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A recent report published in the Houston Chronicle online publication, Chron.com contains an account of an 18-wheeler accident that happened Wednesday night on FM 528.
The report suggests that Joseph Robinson, who was killed in this tragic crash, was speeding in the westbound lane of FM 529. That analysis apparently came from the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.
The report also indicates that a professional truck driver pulled out of a gas station parking lot to travel east on FM 529. While pulling out of the gas station, apparently, the tractor cleared the westbound lane, but the trailer did not.
Read More: Harris County Has the Highest Commercial Vehicle Fatality Rate in Texas
Apparently, Mr. Robinson hit the trailer portion of the big rig, which was extending into his lane of travel. While the factual details are unclear about exactly what took place in the crash, the report is confusing about whether the decedent struck the tractor or the trailer.
Semi-truck drivers, also known as 18-wheeler drivers, are professionals who must undergo professional truck driver training and adhere to safety rules and regulations that are much more stringent than those applicable to passenger cars and pickup trucks.
The reason truck drivers require additional safety training and are subject to specific safety rules is due to the potential for serious injury or wrongful death resulting from a truck driver’s error or equipment malfunction.
While the Chron’s report indicates that the crash is under investigation according to Sheriff’s officials, the 18-wheeler driver clearly had a duty to yield the right-of-way for both his truck and trailer to the westbound traffic. In other words, neither his tractor nor the trailer should have been impeding westbound traffic, which would have caused an accident.
While there is a reference to speeding on the part of the decedent, Mr. Robinson, a thorough accident investigation will determine the speeds of the vehicles, and depending on the year of the Chevy Blazer, the exact speed of the vehicle can, in some cases, be determined by the event data recorder that may be on the vehicle.
Big truck crashes like this are ones in which the family of the decedent should act quickly to retain a real truck accident law firm to investigate the cause of the crash and determine the cause of the crash from the family’s perspective.
Most larger trucking companies have in-house teams that dispatch quick-response personnel, including defense attorneys, as soon as possible after a fatal truck wreck. Smaller trucking companies often rely on their insurance carrier, which, in many instances, dispatches teams to investigate and gather factual data to defend against a potential wrongful death claim.
For a free case evaluation, contact us or call (281) 893-0760.
