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If you need legal help after a speeding accident in Houston, you need a reputable Houston Speeding Accident Attorney who can help you navigate your case efficiently.
When a commercial truck driver steps behind the wheel of an 18-wheeler, their responsibilities differ from those of a regular driver in a passenger car. A tractor-trailer can weigh up to 80,000 pounds without a special permit. When a semi-truck driver speeds, it puts everyone around them at risk.
Yes. Speeding is a major factor in many car accidents. One reason is that the faster you travel, the less reaction time you have to react to something in front of you. Also, your reactions must be perfect, or speeding may worsen the situation. In short, the faster you are traveling, the less reaction time you have for sudden events. Further, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration indicates these consequences of speeding:
Not only does speed reduce your time for reactions, but it also contributes greatly to serious injury or fatality. Simple physics suggests that the harder the impact, the more likely an injury will occur. With tractor-trailers weighing up to 80,000 pounds, speed combined with weight can lead to devastating crashes. Those who are fortunate enough to walk away from an accident with an 18-wheeler at highway speeds are truly lucky.
According to NHTSA, 26% of all wrongful death crashes in the United States involve speed as a factor.
Speeding with big rigs is an even bigger problem because the truck or tractor-trailer takes longer to stop than much of the traffic in front.
An 18-wheeler takes longer to stop than a passenger car; as a rule of thumb, it takes a semi-truck about one-third longer to stop than a car or pickup truck. This makes the commercial vehicle’s reaction time and speed critically important.
Speeding and driver distractions are the two most frequent causes of commercial vehicle accidents. Many trucks have what is called “black box” event data recorders on board the tractor. Special equipment is needed to download the evidence after a truck accident, and if the vehicle has an event data recorder, speed is part of the data shown from the computer chip.
Expert witnesses also educate juries about the speed of vehicles involved in an accident. These experts are trained in crash reenactment and use science and physics to formulate opinions on speed. Because most commercial vehicles now have computer data, expert reconstructionists mainly confirm the speed reported by the onboard computers. If you think you were in an accident with a speeding truck, call our skilled truck accident law firm for a case evaluation.
18-wheelers provide a higher viewpoint than most other vehicles, giving truck drivers more time to prepare for sudden traffic stops. In some cases, improper speed can cause rear-end, jackknife, and rollover accidents.
Weather conditions can play a role. Professional truck drivers must adjust speed in adverse weather. If conditions are unsafe, the driver must pull off the road (when they can do so safely) and stop the trip until conditions improve.
Without a doubt, driver error is the single largest factor in most commercial vehicle crashes. Driver error is a very broad term and can include many factors. Some of the more common driver errors that Texas truck accident attorneys see frequently are:
Let an award-winning truck accident lawyer in Texas review your case. We have been winning multi-million-dollar commercial vehicle accident settlements for over three decades.
There is no obligation for the consultation or fee on the cases we accept unless we win your case.
Contact the leading truck accident lawyer in Houston at 281-893-0760 or email us today.