Fort Worth Truck Accident Attorneys

Truck Accidents Pose a Significant Traffic Risk

National Trucking Accident Attorney Stewart J. Guss discusses trucking safety on national news with Mike Papantonio on America’s Lawyer https://vimeo.com/218029996 Recent statistics show that fatal truck accidents are on the rise after years of declines, reaching nearly 4,500 fatal crashes per year. Truck accidents involving injuries are also are on the rise after dropping for several years, shooting up to almost 120,000 annually.

Local statistics do not contradict the national statistics. Traffic accidents in Fort Worth have increased by more than 20 percent in recent years. A section of I-35 West in Fort Worth ranks as one of the most congested roads in Texas, with the accidents that accompany high volumes of traffic. Local police statistics show that nine out of the 10 top locations for traffic accidents in Fort Worth lie along this stretch of road.

Statewide, traffic accidents in Texas continue to pose a growing hazard. According to recent statistics from the state, the fatality rate per vehicle miles is rising, as is the overall number of people killed on Texas roads annually. In the most recent available figures, road deaths hit 3,800, a jump of almost 6 percent over the previous year.

As traffic in the Lone Star state increases, so, too, do the number of people dying on the roadways in and around Dallas and Forth Worth. More than 14,000 traffic accidents in Texas each year result in injuries, leaving 18,000 people seriously hurt in those accidents. National statistics show that commercial trucks are a big part of those fatal accidents. Of the 5,000 fatal traffic accidents in the state in one recent year, the federal numbers show that more than 500 of those accidents involved large commercial trucks, accounting for nearly 11 percent of all fatal traffic crashes here. Amazingly, the Texas numbers for fatal crashes involving large trucks amounted to more than 14 percent of all such accidents nationwide.

Common Causes of Fort Worth Trucking Accidents

Texas has some of the most commercial truck registrations of any state in the U.S. Drivers in smaller passenger vehicles must share the highways with these over-sized and heavy semi-trucks every day. While commercial drivers must have special training and special licenses to operate big rigs and other commercial vehicles, they can make mistakes and poor judgment decisions like anyone else. Unfortunately, when a commercial truck crashes, it can cause particularly devastating damage and injuries to others. When an 80,000-pound truck collides with a 5,000-pound car, it’s not hard to believe that the aftermath can be overwhelming. Motorists can sustain catastrophic injuries and regularly need transportation in an ambulance or even a Medevac helicopter. To make matters worse, large trucks can often hit many vehicles at once or experience cargo spills, which can then cause a chain reaction crash. The scene of a crash often takes a long time to clean up and may shut down roads for hours while emergency crews help victims and clear the highway. There are many potential causes of commercial truck accidents in Fort Worth, including:

• Truck driver error
• Violations of Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) or Texas commercial vehicle laws
• Negligent hiring or negligent retention of dangerous or unqualified drivers by the trucking company
• Improper cargo loading or securement
• Inadequate truck maintenance or inspection
• Defective truck parts

Truck wrecks can be highly complex, as many parties may be liable for the losses of victims. You need a Fort Worth truck accident lawyer who knows how to identify which insurance claims need to be filed, such as with the trucking company’s policy or other parties.

Trucker Negligence Can be a Major Factor in Fort Worth Truck Accidents

There are many trucks on the road, and inevitably they have to travel side by side with passenger vehicles, everywhere, all the time. While the drivers of passenger vehicles obviously can make mistakes that cause Fort Worth truck crashes, commercial truck drivers commit errors that end in tragedy, not just for the trucker but the occupants of passenger vehicles around them. Negligent acts by truck drivers resulting in accidents can include:

• Driving drowsy. According to federal statistics, about 13 percent of truckers were fatigued when they were involved in a crash. Other studies indicate driver fatigue could be a factor in 40 percent of all commercial truck accidents.
• Driving under the influence: Truck drivers are not immune to alcohol or drug use while driving. Like anyone else, they can drive impaired and, like anyone else, their impaired can result in accidents with horrific results.
• Speeding: Truckers speed, drivers of passenger cars speed, all drivers speed. Speeding inhibits the ability to react in time to avoid an accident. Speed kills.
• Failure to perform routine actions to ensure safety. Truckers can make improper lane changes, fail to check their rear-view mirrors, and fail to check blind spots., which can be quite dangerous, as tractor-trailers have large blind spots behind, to the right, the left, and even in front, depending upon the model of truck. If you’ve driven a car, you’ve been surprised by a vehicle in your blind spots. For truckers, the much greater size of their blind spots dramatically enhances the possibility of a blind-spot accident involving a tractor-trailer and a passenger vehicle.