Learn 5 Important Facts about Car Underride Crashes with 18 Wheelers

The Texas 18-wheeler accident attorneys at Denena Points, PC remind drivers to remain alert to the dangers of underride accident injuries and fatalities. Remember these 5 important facts to know about car or pickup truck underride crashes with big rigs:

1. Trucks’ High Ground Clearances – Tractor-trailer trucks have extremely high ground clearances in comparison to passenger vehicles. That high ground clearance enables them to safely carry up to 40-ton loads over the variable road conditions they encounter. But it also enables passenger vehicles to travel fully or partially underneath the truck in the event of a high-speed crash, generally resulting in serious or fatal injuries from the underride accident.

2. Rear-Impact Guards – Almost 20% of passenger vehicle collisions with trucks are rear-impact wrecks. The high danger of severe underride accidents has caused the federal government to require rear-impact guards on 18-wheelers. But studies and crash data both reveal that these rear guards are often inadequate to prevent a serious underride accident. Some rear guards do not extend all the way across the back of a truck, and others aren’t strong enough to prevent underride in a high-speed wreck.

3. Side-Impact Crashes – Even though side-impact wrecks occur frequently, especially at night when drivers might not see a poorly lit truck trailer, side-impact guards remain rare on the big rigs. And our Texas 18-wheeler accident attorneys point out that corner-impact and side-impact accidents are just as likely as rear end wrecks to result in dangerous underride due to a truck’s high ground clearance.

4. Severe or Fatal Injuries – An underride accident can crush the roof of a passenger vehicle or separate the upper passenger compartment from the rest of the car or pickup truck. The horrific underride accident can lead to severe brain traumas, neck and spinal cord injuries, and internal traumas, as well as to amputations, crushed or broken limbs, or severe lacerations. Many underride accident are fatal.

5. Difficulty in Obtaining Accident Compensation – The Texas 18-wheeler accident attorneys atDenena Points, PC emphasize that trucking companies and the insurance companies that provide their high-dollar policies have vested interests in protecting their bottom lines from your accident claim. Trucking companies and insurance companies both might have highly-paid, well-trained teams of defense lawyers on call in the event of a serious accident. Their goal is to put the blame for a crash on a passenger vehicle driver and minimize the company’s accident payouts. Texas accident victims and their loved ones need the help of experienced Texas 18-wheeler accident attorneys like Tony Denena and Chad Points to build and win a successful personal injury or wrongful death claim.

Click the link to read about a recent severe rear impact wreck between a van and an 18-wheeler.

10 Important Things to Know About Rear End Crashes with Semi Trucks

1. According to data from the U.S. FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration), every year 400,000 or more heavy trucks are involved in motor vehicle accidents in the United States. Our Pearland, TX truck accident lawyers note that around 18% of the crashes are rear end wrecks.

2. Semi trucks can be 40 or more times heavier than a passenger vehicle. A fully loaded 18-wheeler might weigh 80,000 pounds or more. Because of their weight, heavy trucks start more slowly, are less maneuverable, and take longer to stop or change course than passenger cars and light trucks.

3. In fatal rear end crashes between passenger vehicles and semi trucks, passenger vehicles strike the 18-wheelers three times more often than trucks strike the cars. Overall, passenger vehicles rear end trucks 50% more often than trucks rear end passenger vehicles.

4. In almost 20% of rear end crashes where the semi truck was the striking vehicle, three or more vehicles were involved in the crash. But only in 5% of those wrecks where the passenger vehicle rear-ended the truck were more than the two vehicles involved. 46% of the crashes where the car ran into the truck were fatal, but only 16% of those caused by the truck were fatal. The Pearland, TX truck accident lawyers at Denena Points, PC caution that this is because the size and weight of a passenger vehicle does little to slow down a moving truck or prevent it from continuing on to strike further vehicles. By contrast, a smaller passenger car rear-ending a semi can’t budge the larger truck and often ends up under the truck in a severe underride accident.

5. In rear end wrecks involving three vehicles, more than half include at least two heavy trucks. About 66% of those involving four vehicles include at least two semi trucks. This is largely because trucks often travel together in convoys.

6. 41% of fatal rear end wrecks caused by the passenger car striking the truck occurred on interstate highways, as did 58% of those where the truck struck the smaller vehicle. Our Pearland, TX truck accident lawyers point out that only 20% of the other types of fatal 18-wheeler crashes occurred on the interstates.

7. About 66% of crashes where passenger vehicles rear end semi trucks occur at night, but almost 90% of such accidents caused by the 18-wheelers occur in daylight.

