Houston Personal Injury Attorneys – Smith & Hassler

The 18-wheeler involved in the deadly crash at the North Sam Houston Tollway toll booth has been identified as belonging to Penske Truck Company. The driver of the 18-wheeler died along with the driver of a Ford Explorer waiting at the toll booth when the big rig crashed into a low wall at the toll plaza, then landed on the Explorer and burst into flames. The names of the drivers have not been released pending positive identification by dental records. Investigators are saying it is possible the truck driver fell asleep before the early morning crash or may have experiences a medical condition. Toxicology tests will be used to rule in or out drugs or alcohol playing a factors in the wreck. While the toll booths do have cameras the crash was not captured on video. An accident eyewitness named Casey Cain watched the tragic accident happen and captured video on her mobile phone, which can be viewed on Channel 13’s web site here. The video shows both vehicles completely consumed by fire. In a Channel 13 report on the tragedy, Chief Randy Johnson with the Harris County Precinct 6 Constables indicated that the big rig driver was traveling at least 45MPH and was not even lined up with a toll lane that the 18-wheeler could have fit through, suggesting that the big rig driver may have fallen asleep prior to the crash. The same article reports that the rig was registered to Penske Trucking out of Dallas, was rented to a customer who leases from them and that the driver involved worked for Penske‘s customer. What a terrible loss for both families.

Two drivers were tragically killed last night when an out of control 18-wheeler struck a toll booth at North Beltway 8 near Veterans Memorial. A Channel 2 News story reports that, according to the Harris County Toll Road Authority, a car was waiting at a toll booth paying a toll when the big rig hit the toll booth, lost control then landed on top of another car before bursting into flames. A story by the Houston Chronicle states that the deceased motorists are the driver of the 18-wheeler and the driver of the car that was waiting at the toll booth when it was struck by the big-rig. Investigators are working to determine what caused the 18-wheeler driver to loose control of his truck. Channel 11 reported on the deadly crash here.

There is a reason 18-wheelers, otherwise referred to as big-rigs, are heavily regulated by the federal government.  Because large trucks massively outsize and outweigh passenger cars there is great potential for 18-wheeler accidents to cause serious injury or death to other motorists.  The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) require that inter-state 18-wheeler operators carry at least $750,000 of liability insurance. Depending on the loads they are hauling they may be required to carry up to $5 million in insurance. Many truck drivers are diligent and professional and take safety very seriously.  Unfortunately some truckers or their companies do not however, and over more than 20-years of practice Smith & Hassler has seen many examples or distracted, tired or overworked truck drivers hurting or killing others.  Getting professional legal representation as soon as possible after a truck accident is critical.  The trucking company and their insurance company will move quickly to do their own investigation in an attempt to avoid or shift blame.  Call or email Smith & Hassler as soon as possible after your trucking accident, and don’t speak to the insurance company representatives before you do.

At around 9:00am this morning there was a collision between a dump truck and a MetroRail train at the intersection of Main and Capitol in downtown Houston. According to a Channel 11 story on the crash, the train became derailed when the dump truck, heading west on Capitol, ran a red light and caused the collision. A total of 15 people were taken to Ben Taub and St. Joseph’s Hospitals, including the drivers of the MetroRail train and the dump truck. The dump truck reportedly came close to crashing into Ziggy’s Bar & Grill: according to police the dump truck driver said he couldn’t see the red light because he was blinded by a reflection. According to METRO the dump truck driver was not affiliated with METRO, but he was delivering a load of sand to a METRO subcontractor that was working on the light rail line. FOX News’ coverage of the story is available here. Channel 13’s coverage, including video, is available here.

Unsure of how to handle an insurance claim for personal injuries you have suffered in a car accident?  Don’t rely on the insurance adjuster handling your claim for advice…they have a conflict of interest! The less adjusters pay on injury claims, the more profitable their company remains. Insurance adjusters want to settle automobile accident injury claims as quickly as possible so they can cut-off the insurance company’s liability for additional medical bills and close their file.  Since Smith & Hassler was founded in 1989 by Michael Smith and Al Hassler, this law firm has practiced exclusively in the area of personal injury and has handled thousands of car accident injury cases.  Call Smith & Hassler for a free consultation AS SOON AS YOU CAN AFTER YOUR CAR ACCIDENT—get advice from someone with your best interests at heart.  There is no charge for an initial consultation with one of our personal injury attorneys.

Dump Truck Derails METRORail in Downtown Houston: MyFoxHOUSTON.com

Channel 2 News is reporting a fatal collision that occurred early Tuesday October 4, 2011. According to investigators the driver of a pickup truck lost control of his vehicle and crashed head-on into a Wal-Mart 18-wheeler on FM 1314 near Houston Road in Montgomery County. The wreck happened at around 1:00am. Sadly the pickup truck driver died at the scene. Fuel leaked from ruptured tanks onto the roadway closing FM1314 for a time.

