Auto - Truck Accident Lawyers
The trucking industry generates billions of dollars of revenue for our national economy. At the same time it puts trucks weighing over 5 tons on the same roads as passenger cars that may only weigh 1 ton. Large trucks on the road means the possibility of fatalities and serious injuries.
Texas has a disproportionate share of our nation’s truck accidents, according to statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Semi trucks and tractor trailers cause a large percentage of all accidents in the U.S. each year. Because of the size and weight of these trucks, drivers and passengers of sedans and other smaller vehicles are at an enormous disadvantage in the case of a collision with a truck.
Trucks can weigh over 10,000 pounds, compared to a typical sedan weight of 2,000 – 2,500 pounds. Cars and their passenger can easily be crushed by tractor trailers, causing injuries and death. If you or someone you care about were injured in an accident involving a truck contact us as rapidly as possible after the accident before evidence begins to disappear.
Based in Houston, the firm is primarily known for its Social Security Disability practice but also represents clients in motor vehicle and trucking accidents, third party work accidents, wrongful death, business injuries, waterfront and dock accidents, injuries from dangerous premises, Longshore and Harbor-workers Compensation and other personal injury matters.
The Texas Transportation Institute found that 20 percent of fatal truck accidents in the 1990’s involved improperly licensed drivers. This figure not only includes overworked and inexperienced drivers but also drivers with no license; those with suspended, revoked, or expired licenses; and drivers who left the scene of an accident without providing license information. In 1999, nearly 30 percent of fatal crashes in the US involving large trucks featured truck drivers with at least one prior speeding conviction.
Truck driver fatigue is one of the causes of trucking accidents. Many truck drivers have traditionally driven for long periods of time both in order to earn overtime and to meet shipping deadlines. In April 2003, the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) passed new Hours of Service regulations for truck drivers for the first time in 60 years.
These rules restrict the number of continuous hours a truck driver may drive without rest and how many consecutive days they may drive. However, many drivers and carriers continue to violate these new regulations, and trucking and shipping companies may be held liable.
Another cause of tractor trailer collisions is the lack of maneuverability of large trucks, which can lead to a truck overturning or crashing into other vehicles on the road. Underride accidents occur when cars, with standard bumper heights of 30 inches, go under a truck, with typical bumper heights of 45 inches or more. While newer regulations require trucks to have bumper height modifications and reflectors, many older unsafe trucks remain in use. Other causes of collisions are driver alcohol and substance use.
Makris Law Firm understands the unique nature of truck accidents and helps accident victims recover compensation for their injuries and other damages.
Makris Law Firm Truck Accident Reviews
Texas has a high number of truck accidents, as reported by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Semi-trucks and tractor-trailers cause a significant percentage of all U.S. accidents each year. Drivers and passengers in smaller vehicles are at a huge disadvantage in these collisions.