8. Almost 5 times more passenger vehicle drivers than truck drivers were intoxicated at the time of the rear end wrecks.

9. In almost 55% of rear end crashes caused by the semi, the truck had at least one brake safety violation. Our Pearland, TX truck accident lawyers compare that number with the only 30% where the passenger vehicle struck the truck.
10. Where passenger vehicles struck the 18-wheelers in rear end crashes, around 40% of the trucks were found to have lighting violations, compared to only 13% of those wrecks where the semi struck the car.

Click the link to read about a recent fatal rear end wreck between a passenger vehicle and a semi truck.

3 Key Safety Tips when You’re Sharing Texas Roads with 18-Wheelers

In a crash between a passenger vehicle and a massive tractor-trailer, the passenger vehicle is bound to get the worst of the encounter. So it’s best to use caution when driving in the vicinity of the heavy 18-wheeled behemoths.

The Pearland, Texas truck accident lawyers at Denena Points, PC offer these three important safety rules to keep in mind as you share the roads with 18-wheelers:

1. Large trucks make wide right turns. Never try to pass on an 18-wheeler’s right side. It’s particularly important to avoid trying to pass between a tractor-trailer’s right side and a curb.

2. Keep your distance when following behind an 18-wheeler. Tractor-trailer trucks have very high ground clearances and rear underride guards are often inadequate to prevent passenger vehicles from traveling partially or fully underneath the truck in the event of a rear-end crash. The passenger compartment could be crushed or sheared off in an underride accident, causing serious injuries or death.

3. 18-wheelers have massive blind spots to the sides and the rear. The general rule of thumb is that if you can’t see the truck’s mirrors, the truck driver can’t see you either. Don’t linger in a tractor-trailer’s blind spots. Our Pearland, Texas truck accident lawyers emphasize that you don’t want to be traveling in one of those visibility holes when the truck changes lanes or takes a wide curve or turn.

Learn What to Do if You Experience a Serious Injury from a Crash with an 18-Wheeler

Download our free guide that provides a roadmap of the steps you should take after a serious crash to protect your rights and build a successful accident claim. Feel free to browse our websitefor in-depth information on specific aspects of truck accident causes, consequences, and claims. Our FAQ responses, blogs, and informational articles might help answer many questions you have.

You could also reach our Pearland, Texas truck accident lawyers anytime through ouronline contact form or at 713-807-9500 to schedule a free, no obligation initial legal consultation to discuss your serious accident and evaluate your eligibility for a full financial recovery for your injuries.

Another Heavy Truck Strikes Disabled Vehicle, Injures 4 on I-35

Friday morning around 3:30 on I-35 near Belton, Texas, a northbound box truck struck the back of a disabled pickup truck causing the pickup to run over the driver who had been checking under the hood. Our I-35 truck accident lawyers mention that reportedly the pickup truck had suddenly lost electrical power on I-35 just prior to the Belton box truck crash.

The driver of the pickup truck received transport to the hospital with critical injuries. Two passengers of the pickup and the driver of the box truck were also taken to the hospital with injuries. (Source: C.J. Gardner, kxxv.com, 6/21/13) News accounts of the incident do not mention what led the driver of the box truck to strike the pickup truck.

The thoughts and prayers of our I-35 truck accident lawyers at Denena Points, PC are with the 4 injured victims of the Belton box truck crash, hoping for their safe and complete recoveries from their injuries. We sadly note that some reports are describing this accident as fatal, without further detail. If those reports are correct, we offer our condolences to the family and friends of the deceased.

The High Risks of Accident Injuries when Vehicles Become Disabled

As the Belton box truck crash reveals, when vehicles become disabled or stalled, the occupants of those vehicles are more vulnerable to accidents and injuries from other vehicles. Even when vehicles are pulled over on the shoulder of the road, other fast-moving vehicles might run into them.

Especially at night and when a vehicle has lost its electrical power and might not even be able to put on its hazard lights, our I-35 truck accident lawyers caution that other drivers might not see the disabled vehicle or its occupants in time to avoid a wreck. Recently, one top manager of Blue BellCreameries was killed and another was critically injured when they were struck beside the highway as they changed a flat tire.

And at night, drowsy, drunken, or distracted drivers pose particularly high risks of a crash. Click the link to read more about how these disabled vehicle crashes happen and what you can do if you’re the victim of a wreck.

10 Important Questions to Ask before Accepting a Settlement Offer for Your Texas Accident Injury Case

Faced with the prospect of a lengthy and expensive trial, insurance companies and defendants are often inclined to offer you a quick cash settlement for your accident injury claim. A quick cash settlement could provide closure and help you get on with your life. It could also drastically undervalue your case and leave you struggling in the future to pay for the ongoing costs of medical care required for your injuries. You might have disabilities after the accident that reduce your income-earning capacity and leave you struggling to make ends meet.