A three vehicle collision involving a fatality closed down the Northwest Freeway on Friday July 22, 2011 according to Click2Houston.com

The wreck took place in the westbound lanes of the Northwest Freeway at around 11:30am. Investigators say that a blue colored Scion passenger car and a black colored Dodge Ram pickup truck were involved in a minor accident and had pulled over to exchange information on the shoulder of the freeway. The big rig then approached from behind the stopped vehicle, crashed into the rear of the Scion pushing it into the pickup truck, then pushed both the Scion and the pickup truck more than 100 feet. The 59-year old driver of the blue Scion died at the scene, police have not released his name. The driver of the big rig was arrested for two outstanding warrants.

Video footage from KHOU’s web site (see below) shows a busy scene as emergency responders work the accident. The blue Scion appears to have sustained very severe rear end damage and the big rig came to rest at least partly on top of the Scion.

Additional information has come to light in reference to the multi-vehicle accident and vehicle fire on US Highway 59 near Grand Parkway in Sugar Land that happened yesterday at approximately 5:30pm. One woman was killed in the collision and an 18-wheeler tanker truck was one of the vehicles involved. Recent media reports indicate that a total of seven vehicles (including the big rig) were caught up in the initial accident, and then a second accident occurred as drivers attempted to avoid colliding with the first wreck. The tragedy unfolded during Houston’s notoriously busy rush hour when commuter traffic is at its peak.

According to Sugar Land police, the driver of the 18-wheeler was unable to control the speed of his tanker truck and smashed into the rear of a Lincoln driven by 66-year old Doris Walters of Pasadena, Texas. Ms. Walters’ Lincoln then caught fire and the fire spread to the big rig and also a pickup truck. Ms. Walters was killed in the accident and another motorist sustained injuries and was transported to the hospital. So far no citations have been issued for the accident and the police investigation is ongoing.

Channel 13 Eyewitness News’ report can be read here.
Channel 2 News’ story is here and includes video.
The Houston Chronicle’s story is here.
KHOU’s story is available here, and includes video and pictures.

Local media outlets are reporting a dramatic crash on Highway 59 in Houston near the Grand Parkway involving a big rig tanker truck and a vehicle fire that has left one motorist dead. The accident happened during rush hour at around 5:30pm in the southbound lanes of Highway 59. Apparently a total of five vehicles were involved and the motorist who was killed was in a pickup truck. A photograph on Channel 2’s web page appears to show a Toyota pickup truck partially engulfed in flames next to the tanker truck. Channel 13’s story is here. Click2Houston.com’s story is here. No report indicated the cause of the wreck, and the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Department and Sugar Land Police Department is currently investigating. You can be sure that the insurance company who insures the tanker truck is already investigating the accident also. KHOU’s coverage of the accident is here. What was probably a regular commute home has turned to tragedy for the family of the motorist who died. Fox News Houston’s coverage is available here. The Houston Chronicle’s coverage is here and states that the person who died was in a sedan (not a pickup truck) and that the fire was caused when diesel fuel leaked from the fuel tank of the big rig.

One motorist perished in this fiery crash on Highway 59 near Grand Parkway on July 19, 2011

Smith & Hassler’s personal injury attorneys have represented hundreds of Texans injured in 18-wheeler accidents and have significant experience with the special issues in accidents involving commercial vehicles, including investigating trucking companies to ensure their truck and drivers are in compliance with state and federal regulations. If you or a family member have been seriously injured in an accident with an 18-wheeler, call 713 739 1250 or 1-800-WIN-WIN1 for a free consultation, or contact us online via our web site.

Tragedy struck early morning Wednesday July 6, 2011 when two teenagers from The Woodlands were killed in a collision in Grimes County with an 18-wheeler. Anisha Patel (age 17) and her passenger Robert Gollnick (age 18) were traveling in a Chrysler PT Cruiser when they collided with a big rig around 1:00am. According to police Ms. Patel was heading east of FM2 when she struck the big rig heading southbound on Highway 6. Robert Gollnick was transported from the scene via EMS to College Station Medical Center where he passed away.  Ms. Patel was pronounced deceased at the scene. Both teenagers were properly restrained with seat belts at the time of the wreck: the 18-wheeler driver was taken to the hospital with unknown injuries.

Channel 13 Eyewitness news is reporting a major collision between two 18-wheelers on Interstate 10 eastbound in Sealy, Texas. There is no word on whether anyone was injured, and the entire eastbound side of I-10 has been closed. At least one of the 18-wheeler appears to have burned up.

Channel 13 News is reporting a fatal accident on southbound US Highway 59 near the Grand Parkway in Sugar Land. Sugar Land police department reports that the accident happened at around 11:00am today when a big rig hauling a tanker trailer of diesel fuel crashed. The diesel fuel spilled onto the highway shutting down southbound US 59 completely. The cause of the crash is under investigation according to Channel 2’s story.