful death
- Severe spinal cord and traumatic brain injuries and burns
- Property damage
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Trauma, pain and suffering
Since massive semi trucks can require a tenth of a mile to come to a full stop, it is advisable for drivers to allow trucks to pass them because it is safer to drive behind them. Besides maintaining a safe distance, it is also advisable to make sure you are not driving in the truck driver’s blind spot.
Fully loaded, a semi truck can weigh up to 80,000 pounds compared to a 3,000-pound passenger car. Because of this disparity, the damages and casualties from a Texas semi truck accident are seldom minor.
We can help
Since the laws governing truck safety can be complex, it pays to seek the help of a knowledgeable, competent semi truck accident attorney in Texas, such as Derryberry & Zips PLLC. Derryberry & Zips PLLC. also represent truck accidents involving 18 Wheelers and tractor trailer trucks. Contact us today.
