While most of us have seen news coverage of catastrophic truck accidents caused by falling objects from unsecured items in truck beds, most of us never imagine that such a thing will happen to us. Yet thousands of people’s lives are changed every year in the United States when improperly loaded truck cargo comes loose and strikes vehicles, cyclists, and pedestrians.

The injuries from such truck accidents are often serious and life-threatening, often requiring years of treatment and therapy without the chance of a full recovery. If you have suffered from an unsecured truck cargo accident, a Dallas truck accident attorney may be able to help you seek compensation from the responsible party.

Common Objects From Unsecure Truck Loads

As trucks fly down the highway, garbage, rocks, hay, and other small items often come flying out. These can certainly create hazardous conditions. More serious, however, are objects like those used in construction and farming that tend to be heavier and larger, like lumber, rebar, landscaping equipment, and even vehicles like smaller frontloaders and tractors. When these larger objects strike a vehicle or fall into the road, they can cause instantaneous chaos, injury, and death as other cars try to serve to avoid being struck.

Texas sees more accidents involving commercial trucks than any other state in the nation. With the number of big rigs used by our oil and gas industries, this makes sense. More semi-trucks on the roads mean more accidents. However, a good number of these accidents are preventable when appropriate caution is used. Those operating these large and potentially dangerous vehicles have a very important duty to do so as safely as they can. When this duty is not taken seriously, very bad accidents can result. If you were hurt in a truck accident, it is important to speak to an attorney as soon as you can to begin preserving the proof you may need later.

What Causes Commercial Truck Accidents in Texas?

The reasons more commercial truck accidents happen in Texas than anywhere else may be complex. A big part of it is the sheer amount of large trucks used in the oil and gas industries. Unfortunately, when rigs carrying these substances or their byproducts are involved in collisions, there may be additional dangers involving these hazardous materials. Commercial truck accidents may happen in Texas due to:

• Driver fatigue - Oil and gas are around-the-clock industries, as is truck driving. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration sets out strict policies regarding how long a driver can work and how long he must rest in between shifts, but these policies sometimes go ignored in the interest of saving time. When drivers exceed the allowable driving hours, they become more prone to mistakes that can lead to major wrecks.
• Drugs - There is no excuse for a truck driver to get behind the wheel while impaired. There are supposed to be drug and alcohol testing procedures in place to ensure that intoxicated drivers stay off the road, but this does not stop every driver every time. Additionally, due to the long hours and tight schedules, some truck drivers turn to stimulants that help them stay awake, but may also increase reckless driving behaviors like speeding and tailgating.
• Fleet maintenance - Companies are financially incentivized to keep all of their trucks in service at all times. This sometimes leads to companies negligently postponing necessary maintenance because they are reluctant to take a truck off the road, especially if doing so would cause delays.
• Distraction - Anyone operating such a large vehicle should have their eyes on the road, not on their cell phone. Unfortunately, driver distraction is a contributing factor in many commercial truck accidents, both in Texas and elsewhere.

If you were hurt in an accident involving a semi-truck, it is best to contact an attorney quickly. The sooner an investigation can begin, the easier it may be to identify and later prove the cause of your crash.

Lane change big rig accidents are not all that uncommon. Because of their immense trailer loads, big rigs have larger blind spots than most vehicles, so even if a driver takes extra precautions before changing lanes, he or she may accidentally sideswipe a vehicle when moving from one lane to the next. For that reason, most trailers come equipped with signs that read, 'If you can't see my mirrors, I can't see you.' This known fact also makes it difficult for accident victims to recover compensation in a lane change big rig accident. However, that does not mean that recovering compensation is impossible.

If you were involved in an accident that was caused by a big rig changing lanes and if you hope to obtain compensation for your injuries, you must be able to prove that the big rig driver was at fault and liable for your injuries and damages. Because Texas relies on the theory of proportionate responsibility, you do not have to show that the semi-driver was 100% liable; you must only prove that they share a majority of the responsibility-meaning at least 51% of it.

At Clark Law Group, our Dallas 18-wheeler accident attorneys are dedicated to helping accident victims obtain compensation for their damages and losses. If we believe that you have a case, we will conduct a thorough investigation and gather all the necessary evidence to make sure that you walk away with the compensation you deserve.