Recent Blog Posts
18-Wheeler Crash Closes Ben White Boulevard
Recently, a fiery 18-wheeler crash blocked all the lanes of Ben White Boulevard at South First Street, snarling traffic for the morning commute. While no injuries were reported, the truck sustained significant damage after a fuel line was compromised. The fact that no injuries were reported in this type of wreck is remarkable, as crashes involving 18-wheelers are notoriously dangerous. If you are injured in a wreck involving a large truck or semi, you will often have serious injuries and medical bills, and bringing suit against the driver may be a way to seek compensation.
Truck Accidents Are Deadly
The most recent available data from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) show approximately 4,500 fatal accidents involving large trucks in that year, with the average fatality count being 1.12 per accident. However, 83 percent of the deaths in 18-wheeler accidents were not large truck occupants – in other words, automobile drivers and pedestrians were the ones most likely to be injured or killed if involved in a crash with a large truck. This is not unexpected; the sheer size and velocity of an 18-wheeler, especially if the trailer is full, far outstrips that of most passenger vehicles.
San Antonio Truck Accident Serves as Reminder of Crash Risks in Texas
Recently, a man suffered serious injuries in a truck accident on the northeast side of San Antonio after a crash with a cement truck. The man was transported to the hospital by emergency responders in critical condition. At the time of the collision, he was “entrapped,” and emergency responders had to extract him from his vehicle.
This recent collision with a cement truck is not an anomaly—other recent collisions with cement trucks have occurred between San Antonio, New Braunfels, and Austin. At the same time, other serious truck crashes have been reported in those areas and nearby. The Texas truck accident attorneys at the Bettersworth Law Firm want to provide you with some additional information about recent trucking crashes and their implications for driving in Texas.
Recent Large Truck Crashes in the San Antonio Area
The cement truck accident serves as a reminder that trucking crashes in Texas are a significant cause of personal injuries and fatalities. To be sure, just two days before that cement truck collision occurred in San Antonio, a 21-year-old San Antonio resident was killed in a crash with an 18-wheeler in South Texas. The 21-year-old fatality victim had been the passenger in a Mercedes-Benz that veered from its lane and crashed into the right front side of an 18-wheeler truck traveling in a southbound lane on U.S. Highway 59.
Woman Ejected from Car in Rollover Crash
A woman was killed when her vehicle rolled over early one morning, landing in a field near Highway 151 and Pinn Road. There were two car seats found in the back of the vehicle, though no evidence of passengers was immediately clear. Law enforcement said that the woman was ejected from the vehicle because she was almost certainly not wearing a seatbelt and that the immediate cause of the accident was most likely the vehicle hitting the curb and rolling. While no other vehicles appeared to be involved in the crash, this fact pattern does not always repeat itself in rollovers. If you or a loved one has been in a rollover accident, it is possible that you were injured due to someone else’s negligence, and if this is the case, you may be entitled to compensation.
Rollover Accidents Are Deadly
Because of the sheer nature of rollover accidents, with so much weight moving around, rollovers are generally more likely to cause injuries and deaths than other types of car crashes. Statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimate that while only about two percent of accidents are rollovers, those accidents cause as many as 35 percent of all car crash fatalities. This number may even be higher if one factors in a lack of seatbelt usage – approximately 70 percent of those killed in rollovers were not wearing seatbelts at the time of their accidents.
Car Crash with Scooter Kills Student in Austin, Texas
Car crashes in Austin involving pedestrians and bicyclists often are debilitating and even deadly. Often, negligent motorists are responsible for these accidents and resulting injuries. For example, texting while driving might mean that a motorist fails to see a pedestrian who is crossing the street, or an aggressive driver who is speeding cannot stop in time to prevent a collision. Given that electric scooters came to Austin, Texas relatively recently, users of these devices are now at greater risk of involvement in a collision with a motor vehicle. Recently, a foreign exchange student at the University of Texas, Austin was killed while riding an electric scooter. The crash occurred between the student and a motorist in a 2006 silver Volkswagen Jetta.
Motor vehicle collisions can happen quickly and without warning. If you believe your injuries resulted from another driver’s negligence, it is important to learn more about filing a claim for financial compensation by speaking with an Austin car accident lawyer.
San Marcos Hit-and-Run Vehicle Sought
A hit-and-run in Bexar County injured two pedestrians, landing both in the hospital where one still remains as of this writing. A middle-aged gentleman and his adult daughter were struck by a vehicle in the intersection of North Lyndon B. Johnson Drive and East Hutchison Street, which was then narrowed down to two possibilities by Bexar County police. If the vehicle is found – maroon in color, and either a GMC Yukon or a Chevrolet Tahoe – the driver will face serious penalties, in addition to a possible civil suit if the pedestrians choose to file one.
Leaving an Accident Scene Is a Crime
Many people think that if they cannot be caught after a hit-and-run, they have escaped responsibility, or at most, they might face a civil suit from any victim’s family. In reality, leaving an accident scene is a crime in Texas, and can be a second or third-degree felony if injury or death results. Even a hit-and-run which only causes property damage may be punished by anywhere between 1-5 years in the county jail and a fine of up to $5,000.