So it’s very important that you consult with an experienced Texas personal injury attorney who could help you answer the following important questions before you accept the offered cash settlement.

1. Do you know and understand all of the potential long-term costs of your accident and injuries yet?
2. Who’s at fault for causing the accident, and what share of the blame does each person (including yourself) carry? The answer might strongly affect how much compensation you will be able to obtain.
3. How complete and convincing is your evidence against the defendants in the case?
4. What evidence do the defendants have and how convincing is it?
5. What are your chances of winning your case at trial? Your Texas personal injury attorney should be able to give you a better idea of your prospects and whether a trial is your best option.
6. Can you afford financially to wait out a lengthy trial to receive financial compensation?
7. Does the offered cash settlement cover the full costs and losses from your accident and injuries?
8. How well funded is your opposition in the case?
9. Do juries in your area tend to award large or small amounts of compensation for your type of accident injury?
10. How comfortable are you with the prospect of a lengthy trial?

Contact the Veteran Texas Personal Injury Attorneys at Denena Points, PC when You need Help with a Serious Accident Injury Claim

The Texas personal injury attorneys at Denena Points, PC have more than 16 years of experience successfully representing injured clients and their family members in all types of complex injury cases, and we could help you too. We are able and experienced trial lawyers Board Certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

Call us at 281-369-4363 or reach us through our online contact form to receive a free and confidential initial legal consultation. You have no obligation to hire an attorney. And your free initial consultation will allow us to discuss your accident with you and evaluate your potential for a full financial recovery for your injuries. Contact us today and schedule your free legal consultation.

On Severe Injuries from Underride in a Car Wreck with an 18 Wheeler

To help them carry their massive loads over irregular pavements and ordinary road obstacles, 18-wheelers have very high ground clearances. Many passenger vehicles could drive under an 18-wheeler in whole or in part. This presents a dangerous hazard when a car collides with a heavy truck.

Even with the presence of underride guards on a truck, our Alvin, TX 18-wheeler accident lawyers note that a car’s hood may sometimes travel entirely under the heavy truck. The car’s passenger compartment might be crushed or sheared off, resulting in head, neck, and other severe or fatal bodily injuries to the vehicle occupants. Depending upon the speed of impact, the car might end up trapped completely beneath the 18-wheeler during an underride accident.

This is just what happened on Monday in Victoria, Texas. A small Ford Focus collided with an oil tanker as the heavy truck pulled away from a stop sign in front of it. The small Ford Focus ended up trapped under the oil tanker truck. The underride accident caused serious injuries to the driver of the Ford Focus as well as an oil spill from the tanker.

Click on the link to learn about the dangers from underride accidents in car wrecks with 18-wheelers. The Alvin, TX 18-wheeler accident lawyers at Denena Points, PC caution you to always keep a safe distance when traveling near 18-wheelers on the roadway. And be alert to heavy trucks that might pull out in front of you suddenly without proper regard for your safety.

Need Help and Information after a Serious Truck Collision has Injured You?

Download our free guide to taking the necessary actions to develop a strong and effective truck accident injury claim. And if you have questions about your specific truck collision injury after a negligent truck driver has harmed you, don’t hesitate to contact us.

Our Alvin, TX 18-wheeler accident lawyers provide a free, no obligation initial legal consultationto discuss your accident and evaluate your potential for a full financial recovery for your injuries. And we never charge attorney’s fees unless we win your case for you. Get in touch with us anytime through our online contact form or reach us directly at 281-369-4363.

Hurdles You Face in a Valid Compensation Claim for a Dump Truck Injury

Aggressive insurance defense attorneys: Our Pearland, TX dump truck accident lawyers emphasize that the big insurance companies can always afford to send in a team of highly paid insurance defense attorneys against you. The companies would also send their professional investigators and accident re-creation specialists to defend high dollar dump truck accident injury claims.

Our Pearland, TX dump truck accident lawyers note incidentally that the insurance policies that cover commercial trucks might be worth more than 50 times the value of the average car insurance policy. The insurance defense team might be on the scene investigating a major dump truck accident before you fully comprehend what has happened to you in the wreck.

The goal of the insurance defense team is to protect their employers’ bottom line. They will make every effort to find evidence that will shift the blame for the dump truck accident back to you. They will look for evidence that will mitigate the potential liability of their clients.

You should remember that the defense in a civil liability claim like a dump truck accident injury case doesn’t have to prove a thing. The burden of proof rests entirely on the plaintiff (you). The defense only has to cast enough doubt on your story so that you can’t prove your case.

