Posted on March 17, 2023 in Uncategorized

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), speed limiters on commercial trucks should happen sooner rather than later. They are calling for the federal government to increase the pace when it comes to formally instituting the change.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) first broached the subject over a decade ago. Numerous states took action, primarily in response to the reckless driving trends that were part of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A call for mandates

Recently, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) encouraged comments on a proposal to require devices placing limits on top speeds in these large vehicles with a gross weight of more than 26,000 pounds. Specific top speeds will be determined at a later time.

The urgency comes from motor vehicle accidents in 2020 due to excessive speeds in close to 33 percent of all fatalities. Greater mass from the largest trucks loaded to capacity (10,001 to 26,000 pounds) and significant momentum requires longer stopping distances. When collisions occur, greater damage occurs.

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 Posted on January 25, 2023 in Uncategorized

Drivers are typically the ones to blame for crashes. Even when the weather is bad, drivers should adjust their habits to minimize their personal risk. Either you or the other driver may have made mistakes that led to the wreck where you got hurt. Sometimes, both drivers make mistakes that contribute to a collision, which can complicate the process of securing compensation afterward.

You might assume that commercial drivers rarely cause crashes because they have special licenses and more training than the average driver. Sometimes, even the most skilled commercial driver could end up in a crash because of something that their employer did.

Could a transportation company be to blame for the wreck that left you injured?

Vehicle maintenance could be the root problem

If you look at federal commercial vehicle crash statistics, you will see that drivers are responsible for the vast majority of collisions. However, approximately 10% of the collisions caused by big trucks are the results of an issue with the vehicle, rather than a result of something either driver did.

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 Posted on December 28, 2022 in Uncategorized

In theory, people hurt in motor vehicle collisions have basic legal protections in Texas. They can rely on the other driver having liability insurance that will pay to repair their vehicle. If the damage to the vehicle is severe and will compromise its overall safety, insurance funds can go toward the purchase of a replacement vehicle instead of repairs.

Severe injuries can cost many times what property damage will cost, even if the vehicle involved is brand new. Traumatic brain injuries and spinal cord injuries, for example, could easily lead to seven-figure price tags for someone’s lifetime medical treatment.

Those facing life-altering medical issues related to a car crash may need to look into all possible sources of compensation, including a third-party liability claim.

What is a third-party liability claim?

Most crashes involve two drivers and therefore two parties that could be responsible for the wreck. However, there are situations in which a third party not present in either vehicle is technically liable for the crash or at least partially responsible for what happened.

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 Posted on November 21, 2022 in Uncategorized

Maybe you were on the highway during the afternoon rush hour in heavy traffic and an 18-wheeler merged directly into your left side, totally your vehicle and breaking your leg in three places. Perhaps a drunk driver hit you from behind on the surface street early one morning.

When you get hurt or suffer major property damages in a car crash, you turn to the insurance of the driver that hit you for compensation. Most drivers carry liability coverage in case they cause bodily injuries or property damage to other people. You naturally expect that their insurance will pay for your expenses, and you may even feel relieved when you get an offer for the settlement just a few days after the crash.

However, insurance companies often offer settlements because they want to save money. Accepting it quickly could leave you at a disadvantage later.

A settlement often means taking less than you should get

The risk in any insurance settlement scenario is that what you accept is not actually enough to cover all of your costs. A settlement agreement typically comes with the contractual release for the insurance company. They will no longer have any future liability regardless of what costs you have in the future.

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 Posted on October 24, 2022 in Uncategorized

When two vehicles collide, the occupants of those vehicles and any bystanders nearby are at risk of severe injury. The higher the speed of the vehicles and the bigger the difference in size between the two vehicles involved, the greater the possibility of catastrophic injuries.

Amputations are some of the most debilitating, expensive and life-altering injuries that people can experience. Although the leading cause of amputation in the United States is medical issues, often related to diabetes, traumatic injury is another top cause of amputations.

Motor vehicle collisions are responsible for a significant portion of the amputations that occur not because of a health issue but because of an injury. What are the two scenarios in which a car crash causes someone to lose a limb or an extremity?