18-Wheeler Overturns on SH-130
Recently, the northbound lanes of SH-130 were blocked near Manor, just south of Highway 290, after an 18-wheeler overturned. The driver apparently lost control of the empty truck and it rolled, which also caused a rupture of one of its fuel tanks. The driver was hospitalized, and Austin firefighter and hazmat crews were able to contain the scene to ensure no explosions occurred. While this accident was contained, with only the truck driver sustaining injuries, sometimes innocent drivers will be caught in the crossfire. If this happens to you, it is important to understand your rights and understand whether or not you have a claim to compensation.
Serious Injuries and Fatalities Result
Because of the sheer weight involved when a truck crashes, the likelihood of injury or death is greater, as a general rule, than in accidents involving two smaller vehicles, such as automobiles or pickup trucks. Even when an 18-wheeler’s trailer is empty, the body of the truck is capable of inflicting crushing damage on you and your vehicle in certain types of accidents. Some of the most common types of injuries from trucking accidents include whiplash and other soft tissue damage, brain injuries, broken bones, and spinal injuries.
Motorcyclist Killed in Crash After Running Red Light
Recently, a man on a motorcycle ran a red light going north on South General McMullen Drive and then promptly collided with a dark-colored pickup truck. The motorcyclist was taken to University Hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased. While this accident appears to have occurred due to the motorcyclist’s reckless driving, sometimes a motorcyclist can sustain grievous injuries in an accident that is no fault of their own. If you have been in a motorcycle crash and been harmed due to someone else’s negligence, you may be entitled to compensation that can help cover your medical bills.
Motorcyclists Are In Danger on the Open Road
While statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) show a drop in the number of motorcyclist fatalities between 2016-2017 (the most recent available data), the number of motorcycle riders killed in accidents in 2017 is still over 5,000 people. This number is proportionally higher than the number of auto passengers killed in crashes – stats estimate that motorcyclists are a whopping 28 times more likely to die in a crash than a passenger car occupant, primarily because motorcyclists simply do not have as much protection between them and the road.
Driver Hospitalized After Hamilton Pool Rollover Crash
Recently, a young Dripping Springs man was taken to a nearby hospital with serious injuries, after his car rolled over on Hamilton Pool Road. Lake Travis and Bee Cave police responded. Two men who happened to be passing played an integral role in getting the flaming vehicle upright, as well as extricating the driver from the flames, which is thought to have saved his life. While this young man appears to have been lucky, rollover crashes are among the most deadly types, and living through one can leave someone with significant medical bills. You may be able to seek compensation for yours if you believe that the accident was caused by another person’s negligent conduct.
Statistics Show Disproportionate Danger
Statistics from SaferCar, an initiative run by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), show that while rollovers make up a relatively small portion of car accidents each year (roughly 2.1 percent), that small number of accidents was responsible for almost 35 percent of all traffic accident deaths in the most recent data studied. Rollover accidents, especially multi-vehicle rollovers, have the tendency to be deadly because of the sheer weight and volume of matter being thrown around, and the extravagant way in which the vehicle can change position – if a car flips end over end, for example, it will understandably cause far more damage to anyone inside the vehicle than, say, a sideswipe collision.
Bicyclist Killed in Hit-And-Run
A bicyclist was recently struck and killed by a drunk driver near I-10 and The Dominion. The deceased was an older man, who had been in a marked bicycle lane, wearing a helmet and otherwise taking all the necessary precautions, but a woman driving a white SUV struck him from the side and he died at the scene. These types of bicycling accidents are not common, per se, but they are more common than they should be, especially since it is fairly obvious that a bicyclist is not going to be as well protected in a crash as the driver or passenger of an automobile. If you have been struck by a reckless or negligent driver, you may be able to bring suit against them to try and recover for any medical expenses you may sustain.
Texas Bike Laws Insufficient
Despite having such a large population, Texas does not have many laws in place which protect bicyclists specifically. A few are on the books – for example, Texas has laws against “dooring,” which is suddenly opening a car door without properly checking for cyclists or anyone else in the bicycle lane. Also, Texas does define a ‘vehicle’ in such a way as to include bicyclists, which grants them both the rights and duties of any other driver. However, many other regulations could be in effect, and Texas either chooses to ignore them or to leave them to the cities to pass individually.
Woman Hospitalized in South Side Hit-And-Run
A woman was recently struck in a hit-and-run accident on San Antonio’s south side. She and her boyfriend were crossing the intersection of South Zarzamora and West Gerald Avenue when a black vehicle struck her and sped away, failing to stop and render aid at the scene. She was taken to University Hospital and expected to recover from her injuries, but definitely, not everyone who is involved in a hit-and-run is so lucky. Fortunately, Texas laws on hit-and-run accidents are clear and can work in your favor to get you the compensation you need to get your life back on track.
Failing to Stop Is a Crime
The Texas Transportation Code sets out what one has to do in the event of a hit-and-run accident, depending on what level of damage or bodily injury was sustained. If any kind of damage was sustained, either to a person or to property, the driver must stop and render aid, or be guilty of a crime – a felony if injury or death has resulted, and a misdemeanor if property damage was the outcome. It is important to recognize this – in many states, failing to stop and render aid is a civil infraction – in Texas, it is a crime.
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