Dallas Morning News cites countless dangers of 18 wheelers

The Dallas Morning News newspaper ran a three-part series on the dangers of 18 wheelers in September 2006. Approximately 5,200 people were killed in 2005 across the country in 18-wheeler accidents, including  502 in Texas alone. According to the article, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) estimates that 44% of accidents are the fault of the truckers themselves – far above the American Trucking Association’s estimate of 25%. And although highway accident fatalities on the whole are declining due to more safety features, 18-wheeler accident fatalities are staying level at about 1994 rates.

The figures are frightening, but what is more alarming is that nobody seems to do anything about it – including governmental agencies. Only 1,000 of Texas’ 64,000 trucks had compliance reviews in 2005, and of those only about 37% had “Level 1” reviews, which is the most comprehensive assessment level. Further, the majority of these were for short-haul trucks from Mexico that typically only travel to border towns.

To underline the dangers of 18-wheelers, the Dallas Morning News recounted the story of a trucker who veered into on-coming traffic, killing four of six family members including a woman pregnant with twins. He walked away uninjured.

The investigation revealed that the trucker was an illegal immigrant, had used a fake Social Security card to get his truck driver license, and had been driving in north Texas for six years. But even more shocking was the fact that his big rig accident was not his first violation. Despite immigration arrests and traffic violations, he was still able to get a job with TXI Transportation.

In fact, the driver remained with the trucking company at least six months after the 18-wheeeler accident, even after admitting to a company lawyer that he was illegally working in the country and had lied about his experience. The Texas Department of Safety did not ticket the driver, immigration did not deport him, and the state did not revoke his license. Similarly, TXI Transportation was not fined or even reviewed. “Ultimately, [they] were held accountable by the recourse of last resort for many truck accident victims: a lawsuit,” the newspaper reported.

A jury in civil court awarded the remaining family members $23.5 million for damages.

Unfortunately, cases like this are not uncommon. If you or a loved one has been injured in an 18-wheeler accident, contact a personal injury attorney at Jim S. Adler & Associates. We have over 30 years of experience fighting trucking companies in court and securing compensation for our clients to cover medical bills, lost wages, and mental anguish. Call Jim S. Adler & Associates today at 1-800-505-1414, or fill in the form on this page with the details of your 18-wheeler accident for a free case review.

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