Truck fires- investigation long overdue

There has been an increasing trend involving semi truck accidents in the United States – they catch fire.

Unfortunately, big rigs that catch fire do not generate the same level of scrutiny that an investigation of a car fire would involve.

Recently, the NTSB initiated an investigation regarding a FedEx tractor-trailer fire that involved striking a school bus and resulting in the death of 10 people. Reports indicate that the agency planned to investigate the cause of the fire as an area of “long concern”.

As a Texas truck accident attorney, I can say unqualifiedly that the number of big truck fires is extraordinarily high.

Just today, an 18-wheeler caught on fire in a crash on Interstate 10 in Houston early this morning. The truck wreck shut down the freeway for about eight hours before all lanes were opened to commuters.

Another recent Houston fatal truck accident occurred on US 290 that also involved a truck fire.

Most of the fires involving semi trucks that we see in our law office, involve a fire that occurred at or after impact and the resulting fire can often cause a fatality.

Big rigs are generally designed with the fuel tank outside of the frame and such a design on a passenger car has been found to be unreasonably dangerous and discontinued many years ago. However, manufacturers have continued to design big trucks with gas tanks exposed to impact.

Undoubtedly, a serious investigation into truck fires by the NTSB is long overdue.