Truck Driver Negligence in Texas Accidents Caused by Illegal U-Turns

I just read about a wreck in Brownwood, TX where a heavy sanitation truck slammed into a tractor trailer truck. The wreck seems to have resulted from trucker negligence. The news report indicates that the 18-wheeler's driver had apparently missed a turn as he drove eastbound down FM 45. So he evidently decided to correct his mistake by making a sudden U-turn at a place not intended for turnarounds. (Sounds like truck driver negligence to me.) Perhaps he failed to notice the large sanitation truck on the road behind him. Perhaps it was simply negligent driving that suddenly brought his truck around broadside to the sanitation truck.

As the 18-wheeler's driver made his U-turn from a place in the road not meant for U-turns, the heavy, fully-loaded sanitation truck couldn't slow down in time to avoid a collision. Massive trucks have powerful momentum and take longer to brake and turn than passenger cars. Fortunately, no one seems to have been injured by the trucker negligence in this accident. Had the following vehicle been a passenger car inside of a big, powerful sanitation truck, the accident could well have ended differently. Its likely outcome from truck driver negligence would have been an ugly underride accident with decapitated car occupants and a crushed, partially sheared away passenger compartment. Trucker negligence can take a heavy toll on smaller vehicles.

I've seen and heard of too many truckers taking chances with other peoples' lives and safety by making illegal U-turns at their own convenience when they've missed a turn. They often don't seem to consider other drivers on the roads as they pull their trucks across entire roads to back into or pull out of delivery areas. Such negligent driving and disregard of safety considerations presents particular dangers at night, around curves, or behind obstacles when other drivers can't necessarily see a truck's trailer until its too late. In many cases, we don't know whether accident victims ever perceived the truck astride their path at all. The dead tell few tales.

But trucker negligence doesn't just take others' lives. Ill-advised U-turns can lead to fatal single-vehicle truck rollovers. I know it's inconvenient as all get out to miss a turn on a highway and have to drive seemingly endless miles before you come to the next legal turnaround. Believe me, I've been there. But which is better: a late delivery, or no delivery at all? A time delay or a toe tag?

Dangerous negligence in a professional driver is inexcusable. And you shouldn't excuse it. If truck driver negligence has harmed you or your family, you should hold that driver accountable for his or her negligence to the full extent allowed under the law.

You can count on us for help. One of the Board Certified personal injury attorneys at our firm is a former truck driver. Chad Points took pains to avoid negligent driving during his tenure as a trucker. He knows you can drive a truck safely and still get the job done. So he has a particularly low tolerance for negligent driving by other professional drivers. So do I. Put our experience, dedication, skill and low tolerance for dangerous negligence to work for you and your family. Call on us whenever you need our help.