817-380-4888

We’re your source for the latest Texas accident news.

Truck & 18 Wheeler Accidents

• Semi-Truck Accident on I-35 Injures Several People
  Dec 31, 2011

  The thought of being involved in an accident with a semi-truck in Dallas is chilling. When you add into the equation a small car and a bus full of people, the possibility of the resulting injuries and losses is all unimaginable.
  
  18 Wheeler Causes Major Accident
  
  According to police reports, the driver of an 18 wheeler, 39-year-old Adbirahman Abdullah-Moalim, was traveling along I-35 when he struck the back end of a Kia sedan. Local law enforcement officers say that after the commercial truck hit the car the trucker overcorrected, yanking the wheel to one side and striking the left side of a large bus.
  
  The "Americanos" bus, driven by Jose Zuniga Tomaya, a 56-year-old trucker from Laredo, was damaged and several of the passengers were taken to area hospitals. A total of seven people were taken to the hospital. At the time of this report there was no information available as to their conditions.
  
  In this case, police have stated that fault lies with the driver of the 18-wheeler and that contributing factors to the accident include failing to control the speed of his vehicle and driver inattentiveness, also known as driver distraction.
  
  The Dallas semi-truck accident lawyers at the Hart Law Firm hope that all of the accident victims are well on their way to recovering fully from their injuries.
  

• Dallas Bound Amtrak Train and Commercial Truck Collide
  Dec 28, 2011

  A recent accident involving an Amtrak train headed for Dallas may soon be under investigation by the Federal Railroad Administration.
  
  An Amtrak train loaded with 211 passengers and 14 Amtrak employees was headed from Austin to Dallas when it came upon the intersection of State Highway 130 and State Highway 79 near Hutto, Texas.
  
  Train Attempted to Avoid Accident
  
  Michael Knight, with the Department of Public Safety, stated that the train's engineer blew the whistle as it came near the crossing; however, the large box truck did not move from the tracks and the train hit it.
  The driver of the truck was ejected during the accident and was seriously injured. At the time of this report the driver was in critical condition at Williamson Seton Hospital.
  
  Several of the passengers on the train complained of minor injuries but refused medical treatment. As the train derailed, all 211 passengers and 14 crew members were shuttled to a local church to await transportation to their destination.
  
  Any Dallas commercial truck accident can be serious but this accident was clearly worse than many. The Fort Worth large truck accident attorneys at the Hart Law Firm hope that the driver is on his way to making a full recovery from his injuries and that investigators are soon able to determine why the truck didn't move from the tracks.
  
  
  

• Accident on Ranger Hill Injures 5 and Shuts Down I-20
  Dec 22, 2011

  Several people were injured on Monday, December 19, 2011, in a multiple vehicle accident on Ranger Hill, which is located in between Abilene and Fort Worth on I-20. The first accident, which occurred around 11:40 AM, was caused by an eastbound travelling 18-wheeler that lost control on the rain-slick road. According to state troopers, "the trailer struck the center concrete barricade, rode up on the barricade and was striking vehicles on the westbound side.” Many drivers were able to avoid hitting the truck, but at least six other 18-wheelers and four other cars were involved in serious crashes. 
  
  Traffic Halts; More Accidents and Injuries Reported
  There were also several minor accidents caused by the sudden halt of traffic in both directions. At least five people had to be taken to area hospitals with injuries, and one was listed as in critical condition. I-20 was closed in both directions until about 6:00 Monday evening.
     
  I personally was stuck in the traffic caused by this accident and watched as several ambulances and a helicopter left the scene carrying injured people. Wet roads are a very serious accident risk and can pose problems for any driver, especially those driving large commercial trucks. We at the Hart Law Firm are praying for everyone injured in this horrible accident and hope that they can recover quickly.
     
  If you or a loved one is hurt in an accident such as this, please feel free to contact a board certified personal injury attorney at the Hart Law Firm to set up a free consultation.
  

• One Step Closer to Mandatory Sleep Apnea Testing for Texas Truckers
  Dec 21, 2011

  In Bedford, Dallas, and across the nation, efforts to indentify and treat truck drivers suffering from obstructive sleep apnea are gaining steam.