Disappearing evidence: Time is of the essence in a dump truck accident claim. Evidence is fleeting. Our Pearland, TX dump truck accident lawyers point out that the longer you wait to initiate your case, the less evidence you’re likely to find to support your claim.

We have seen time and again how almost from the very moment an accident occurs, critical pieces of evidence begin to fade, change, or disappear. Just clearing the scene of an accident irreparably alters and destroys some key evidence. Witnesses begin to leave the scene and to forget what they saw. Vehicles get hauled away to salvage yards and parts get sold or stolen or sold. Defendants who fear the consequences of their liability sometimes destroy, change, or hide evidence. Video surveillance tapes near the scene are routinely re-used and taped over. Even weather can erase some of the evidence you might need.

Trucking companies: Trucking companies see liability claims as a threat to their profits and bottom lines. In the event of an accident involving one of their trucks, they fear that profits will be reduced by a payout to you. Our Pearland, TX dump truck accident lawyers mention that the employees of the trucking company might believe that they could lose their jobs, their profit shares, or at least face pay cuts if the insurance or trucking company settles your claim in a fair amount.

Additionally, trucking company employees are not burdened by industry codes of ethics like the insurance adjusters or defense attorneys who face sanctions or the loss of their licenses when they violate ethical standards. Relieved of such burdens, they might feel free to engage in bullying and intimidation tactics that could take you by surprise. Threats to claimants or witnesses, and manipulation of evidence to give them the ability to deny or drastically reduce your claim are not as uncommon as you might believe. Freed from the restraints of pesky ethical standards, trucking companies could play hardball against you and your claim to protect their assets.

Truck drivers strongly motivated to lie: Truck drivers who negligently cause major accidents and cost their employers loads of money in compensation costs are likely to find themselves quickly out of jobs. The employer just doesn’t want to take chances on other costly accidents. Other reputable companies also likely will not hire the truck drivers implicated in serious or costly accidents.

Our Pearland, TX dump truck accident lawyers realize that loss of his career could represent a frightening prospect for a dump truck driver. Even decent, rule-following truck drivers might be strongly motivated to lie or to tamper with evidence in order to protect their jobs.

You need the help of an aggressive Pearland, TX dump truck accident lawyer who isn’t intimidated by defendants’ desperate tactics. Your skilled lawyer could defend your rightsin the case and help guide you through a successful dump truck accident injury claim against your determined opposition.

The dedicated Pearland, TX dump truck accident lawyers at Denena Points, PC have extensive experience in successfully countering the heavy-handed tactics of trucking companies and big insurance companies. We could meet your defendants’ tactics with an effective counterattack and ensure that they negotiate with you in good faith to reach a just settlement of your claim.

Contact Us Today for a Free, No Obligation Legal Consultation

You have no obligation to hire an attorney. And the veteran Pearland, TX dump truck accident lawyers at Denena Points, PC could use your free initial consultation to examine the specific facts of your accident and potential eligibility for a full financial recovery for your injuries. Contact us today at 281-369-4363 or through our online contact form.

Closure and Wrongful Death Damages after a Deadly Texas Truck Accident

The surviving spouse, children, and parents of the victim of a fatal truck accident are eligible to file wrongful death claims after a tragic accident claims their loved one’s life. The claim could help family members find some closure after the tragedy and also hold the driver accountable for the act that needlessly took a life.

Sometimes a deadly accident claims the life of a family’s primary breadwinner, and the surviving family members desperately need the financial compensation that a successful claim for wrongful death damages could provide. There might be several people that contributed to cause the fatal Texas truck accident. The trucking company, the truck cargo loaders or route planners, the truck driver, and other drivers on the road may all share the fault for the tragedy. You could name all of them as defendants in your wrongful death claim.

Our Board Certified Texas truck accident attorneys emphasize that wrongful death claims based on fatal Texas truck accidents are complex. The high financial stakes riding on the outcomes of wrongful death claims often make these cases difficult to win. Insurance companies will aggressively defend their high-dollar truck insurance policies. Trucking companies might use heavy-handed intimidation tactics against claimants to protect their profits. And clever, highly paid defense teams might try to shift the blame for the accident onto the deceased victim.

To achieve the just outcome and financial compensation you deserve for your tremendous losses from the accident, you need the help of a Board Certified Texas truck accident attorney with long-term experience successfully resolving such wrongful death claims.

Contact the Board Certified Texas Truck Accident Attorneys at Denena Points, PC; We could Help

We have more than 15 years of experience successfully resolving wrongful death claims after fatal Texas truck accidents. And we have a strong background in the trucking industry that other attorneys don’t have.