The crash can cause a traumatic amputation

Despite the best attempts of motor vehicle manufacturers to design vehicles as safe as possible, severe injuries can still occur when your vehicle suffers massive damage or you get thrown from your vehicle. If the violence of the collision severs a body part, an individual will suffer a traumatic amputation and require immediate emergency medical care.

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 Posted on September 22, 2022 in Uncategorized

Every driver in Texas has to carry liability insurance coverage to provide both property damage and bodily injury protection if they cause a crash. Some vehicles will likely cause far more dramatic and dangerous collisions than others.

Big commercial trucks could cause life-altering injuries and completely demolish the smaller vehicle involved in a collision. When you are not to blame for a collision with a commercial truck and need to repair your vehicle or seek coverage for medical costs, you need to have an understanding of what kind of insurance may be available.

How much coverage do commercial trucks in Texas generally have?

Small, local trucks have the least coverage

Commercial vehicles that are below a minimum weight cutoff and that only operate in Texas may have the same amount of coverage as the average personal vehicle, which could mean just $30,000 of bodily injury coverage.

However, many commercial trucking companies operate on an international or interstate basis. The trucks in their fleets will need to have coverage that complies with the insurance requirements set by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

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 Posted on August 23, 2022 in Uncategorized

After a serious crash, you may have a number of fears that you want to get past. You may be worried about how you’re going to get back to work, how you’re going to cover your medical expenses, how your injuries will affect you or how you’re going to support your family. Fortunately, there are answers to these questions.

To help you get back on your feet and start moving forward, here are four tips to help you eliminate these concerns.

1. Getting back to work

To help with the stress and anxiety about work, one of the things you can do is start to build your personal injury claim. A personal injury claim lets you claim lost wages, so you can get compensated fairly for the time you’ve missed.

2. Paying for medical expenses

A personal injury claim will also help you pay for your medical expenses. Keep track of all the medical expenses you have, so you can submit them to the insurance company for coverage.

3. Handling new injuries

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 Posted on July 28, 2022 in Uncategorized

There are all kinds of reasons that large truck drivers get into collisions with other vehicles, but among them is a common cause: drowsiness. Working for long hours behind the wheel is enough to make anyone tired, but that exhaustion has the potential to lead to the driver nodding off and causing a serious collision.

In the 2018 data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) and the Federal Highway Administration, it was shown that 5,005 people lost their lives in crashes involving buses and large trucks. The data went on to show that there were some states in which it was more likely to get into a large truck crash:

• Texas
• California
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Ohio
• Pennsylvania
• New York
• Florida
• North Carolina
• Georgia

Those states alone were where 51% of all fatal crashes involving large trucks and buses took place between 2015 and 2017.

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 Posted on June 13, 2022 in Uncategorized

Why motorcycle crashes can be more dangerous

There are fewer motorcycles than cars on US roads. Yet, motorcycles accounted for 14% of all traffic fatalities in 2020. That means motorcyclists end up in fatal crashes more often than the numbers suggest they should. So, why can riding them be so dangerous? Here are a few reasons:

• Road hazards can be much riskier for motorcyclists: Potholes, uneven/wet roads, railroad tracks and traffic debris can put motorcyclists in greater danger than regular drivers. Since motorcyclists don’t have the density or enclosure of a typical sedan, SUV or hatchback, it can be easier to lose balance and crash. Plus, motorcyclists don’t have any barriers between them and these road hazards, so hitting a pothole, cone or coming off a bumpy railroad track could cause serious bodily damage.

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 Posted on May 20, 2022 in Uncategorized

Due to their size and speed, any motor vehicle collision involving a large truck often results in severe damage to the smaller vehicles on the road. Whether it is against cars, SUVs, pickup trucks or motorcycles, an 18-wheeler will likely cause devastating property damage and catastrophic injuries. Whenever possible, however, it is crucial that vehicle occupants act quickly to preserve evidence as the trucking company will often move fast to close the case.

After a motor vehicle collision, the trucking company and their team of adjusters will often move quickly to investigate the crash and take steps to protect their driver and the organization as a whole. While this practice is not illegal, it is wise for the other involved individuals to take their own steps to preserve evidence and strengthen their own case. Collision evidence can include:

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