In northwest Harris County on Wednesday night about 10, a driver died after he struck an oil tanker that was pulling out of a gas station. The impact occurred on FM 529 at Fairview. The driver died at the scene; the tanker truck driver remained uninjured. Harris County investigators were working to determine the cause of the tragic tanker truck crash. (KTRK abc13.com, 11/28/13) The Harris County tanker truck crash attorneys at Denena Points, PC convey their condolences to the family and friends of the deceased driver.

One out of Nine Traffic Deaths are due to Crashes with Large Trucks

U.S. NHTSA data from the National Center for Statistics and Analysis shows that one out of every 9 traffic deaths in 2008 involved a large truck of some type. In that year, about 308,000 large trucks weighing over 10,000 pounds were involved in traffic accidents. 4,066 of them involved fatal crashes. The fatal accidents killed 4,229 people (11% of all U.S. traffic deaths for that year). 90,000 other people were injured in those wrecks.

In those crashes, 7% of the deaths occurred in occupants of the other vehicle. 10% of the dead were non-occupants like pedestrians. Our Harris County tanker truck crash attorneys note that only 16% of the large truck fatalities involved occupants of the trucks.

Many crashes with trucks occur at night and as the truck is making a turn or pulling across a roadway, as in the deadly tanker truck crash in Harris County. Often the truck trailers or tankers are poorly lit, and approaching drivers may not see them before they crash. And while most trucks have some type of rear underride guards, most do not have side guards.

The dangers of injury or death from a truck crash are greatly increased if the truck is carrying hazardous materials. Hazmat increases the risks of explosions, fires, serious burn injuries, and inhaling toxic fumes. Our Harris County tanker truck crash attorneys point out that the latest Vehicle Inventory and Use Survey by the U.S. Bureau of the Census estimated that about half of all hazmat truck cargos are combustible liquids like the oil in the tanker truck in northwest Harris County. And a 2001 report to the U.S. FMCSA indicated that Class 3 hazmat, combustible liquids, were involved in 64% of hazmat crashes where the dangerous cargos spilled or got released during the wreck.

The U.S. Bureau of the Census estimates that:

• 11% of all truck freight consists of hazmat cargo.
• 7% of all truck ton-miles of freight are hazmat.

A TIFA (Trucks Involved in Fatal Accidents) report showed that from 1991 to 2001, Class 3 hazmat accounted for nearly 50% of the hazmat cargos in fatal crashes. In half of those trucks, gasoline, the driver of our car-dependent culture, was the cargo that spilled.

Some statistics on large trucks hauling hazmat that are involved in fatal wrecks:

• 67% have cargo tanker bodies.
• Rollover is the first harmful event in 12% of the crashes.
• The most common first harmful event in these crashes, at 69%, is a collision with another motor vehicle.
• 636 hazmat cargo releases occurred during fatal truck crashes from 1991 to 2001, an average of 64 per year. By contrast, our Harris County tanker truck crash attorneys remark that during the same period 6,246 releases of non-hazardous cargos occurred, an average of 625 per year.
• The probability of a hazmat cargo spilling during a crash is around 50% higher than for non-hazmat cargos: 31% spilled in an average year, as opposed to just 21% for non-hazmat.

A 2001 report to the FMCSA said that highway accidents involving hazmat cargos have a societal impact cost of over $1 billion per year. That was 12 years ago. The annual cost has risen considerably since then.

One crash of a truck hauling hazmat in a crowded area carries enormous potential for injuries, fatalities, property damage, personal and economic disruptions from road closures and evacuations, and lingering symptoms from exposures to toxic materials. That statistics reveal that liquid hazmat cargos have a much greater potential to be spilled during a wreck than liquid non-hazmat cargos is alarming.

Contact the Harris County Tanker Truck Crash Attorneys at Denena Points, PC for a Free Initial Legal Consultation if You or Your Loved One was Harmed in a Crash with a Large Truck

Our Board Certified attorneys have more than 12 years of experience investigating the causes behind serious truck collisions and successfully resolving complex personal injury and wrongful death cases on behalf of our clients. Our expertise and counsel could guide you to informed decisions after a serious truck crash has changed your life.

Call us at 713-807-9500 or reach us through our online contact form to schedule your free legal consultation. We’ll discuss the specific facts of your accident and evaluate your eligibility for a fair financial recovery for your injuries and losses. You have no obligation to hire an attorney. And we never charge you attorneys’ fees unless we win your case for you. Contact us today and let us help you recover.

Read More About Hazmat Dangers: Deadly Tanker Truck Crash Claims Life in Harris County…