Recent Blog Posts
Truck drivers are susceptible to distractions
Truck drivers must maintain their professional status through a specialized drivers license, ongoing training and thousands of safe hours on the road. Even with all that in place, however, various activities tempt them while they are behind the wheel. From making phone calls to eating snacks, any activity that pulls a driver’s focus from their surroundings can end up being a deadly distraction.
Whether they are staving off boredom or simply attempting to be productive behind the wheel, truck drivers often find themselves multitasking while navigating traffic. Unfortunately, without absolute control, these enormous vehicles can devastate smaller cars and trucks on the road. From crowded city streets to fast-moving highways, 18-wheelers, construction vehicles and commercial trucks represent the largest vehicles and the biggest hazards on the road.
What distractions are common?
Whether they are multitasking, communicating with loved ones at home or attempting to reduce boredom from the monotonous miles on the road, truckers often seek distractions to shorten the trip. This can mean numerous types of activities, including:
The long-term impact of spinal cord injuries
Injuries to the neck and back are a common result of serious vehicle collisions and other accidents. Unfortunately, if those injuries impact the spinal cord itself, injured people may face lifelong challenges. What should you know about these injuries?
What impact can a spinal cord injury have?
Because the spinal cord links the brain to the rest of the body, an injury to this part of the body can permanently change a person’s physical abilities. The impact of a spinal injury can involve:
- Weakness in the areas below the injury
- Pain
- Difficulty breathing
- Issues with bowel or bladder function
- Changes in sensitivity, including numbness or difficulty sensing temperature
- Loss of movement or paralysis in the areas below the injury
These changes can alter a person’s ability to enjoy their life, pursue a career or have fulfilling relationships in the way that they did prior to their injury.
Recovering Lost Wages in a Texas Personal Injury Action
If you were injured in a car wreck, truck crash, or any other type of accident, you might have been left unable to work. Your inability to do your job might only last for a few days or weeks, or you could be unable to work permanently. Or maybe, you can do some work, but not the same job you did before your accident, and you might not be making as much money as you once did. If any one of these scenarios applies to you, it might be possible for you to get your lost wages back as part of your compensation package in a personal injury claim. The party who caused your injuries would likely be responsible for making up your lost income.
Even if you were only left unable to work for a couple of days, your best bet is to speak with a skilled personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. A qualified attorney can help maximize the compensation you could collect for your time away from work.
Man Injured and Arrested for DWI Following a San Antonio Car Crash
When an impaired person gets behind the wheel of a car, he or she places others on the road in serious danger. This was proven to be true last weekend when a driver who had apparently had too much to drink caused an accident on the North Side of San Antonio, according to local news reports. The crash occurred late last Sunday night.
Officials from the San Antonio Police Department say that a 58-year-old man was taken to the hospital and subsequently arrested for driving while intoxicated after he caused a crash by driving the wrong way on San Pedro Avenue. The police indicate that the man was in the southbound lanes of San Pedro Avenue but was traveling north when his vehicle crashed head-on into a white pickup truck. The driver of the white truck was a 19-year-old woman who swerved in an attempt to avoid the crash. She and her two-year-old passenger were not seriously injured, but they were transported to a local hospital for a comprehensive examination.
Dump Truck Crash Kills Woman in Bexar County
One person is dead after her vehicle crashed into a dump truck on Highway 90 earlier this week, according to reports from the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office. The crash occurred around 8 a.m. Wednesday morning near Pioneer Estates on the far west side of the county.
The BSCO indicated that the woman was driving westbound in her SUV when the dump truck turned onto Highway 90 westbound in front of her. The SUV collided with the back of the dump truck, and the woman was ejected from her vehicle and killed, the BCSO said. The investigation into the crash continues, and the woman’s name and age were not released by authorities as of this writing.
Establishing Liability for Fatal Truck Accidents
While it is not clear exactly what caused this particular crash, it is certainly possible to imagine a scenario in which a large truck joins the flow of traffic in a dangerous manner. For example, if you are driving along and a truck turns out onto the road in front of you, the truck will likely take some time to get up to the speed of the surrounding traffic. If you do not slow quickly enough, you could easily find yourself colliding with the back of the truck. In such a scenario, the truck driver could be to blame for not yielding the right of way to the flow of traffic.
New Braunfels Truck Accidents Caused by Unsecured Truck Cargo
According to data compiled by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, more than 5,000 commercial trucks and buses are involved in accidents resulting in at least one death each year. Some of these accidents involve cargo that was not secured properly. If you or a loved one has been injured in a crash related to unsecured or falling truck cargo, it is important to know how such cases are handled and what the law says about improperly secured loads.
