Truck Accident Lawyer Blog : Houston Truck Accident Lawyer & Attorney : Arnold & Itkin Law Firm : 18-wheeler injuries, semi accidents : Texas, San Antonio, Austin, El Paso

Just a week after an 18-wheeler driver was arrested for causing a fatal accident with a school bus, another large truck–school bus accident in Jacksonville, Texas left 15 school children injured.

Last week, the driver of an 18-wheeler that crashed into a Marion County School bus last year, was arrested. That driver, Reynaldo Gonzalez, was reportedly using his cell phone just before or during the accident, which left a 13-year-old school girl dead. Ironically enough Jacksonville’s emergency response team is scheduled to stage a disaster drill next month, and the chosen situation is a school bus-truck accident.

This week, according to an 18-wheeler driver, he was driving at a high speed and was unable to stop when a traffic light turned red. The 18-wheeler ended up broadsiding a bus, full of students from Nichols Intermediate School. At least 4 students were rushed to the East Texas Medical Center - Jacksonville and a total of 15 students were taken to other hospitals in the area. There were a total of 29 children on the bus, all between ten and twelve years of age. The 18-wheeler driver was ticketed for failure to control speed.

Failure to drive at posted speed limits for tractor trailers - which are lower than speed limits for passenger vehicles - is negligent behavior for the driver of a large truck. In the Jacksonville accident, the 18-wheeler driver was driving at 55 mph. If he had crashed into the bus at that speed, police say the tractor trailer could have torn the bus in half and caused multiple fatalities.

As parents of the children who were injured in the Jacksonville 18-wheeler accident thank their stars their children walked away from the accident with minor injuries, trucking lobbying groups are supporting a new bill. The Safe and Efficient Transportation Act of 2009, which would increase the allowed weight limits on 18-wheelers to up to 97,000 pounds, from the current 80,000 pounds, will put larger, heavier, more dangerous trucks on the road.

Truck Safety

Everyday, truck accident lawyers hear from anxious families and victims across the country who have been severely injured in 18-wheeler accidents, unsure about who to turn to. We do not need larger, heavier trucks on our roads, we simply need to ensure that the existing 18-wheelers on our roads are in good driving condition, that drivers are well trained and screened before they are hired, and that the trucking company takes all steps to ensure that drivers follow safe driving practices.

If you or a loved one has been injured due to the negligence of a truck driver or trucking company, a truck accident attorney can help you get back on your feet.

Contact a truck accident lawyer, at Arnold & Itkin LLP you find the answers and resources you need after a truck accident.

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Two different pairs of 18-wheelers were involved in a multi-vehicle accident on a snow covered highway in Utah last week, near the border of Beaver County and Iron County. At least 7 people were hospitalized with injuries and one infant was reportedly killed in the crash.

According to reports, the pile-up was initiated after an 18-wheeler and a car collided. Moments later, another 18-wheeler headed in the same direction crashed into the rear of the first big rig. The accident led to a traffic block and several other accidents were reported. Soon after the initial pile-up, two other 18-wheelers jackknifed behind the vehicles that were already clogging Interstate 15. Utah Highway Patrol has confirmed that one infant was killed in the accident and 7 people were hospitalized with minor injuries.

A major disaster was averted by rescue crews after one of the 18-wheelers involved in the accident began leaking fuel. That truck contained 1,000 gallons of fuel, all of which had to be emptied from the truck before the highway could be reopened. According to Utah Highway Patrol officers, the roads were slick and slippery due to a snow storm earlier that day. Officers are pointing to this as the most likely cause for the accident.

18-wheeler drivers are required to drive, not only according to posted speed limits, but also taking into account the weather and traffic conditions on the road. Snow storms and heavy rains have lashed several parts of the country in recent weeks. These have left wet, slick roads in their wake and have made driving conditions more dangerous for motorists and for. For 18-wheelers, driving slowly and cautiously on slippery road surfaces is extremely important. These large vehicles are prone to jackknifing and, when they lose control on a slippery road, they create dangerous conditions for vehicles around them. During bad weather conditions normal speed limits for 18-wheelers should be ignored and drivers should slow down to ensure they retain control over their vehicles.

18-Wheeler Accident Lawyer

Filing claims for damages in a Utah truck accident or any 18-wheeler accident requires the expertise of a truck accident lawyer who can determine the amount of your claim and get you the resources you need.

If you have been injured in an 18-wheeler accident, contact an 18-wheeler accident attorney at Arnold & Itkin LLP for a free evaluation of your claim.

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Emergency medical crews that responded to the scene of an 18-wheeler accident in Dallas, Texas on January 30th were not expecting the sight that greeted them - a big rig was on top of a Toyota Corolla and one of its rear wheels was touching the chest of the car driver.

It took fourteen emergency vehicles hours to extricate the driver of the Toyota Corolla. The man suffered serious injuries and was rushed to the Harris Methodist Hospital in Dallas; he is said to be in critical condition. The other passenger of the car and the big rig driver managed to escape the accident with no injuries.  According to the female passenger, the two of them heard a crash and the next thing they knew, they were pinned under the 18-wheeler. Investigators say they will look into the possibility that the driver of the big rig failed to notice the car as he changed lanes. That can sometimes happen when an 18-wheeler is sharing the road with other, much smaller vehicles; because of the driver's elevated position, cars that are too close behind the big rig  may be in a blind zone, not visible to the driver. Of course, we do not yet know if this was the case. The Sheriff's Department has confirmed that they will conduct a full investigation of the 18-wheeler accident, including administering alcohol and drug tests to the driver and checking for any mechanical failures on the truck that may have been responsible for the crash.

