Houston Personal Injury Attorneys – Smith & Hassler

ABC Channel 13 (KTRK) is reporting an apparently serious collision between a Toyota Corolla passenger car and a parked flatbed trailer that sent one person to the hospital. The accident happened on March 8, 2011 on Summer Park at FM1092 near Stafford. The condition of the person transported to hospital was not included in the KTRK report.

This image from KTRK's web site shows a collision between a Toyota Corolla and a parked flatbed trailer near Stafford, Texas.

If you, a friend or a family member have been injured in a car accident, Smith & Hassler’s experienced personal injury attorneys are available to give you a free consultation either in-person or by phone.  Sometimes people injured in car accident wait before consulting an attorney. They have good intentions: not wanting to seem “sue happy,” waiting to see if their injuries will get better or because an insurance adjuster is discouraging them from seeking legal advice (that happens).  It is better to know your rights early in the process and have an experienced Houston personal injury attorney explain the steps involved in car accident injury claim and what you can do NOW to increase the chances of a good outcome.

A Harris County Deputy Sheriff was rushed to Memorial Hermann Texas Medical Center Hospital this morning after an 18-wheeler crash, according to the Houston Chronicle’s report.  The deputy was hurt when his patrol car rear-ended an 18-wheeler on North Sam Houston Parkway near Bush International airport at around 2:00AM. Officials said the deputy possibly sustained two broken legs in the collision. The crash caused authorities to have to shut down the westbound lanes of the beltway while the wreck was cleared. The Deputy was responding to an emergency call at the time of the wreck: the cause of the accident is currently under investigation and the name of the deputy has not been released. Fox News covered the story also. ABC Channel 13 has a more detailed story than the Chronicle: Channel 13 reports that the deputy was freed from his severely damaged cruiser by the Eastex Fire Department using the jaws of life. The story also quotes  S.G. Wolverton withe Sheriff’s Department as saying the deputy did not have time to react to the 18-wheeler in the roadway ahead before hitting it from behind. The Deputy was trapped in his vehicle for about an hour. Here is video footage of the incident from Channel 13’s web site:

This photo from Channel 13's web site shows severe damage to the patrol car

If you, like the Sheriff’s Deputy, have been seriously injured in an 18-wheeler accident, contact the experienced Houston personal injury attorneys at Smith & Hassler. Interstate trucking companies are required to carry a minimum of $750,000 in liability insurance according to the Federal Motor Carrier Regulations; some have to carry more depending on the type of cargo they transport. Insurance companies that write policies for big rigs act fast to protect their interests, so ideally you would have a well-qualified personal injury attorney working fast to protect YOUR interests too.