Contact us today for a FREE and confidential initial legal consultation. You have no obligationto hire an attorney. And we don’t charge you any attorneys’ fees unless we win your case, so there’s no financial risk to you. Call us at 281-369-4363 or reach us through our online contact form, and let us help you find justice.

What to do when Texas Wrecks caused by Shifting Truck Cargo injure You

Just the other day on I-10 in Baytown, Texas, the cargo load of an 18-wheeler shifted while the truck was trying to merge onto the interstate from the Texas 300 Spur. The sudden shift of tons of cargo threw the truck into a rollover. Our Pearland truck accident lawyers remark that the messy Baytown accident scene took hours to clear.

Truck accidents caused by shifting or falling cargo could be fatal to truck drivers and to others on the road nearby. For example, some months back, a truck driven by Otto Tello was carrying a load of drill pipe over a narrow bridge near Schriever, Louisiana when the load suddenly shifted. The pipes shifted backwards and took the truck with it, pulling Mr. Tello and his rig off the bridge into a canal. The Pearland truck accident lawyers at Denena Points, PC sadly note that Mr. Tello died at the scene of the wreck.

Laws Require Truckers to Adequately Secure their Cargo to Prevent Dangerous Accidents

Fully loaded 18-wheelers can weigh 40 tons (80,000 pounds) or more. Due to the dangers of incapacitating or fatal injuries in the event that one of these behemoths wrecks or spills its cargo, truck drivers are required by federal law to adequately secure the massive loads they carry before they take to the road. Where the drivers don’t load the trucks themselves, they’re required by law to check and make sure that the cargo has been adequately secured before they get behind the wheel.

You could Hold Truckers Financially Accountable if their Negligence Harms You

When you or a loved on has been injured because of shifting truck cargo, you might be eligible to hold the truck driver, cargo loader, and/or trucking company fully accountable for the costs of your injuries and losses from the accident. But going up against the big trucking companies and their insurers can be challenging. Unless you have an experienced Pearland truck accident lawyer on your side, you could find your compensation claim minimized or denied altogether by interests more powerful, experienced, and well-financed than you. Highly paid defense teams could ensure that you get nothing for the serious harm you’ve suffered.

Contact the Pearland Truck Accident Lawyers at Denena Points, PC when You need to Win Your Compensation Claim after a Serious Truck Accident Injury

With more than 15 years of experience successfully resolving truck accident injury claims on behalf of your clients, the Texas Board Certified personal injury attorneys at Denena Points, PC could provide you with the legal experience, in-depth knowledge, and insightful strategies that you need to win your claim against powerful interests like the big trucking companies and their insurers.

Call us today at 281-369-4363 or reach us through our online contact form to schedule aFREE, no obligation legal consultation to discuss your truck accident injury and potential eligibility for full financial compensation. Let us help you WIN.

How Vicarious Employer Liability could help You after a Truck Injury

After a truck accident, the company that insures the commercial truck could face massive costs form the injuries and ongoing medical care you might require. So the bottom line-conscious insurer will want to do all it can to put the blame for the accident back on you and minimize the value of your claim, or even avoid liability altogether.

The insurance adjuster might badger you relentlessly in order to try and obtain statements from you that could be used against you as admissions of your own fault. Our Galveston truck accident attorneys caution that the insurance adjuster might also offer you a quick cash settlement. Facing the heavy financial burdens caused by the commercial truck wreck, the settlement might look good to you, but it likely only offers a small fraction of the costs you will face over time from your injuries.

The financial expenses from a commercial truck accident injury can be astronomical to the victim. And the average truck driver is not going to have the assets to cover your costs. Our Galveston truck accident attorneys emphasize that you need to rely on the high dollar value of his truck insurance policy. And where the truck driver is the employee of another entity, you could look to the doctrine of “respondeat superior,” or vicarious employer liability, to help you as well.

Vicarious liability just means that an employer is liable for the negligent actions of his employees while they are on the job (like when they are driving trucks on his behalf). The employer’s assets and insurance policy might be far larger than the truck driver’s. And they could help pay the massive costs of the injuries that a collision with a heavy commercial truck has caused.

Contact the Galveston Truck Accident Attorneys at Denena Points, PC for a FREE Legal Consultation to learn More about Your Potential Recovery after a Serious Truck Accident Injury

We always provide you with a free, no obligation initial legal consultation to discuss the specifics of your serious injury and your potential eligibility for a full financial recovery for your harm. Call us today at 281-369-4363 or reach us through our easy online contact form to get your FREE legal consultation. Learn how our 15 years of experience could help you win your complex compensation claim.