   

  Trucking Advisory Panels Urge Mandatory Sleep Apnea Testing

   

  The recommendation of two panels, one from the medical community and one that represents the trucking industry, is the same: Require that all drivers with a body mass index (BMI) over 34 be tested for sleep apnea.

   

  For some time, the Medical Review Board for the Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee has been advocating comprehensive changes to current regulations for identifying and treating truck drivers with the sleep disorder. Currently, there are no industry wide rules that explicitly require testing and treatment of sleep apnea; however, all that may be about to change.

   

  Why Sleep Apnea in Texas Truck Drivers is Such a Big Deal

   

  Many studies have shown the various ways that sleep apnea affects a person's ability to concentrate and quickly react to situations. According to Charles Czeisler, professor of sleep medicine at Harvard Medical School, the crash risk for a driver suffering from sleep apnea is 242 percent greater than a person without the disorder. When you consider that approximately 75 percent of truck drivers are at high risk of suffering from sleep apnea, it becomes clear that the problem must be addressed.

   

  As experienced North Richland Hills semi-truck accident attorneys we have seen the terrible impact that semi-truck accidents have. The majority of the time it is the driver of the car, rather than the driver of the 18 wheeler, that is injured during a semi-truck accident. The Bedford semi-truck accident lawyers at the Hart Law Firm sincerely hope that the trucking industry wakes up and moves quickly to prevent drivers from operating while suffering from sleep apnea.

• Semi-Truck Wreck on I-30 in Dallas Damages Bridge
  Dec 15, 2011

  News of a Dallas 18 wheeler crash may not be unusual, but a recent commercial truck crash on I-30 in Dallas did a lot more damage than a typical large truck accident. A large truck carrying an oversized load of three 18-wheeler cabs was traveling down Interstate 30 in Dallas when the top of the truck hit the St. Francis Bridge, damaging the bridge and leaving metal scattered across the roadway. While crews worked to clear the debris and remove the truck, a team from the Texas Department of Transportation was called in to inspect the bridge. After inspecting the damage, it was determined that though there was no threat to the vehicles passing under the St. Francis overpass, the bridge itself would have to be partially demolished and repaired. Bridge and Property Damage the Only Losses Fortunately, there were no other vehicles involved in the accident and no injuries were reported. Too often when 18 wheelers crash, they leave behind a path of destruction that causes damage, both human and vehicular. The staff of The Hart Law Firm is grateful to hear that in this case, no one suffered injuries.

• Dallas Police Officers Hurt When Semi-Truck Crashes Into Two Cars
  Dec 10, 2011

  
  It hasn't rained much in North Texas, and now that the rain has started, it's causing serious accidents. A recent Dallas semi-truck crash on the LBJ Freeway near the Hillcrest Road exit is being blamed on slick city streets. When one car spun out of control, hitting the center lane barrier, two Dallas police officers responded, using their squad cars to shield the disabled vehicle.
  
  As the officers surveyed the damage and assisted the accident victim, a semi-truck hauling cars came upon the scene. The truck driver slammed on his brakes, locking them and causing the truck to jackknife. The Dallas semi-truck slid and hit the first squad car, forcing it into the second.
  

  Accident Injured Two Dallas Police Officers

  The impact of the semi-truck crash injured the responding officers. Both were taken to an area hospital by ambulance with unknown injuries. Eastbound I-635 was closed for approximately four hours as crews worked to remove the vehicles and clean up the crash site.
  
  Too often, semi-truck drivers to not make the best driving decisions, causing serious injuries that could have been easily prevented. The staff and attorneys at the Hart Law Firm hope that the Dallas officers hurt during the accident are well on their way to recovering from their injuries.
  

• Semi-Truck Crashes, Spills Load on I-30 in Dallas
  Nov 30, 2011

  An accident on I-30 in Dallas looked worse than it was. In the early morning hours, about 2:30 a.m., an 18 wheeler overturned on the westbound side of the busy interstate. The truck crashed and tipped over, spilling its load near the Lamar exit, not far from the I-35E interchange.

   

  The commercial hauler was carrying medical supplies, which were seen littering the road for hours after the accident. It took work crews five hours to remove the truck and trailer, causing a massive traffic jam near downtown Dallas. Vehicles had to jump a curb and drive on the shoulder to get around the truck.