Unsecured Loads Can Have Catastrophic Results
Improperly secured loads have presented problems for as long as trucks have carried cargo. However, a catastrophic case out of Washington State thrust the issue to the forefront of the public consciousness nearly a decade ago. In 2004, a young woman was driving on I-405 when a piece of improperly secured furniture fell off the back of a U-Haul truck and hit her windshield. The woman sustained head and eye injuries that resulted in permanent blindness. Since the wreck, the woman has undergone numerous reconstructive surgical procedures and years of physical rehabilitation.
Passenger Injured, Driver Arrested for DWI Following Late-Night Crash Off I-35
According to San Antonio police officials, a man was taken into custody on suspicion of driving while intoxicated after the man’s car ran off a local highway in the pre-dawn hours of last Thursday morning. The wreck occurred on the Northeast Side of the city at about 2:30 a.m. when the driver went off Interstate 35 down an incline and into a ditch but did not stop there. Police say that the vehicle then launched over a cross street into another ditch, then somehow accelerated again before crashing into a grass-covered median and coming to a stop.
Reports indicate that the driver was evaluated at the scene and arrested for DWI. A male passenger was reportedly transported by ambulance to a local hospital. Police indicated that an investigation into the crash was ongoing.
Collecting Compensation as an Injured Passenger in a DWI Crash
When a person accepts a ride from a driver who is intoxicated, that person is putting himself or herself in danger. Unfortunately, it is not always easy to tell that the driver is intoxicated until it is too late. However, if the intoxicated driver causes a crash in which the passenger is injured, it is still possible for the injured party to recover compensation—even though he or she got in the car with someone who was drunk.
Police and Fire Vehicles Struck in I-35 Accident
Anyone who works as a first responder knows that the job can be extremely dangerous. Police officers and firefighters are regularly put in harm’s way. Sometimes, the most dangerous threat is other drivers. Police, EMS, firefighters, and other first responders are often forced to park on the shoulder while attending to accident victims or pursuing a criminal suspect. Drivers who do not change lanes and slow down while approaching emergency vehicles may strike the vehicles or the pedestrians at the accident scene. This is exactly what happened recently in a New Braunfels car crash on Interstate 35.
Suspected Drunk Driver Strikes Emergency Vehicles in New Braunfels Wreck
Many people assume that the most dangerous part of a wreck is the initial collision. However, the danger is not over just because the vehicles have stopped moving. Vehicles stopped on the shoulder or side of the road are at risk of being struck by other drivers who are not paying attention. Distracted driving, intoxicated driving, speeding, and other negligent driving can lead to secondary wrecks.
San Antonio Accident Leaves 2 Dead and 4 Injured
A car accident can change the lives of dozens of people in a split second. Sadly, this appears to be what happened in a recent crash on the Northwest Side of San Antonio. The collision involved multiple individuals, including a pedestrian who died at the scene of the accident. In all, two people lost their lives and another four were injured. The accident is still being investigated.
Investigators Say the Initial Crash Caused a Secondary Fatal Pedestrian Collision
Many car crashes cause a domino effect in which one car strikes another car which then strikes a third car. In this case, the secondary collision occurred between a vehicle and a woman crossing the street. The first vehicle struck a second vehicle which pushed it into the crosswalk. In situations like these, it can be very difficult for police to know how the accident occurred and who is at fault. It often takes months if not years of investigations and legal actions to understand who is ultimately liable for the injuries and deaths caused in the crash. In the case of the recent San Antonio crash, police report that the driver of the initial collision may have been under the influence of alcohol.
Can You Sue the State of Texas for a Car Accident?
Studies show that the majority of car accidents are caused by driver error. Whether the driver was texting and driving, speeding, or took a turn too fast, negligent driving can lead to serious wrecks. Typically, the at-fault driver’s insurance company is responsible for covering the costs of a car accident. If someone was working when they caused the accident, the driver’s employer is typically liable for accident costs. However, what happens when a government employee causes an injurious crash? Does the government have to pay the victim damages?
Personal Injury Claims Against the State Government
Most personal injury claims are brought against private individuals or companies. Personal injury claims brought against the government differ significantly from claims against non-government entities. Before the 1970s, it was nearly impossible to successfully sue the state government for personal injuries. Fortunately, Texas passed the Texas Tort Claims Act in 1969. This legislation enabled individuals to sue the government and seek monetary damages for injuries under certain circumstances.