Category Archives: Truck Accident
FMCSA’s Fatigued Truck Driver Regulation Woes Continue
Bureaucrats at the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration added four more electronic logging devices to the naughty list, on the grounds that they failed to meet minimum requirements. The revoked devices are the CTE-LOG ELD, ELD VOLT, Powertrucks ELD and TFM ELDs. The ELDs can be placed back on the registered device list if… Read More »
The Comparative Fault Defense in Truck Accident Claims
Basically, the comparative fault defense is the legal equivalent of a second-half comeback. Law enforcement and insurance company investigators assign fault to a drive in a truck accident based solely on the evidence available at the scene. Legal doctrines, like comparative fault, could change that determination. Like most states, Texas is a modified comparative… Read More »
U-Haul Truck Wrecks and Liability Issues
A full-size, fully-loaded U-Haul moving truck weighs almost 36,000 pounds. People usually need commercial drivers’ licenses and squeaky-clean driving records to operate these massive vehicles. But at a U-Haul establishment, almost anyone with a valid credit card can walk out with the keys. Normally, the negligent entrustment rule applies in rented or borrowed vehicle… Read More »
Top Five Reasons 18-Wheelers Jackknife
Disastrous jackknife truck accidents, which are usually related to one of the five causes mentioned below, are one of the leading causes of fatal large truck crashes. Today’s large trucks are hard enough to control on a regular basis. When the cab is more than a 45-degree angle from the trailer, the rig is… Read More »
FMCSA Addresses the Indirect Effects of Fatigue
Drowsy truck drivers cause about a third of the truck wrecks in Texas. A bold new initiative seeks to destroy the roots of this problem. “The first priority we have is to go upstream in the safety life cycle all the way to prevention,” FMCSA Administrator Robin Hutcheson said during the Midwest Commercial Vehicle… Read More »
The Comparative Fault Defense in Truck Wreck Claims
Large trucks haul much more freight than ever before. The number of vehicle miles traveled has more than tripled since the 1980s. Shipping and transportation companies don’t just expect truck drivers to travel more miles. These companies also expect their drivers to reach their destinations faster. The tight deadline could mean a missed on-time… Read More »
Feds Look To Change Trucker Safety Rules
Since the pandemic lockdown, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has repeatedly watered down key safety laws. The latest effort moves in the opposite direction. A 2017 review of the 2015 FAST (Fixing America’s Surface Transportation) Act determined that the current safety record system was “sound.” But the National Academies of Sciences suggested that… Read More »
What Causes Truck Crashes?
Most Texas drivers have a duty of reasonable care. They must avoid traffic accidents when possible. Truck drivers are common carriers in Texas. Since they are professional drivers, they have a higher duty of care. The law reflects this higher duty of care. A lower speed limit applies to large trucks. The general duty… Read More »
Causes Of Truck Accidents
Missouri City is near two large interstates: Interstate 10 and Interstate 45. These two roadways are known for semi truck activity. When there are a lot of these big trucks on the road, accidents are bound to happen. Semi trucks can weigh as much as 80,000 pounds. This is about 20 times the size… Read More »
Texas Appeals Court Reverses Truck Case Summary Judgment
Highway 281 can be a dangerous road, and recently, while a tractor-trailer was parked on the shoulder of 281, an oncoming car crashed into the parked trailer and the car’s driver was subsequently injured. The car driver sued the truck driver and the truck driver’s employer under the respondeat superior doctrine that says that… Read More »