   

  The driver of the semi-truck was fortunate enough to escape without injury. Too many times, large truck accidents in Dallas and Grapevine cause serious injuries and, in the most serious cases, death. Many times, the driver escapes harm, while the occupants of the other vehicle suffer serious injuries. Luckily, this accident only involved the 18 wheeler and no injuries were reported.

   

  The staff and attorneys at the Hart Law Firm were happy to hear that the accident only led to traffic delays and property damage. More often than not, accidents such as these cause serious damage to involved vehicles and motorists alike.

• Brake Failure Might Have Caused Dallas Fire Truck Accident
  Nov 21, 2011

  
  During a rescue attempt in Rock Lake, one Dallas Fire-Rescue truck had to rescue its self. Firefighters from local Station 34 were responding to a call that necessitated a water rescue.
  
  After the boaters were ushered safely to shore, one of the fire trucks at the scene rolled from its parked position into the lake. While no one was injured during the one vehicle accident, initial interviews given by firefighters at the scene indicate that the truck had suffered from brake problems in the past.
  
  Bad Brakes are Bad Business
  If, in fact, the brakes on the fire truck were known to be bad, why were they not repaired or replaced? While faulty brakes are dangerous on any vehicle, large trucks with bad brakes are especially deadly. The braking distance of a motor vehicle increases as the size of the vehicle increases. When you add into the equation brakes that are not performing as they should, you have an accident waiting to happen.
  
  When Faulty Semi Truck Brakes Cause an Accident
  Why would anyone allow a truck to travel, knowing that the brakes have not been working as they should have been? Oversights like this cause injuries and deaths in Denton and across Texas each year. The experienced truck accident attorneys at The Hart Law Firm see the consequences of these accidents time and time again. Our staff and attorneys are grateful that, in this case, no one was injured. We hope that in the future, steps will be taken to prevent accidents due to faulty brakes.
  

• Texas DOT Begins Removing Trucks Speed Limit Signs On Texas Roadways
  Nov 06, 2011

  In select Texas counties, crews are working to remove and replace now defunct speed limit signs. House Bill 1353 did away with nighttime speed limits and allows truck drivers to travel the same speed as cars. According to the bill, all nighttime and truck speed limit signs must be taken down no later than December 31.

   

  In one area of Texas, encompassing 10 counties, the work is expected to take at least one month. There, a total of 1,400 nighttime and truck speed limit signs will be removed. The work can be tedious, as in many cases it involves more than just removing the sign from the post. Often, the entire sign, to include the poles and the cement, must be removed. Workers have to use a crane to access the high signs, and traffic must be directed around the removal crews.

   

  While most won't give the change more than a passing thought, some safety experts are still expressing concern. Their worry is that the higher limit for trucks will cause more serious high speed semi-truck accidents in Dallas County and across Texas.

   

  As Denton commercial truck accident attorneys we hope that the removal of restricted speed limits for trucks in Texas will not cause additional accidents or casualties.

• Mexican Trucks to Travel In and Out of Texas
  Nov 04, 2011

  For years, a heated battle has raged on in Texas and across the Southwest. International trade agreements with Mexico allow produce and other goods to be imported into the U.S. However, the trucks that carry the goods to the border are not allowed to cross into the United States. Instead, truckers must unload cargo and reload into American trucks. This is about to change.

   

  Mexican Trucks and Truckers Allowed to Travel Into Texas

   

  Like other border states, Texas will feel the effects of the rule change more than most. While many believe that the changes will be good for trade, others are concerned about a variety of aspects. James Hoffa, the president of the Teamsters union, is concerned over the safety of the trucks and their drivers.

   

  "What we have here is a double standard of people that are going to make maybe one-third of what American drivers make, if that," he says, "and there's no record of who these people are. They're not in the database. They don't keep logbooks from the time they get to the border."

   

  This lack of accountability is a concern to many worried about the impact that the new trucks will have on semi truck accident rates in Dallas and across Texas.

   

  Hope For the Cross-Border Trucking Program

   

  The program is being run on a trial basis, limiting the number of Mexican trucks being allowed into the U.S. For now, only a few cross-border trucking companies have asked for permission to participate in the program. The Department of Transportation hopes that the trial will go well and that, very soon, trucks will travel in and out of Mexico in the same way they travel into the U.S. from Canada.