Our Houston truck wreck lawyers have mentioned before the key importance of accurate truck route planning to the safety of truckers and other motorists on our roads. Truck drivers are under heavy pressure to safely deliver their cargos in the quickest amount of time. To do that, they need a trip route plan that will let them safely get to their destination without exceeding road weight limits, running onto overpasses, or sinking into roads that can’t carry the weight of their trucks and cargos.
Truck route planning is a heavy responsibility. The route planner must account for the latest changes in road conditions due to construction, weather, or previous wrecks. The planner must also know the heights of overpasses, widths of bridges, tunnels, and roads, and weight limits of bridges and roads, among other things, in relation to the height, width, and weight of the loaded truck.
When truck route planners are careless and make an error, truck wrecks can result. The truck wreck might cause loss or destruction of the truck cargo, damage to roads and bridges, damage to nearby vehicles, and/or injuries to the truck driver and other motorists and pedestrians.
An accident on Friday in Southwest Houston at Elgin and the Southwest Freeway serves as a good example. An 18-wheeler hauling a tanker of diesel fuel ran into a series of overpasses. The overpasses offered 14 and 15 feet of clearance, but the truck was 16 feet in height. Our Houston truck wreck lawyers point out that the height difference here between the overpasses and the truck represents a classic failure in truck route planning. Countless accidents result from similar failures to account for height differences between a truck and the overpasses it will encounter along the way to its destination.
The 18-wheeler and its diesel tank became wedged under the overpasses, and dislodged portions of the overpasses, which strewed rubble on the roadway. Fortunately, the tank, although damaged, did not leak diesel fuel, which would have required an even more extensive cleanup and road closure due to HAZMAT issues. As it was, all lanes of the roadway were closed for several hours while rescue crews extracted the truck and trailer and cleaned up the debris. Our Houston truck wreck lawyers suspect that there will also be some delays while the overpasses undergo needed repairs.
Sometimes truck drivers plan their own routes. But typically, a third party contractor or an employee of a trucking company plans the route. But no matter who does the planning, the truck driver is responsible for checking the route for safety before taking to the roadway.
If you’ve been injured because of a truck crash, and you need to know if you’re eligible to claim financial compensation for your injuries from the trucker, trucking company, or truck route planner, just contact our Houston truck wreck lawyers for a free consultation/case evaluation. We have more than 12 years of experience winning substantial recoveries for victims injured in truck accidents. And we have extensive background in the trucking industry itself, which helps us to accurately pinpoint causes of a truck wreck as well as to identify the parties liable for the costs of your injuries.
Let us help you make a full recovery from your truck crash injuries. Call us toll free at 877-307-9500 or use our web contact form to schedule your free case evaluation/consultation.