Investigating a Truck Accident

A truck accident can result for a number of reasons, ranging from driver fatigue resulting from overwork, to failure of the trucking company to maintain the truck properly. It can also be the result of a combination of factors. That is why investigations of causes of an accident  should begin immediately, so vital evidence can be isolated.

When a victim of an 18-wheeler accident decides to pursue claims for damages, their truck accident lawyer will also initiate investigations to ascertain liability. There may be more than one party that holds accountability for the accident and all of these parties should be investigated. All of this requires financial and technical resources and only a large, experienced law firm will have access to these resources.

If you have been injured or lost a loved one in a big rig accident, contact an experienced 18 wheeler accident lawyer at Arnold & Itkin LLP for a free consultation.

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On January 19th, a new federal trucking rule went into effect and has stirred up a longstanding debate on consecutive trucking hours and how they impact the 18-wheeler accident rate.

The Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration issued its final decision on trucking hours, extending truck driver work hours from the previous 10 hours to 11 consecutive hours within a 14 hour window from the beginning of the work day. Before the start of the work day the driver must have at least 10 hours of rest. The rule was issued in 2004, but legal challenges delayed its enforcement until now. The trucking industry has vigorously championed the new rules, claiming studies show that driving more than 10 hours consecutively does not pose a higher risk for accidents. These studies also include statistics that say the number of big rig accidents has fallen consecutively in the past three years; 2005 saw 5240 deaths from 18-wheeler crashes compared to 4808 in 2007.

Not surprisingly, the industry is against reverting trucker hours to the older, 10-consecutive-hour rule. However, truck safety proponents and truck accident lawyers will continue to protest the new rules, which place motorists at undue risk. Truck safety proponents have discounted the studies cited by the trucking industry and suggested that more litigation will be in the works if the Obama administration does not re-evaluate the new rule. Safety groups face strong lobbying from the trucking industry that stands to lose more than $2 billion a year if the work hours are reduced.

Profits for the trucking industry should not come in the way of endangering motorists. The trucking industry cites studies it has conducted itself, in controlled conditions; these are, simply, insufficient. The new rule does not take into consideration the fact that, often, truck drivers manipulate log books in order to work longer hours. More studies should be conducted and the rule should be evaluated by the new administration to ensure that profit motives of the industry do not compromise the safety of motorists. 

18-wheeler Accident Claims

Driver fatigue is one of the biggest causes of truck accidents and is often due to drivers' manipulation of log books, so he can work more than the stipulated hours. It takes solid expertise and years of experience litigating truck accidents to pursue a claim against a trucking company or other parties responsible for an 18-wheeler accident.

If you have been injured in a truck accident, contact an 18-wheeler accident lawyer at Arnold & Itkin LLP for a free consultation.

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The driver of an 18-wheeler fell asleep at the wheel while driving along Interstate 20 in Grand Prairie, Texas, causing the big rig to overturn; the driver escaped with minor injuries. 

On January 20, after falling asleep at the wheel and overturning his 18-wheeler, the driver was taken to a Dallas hospital and was, reportedly, out of danger; no other vehicles were involved in the accident. According to reports, when the driver nodded off, the tractor trailer veered to the left side of the freeway and crashed through 170 feet of guardrail before overturning. Police said that investigations will commence soon, and will look into whether or not the driver was exceeding his hours of service.

Driver fatigue at the wheel of an 18-wheeler is the cause of many accidents involving these vehicles, reported every year in Texas. Dozing off or falling asleep at the wheel is just one sign that a driver has not had adequate rest between shifts. Investigations by commercial vehicle enforcement officers will reveal if the driver's logs indicate that he had been driving for longer than the stipulated hours and when his last rest break was. New trucking rules allow a trucking driver to work 11 hours consecutively, and mandate a rest break after a 14 hour shift. The possibility of truckers manipulating their logs in order to work longer than the hours allowed is a very real one, and truck safety groups have called for a return to the previous 10-hour work rule. The trucking industry, however, has been reluctant to bring back the old hours due to the losses it would suffer going back to the 10-hour work rule.

Driver fatigue is an aspect of driver behavior that can be dangerous in any situation, but when you're talking about an 80,000 pound 18-wheeler, the consequences of nodding off at the wheel can be catastrophic. In this particular accident, it is extremely fortunate there were no other vehicles in the vicinity when the big rig toppled over and, consequently, no other injuries. 

Truck Accident Lawyer 

A person injured in a truck accident caused by driver negligence or fatigue can file a damages claim against the trucking company that employed the driver. These truck accident lawsuits can be complex, requiring extensive investigation and a look at the driver's logs, as well as his background. The truck accident lawyers at Arnold & Itkin have represented hundreds of clients over the years in truck accident injury cases and have earned them the compensation they deserve. 

If you or a loved one has been injured in a truck accident, contact a truck accident lawyer at Arnold & Itkin LLP for a free consultation.

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