When Trucking Accidents Occur in the State of Texas

The City of Houston is well-known for the number of large commercial trucks which share the roadways with other vehicles. Because the Houston area is a primary shipping route, with over three million residents in Houston and outlying areas, it is considered one of the busiest thoroughfares in America. There is also considerable truck traffic resulting from the surrounding petroleum-transport areas as well as the many 18-wheelers from out of state which continuously travel through the Houston area. When you factor in the amount of truck traffic in the area you can see that accidents are much more likely to happen simply due to the sheer volume of truck traffic.  In 2008 Houston saw 421 fatalities involving large commercial trucks and although that number was down to 284 fatalities by 2010, the numbers are still sobering.

Why 18-Wheelers are Dangerous to Smaller Vehicles

The Houston area accounted for approximately 8 percent of all fatalities associated with trucking accidents in the entire United States. Considering the sheer size of an 18-wheeler—particularly when it is fully loaded—in the event a truck crashes into a passenger vehicle, those in the smaller vehicle are obviously at a clear disadvantage. Even though trucks are now required to have under-ride bars at the rear, when a passenger car runs into the back of an 18-wheeler the impact is four times as likely to cause death than when the reverse is true (when the 18-wheeler rear-ends a passenger vehicle). A loaded truck easily weighs 20-30 times as much as a passenger vehicle meaning it takes a good forty percent longer distance to come to a complete stop. In the end, when an 18-wheeler collides with a smaller vehicle it is highly likely there will be serious injuries or death.

Factors in Truck Crashes

There are a variety of factors involved in trucking accidents, the first involving driver error. The driver may be exhausted from spending too many hours behind the wheel of the truck, may be distracted or may be driving recklessly or aggressively in an attempt to get the load delivered on time. Drivers could be unfamiliar with the road or be transporting poorly secured cargo. Despite regulations governing the amount of training drivers must have prior to taking to the road, inexperienced drivers are common. Inexperienced drivers might not have the same level of care for the safety of those around him as an experienced driver, or might not have driven long enough to understand how bad weather conditions affect the way the truck handles. Corner-cutting in driver hiring is common and despite the fact that comprehensive background checks are required, in many cases there are drivers on the roadways who simply don’t have the experience to be there.

Mechanical Defects 

Because of the extreme weight of a fully loaded truck, brake failure can be deadly. While it is rare that brakes will fail totally, when maintenance is neglected the brakes will not perform as they should, meaning the driver is unable to stop as expected.  The heavy loads put an incredible strain on the braking system and when regular maintenance and repair are not routinely performed the consequences can be deadly. Inexperienced drivers may not have the experience necessary to understand how to properly apply the truck’s brakes when going down a steep incline, leading to partial or total brake failure. Defective tires can also be responsible for trucking accidents and most of us have seen the rubber debris left behind when a truck tire blows out. Blowouts are generally a result of tire defects, lack of proper tire maintenance, or a trucking company which mounts mismatched tires with dissimilar wear on a truck. 

When Cargo Has Been Poorly Secured

It is common for trucks to carry loads which tend to be top-heavy or, in the case of liquid transport or the transport of beef carcasses, the load can shift with stops and turns, leading to a very dangerous situation. Few drivers are excited about transporting what is known in the industry as “swinging beef,” as the carcasses can begin swinging in unison in the same direction, building up so much momentum that the truck can be turned over. A tanker truck which is only partially loaded with liquids, whether it is gasoline or milk, can begin sloshing forward and back each time the truck slows down and speeds up. Just as with the beef carcasses, the liquids can cause the truck to turn over under certain circumstances. Any type of cargo which is not properly secured can end up scattered all across a freeway or highway, causing additional accidents with serious consequences.

Accidents Caused by Fatigue

Although new laws dictate that truck drivers may not be behind the wheel for more than eleven hours at a stretch, research clearly shows that after drivers have been driving continuously for more than eight hours, the likelihood of an accident more than doubles. Even with the new laws, there are plenty of overly-fatigued truckers out on the roadways. When truckers aren’t driving they aren’t getting paid and when they are not delivering a load the trucking company isn’t making money. There is little incentive for either the truck driver or the trucking company to keep the driver off the road once they become fatigued however this practice puts the rest of the drivers on the road at risk. Drivers are required to keep records of their time behind the wheel via books known as log books but many truck drivers simply keep two sets of log books—one with the correct hours for the employer and another set with the allowed number of hours driven.

What Truck Accident Victims Need

Whatever the reason for a trucking accident the result will almost always be very serious. Victims of trucking accidents may be so caught up in getting proper medical care that they don’t have the time—or even know how—to take care of the legalities. Trucking companies tend to “circle the wagons” once an accident occurs and will use every trick in the books to shift the blame to the driver of the passenger vehicle. It is imperative that victims of trucking accidents hire experienced tractor trailer accident lawyers as soon as possible following the collision in order to ensure their rights are fully protected.