Texas Cement Truck Lawyer
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Cement trucks, also called concrete trucks, aren’t like other commercial vehicles. They can be incredibly heavy, awkward to maneuver, dangerous to back up, and easy to rollover. These factors can lead to cement truck accidents on local roads and highways throughout Texas. According to the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association (NRMCA), in 2014, there were at least 876 reported backing accidents. Also, due to the weight distribution and size of cement trucks, these vehicles have been known to roll over at very low and seemingly safe speeds. The NRMCA stated 76 on- and off-road rollover incidents were reported across the country in 2014. Other factors that can lead to a cement truck accident include equipment failures, improper maintenance, defective parts, distracted driving, drowsy driving, and negligent or reckless driving.
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Attorney For Concrete Truck Accidents in Houston
The weight of cement mixer trucks, when fully loaded, may exceed 60,000 pounds. Maneuvering this massive vehicle requires training and skill, as well as regular maintenance inspections to ensure that the equipment is secured and working. If a driver or a trucking company was aware or should have been aware of a problem that was not addressed and eventually caused an accident, they may be held liable for the resulting harm.
Rolling over is not uncommon for cement trucks. The uneven weight distribution can cause a cement truck to rollover, when it is traveling at just 5 mph, while the driver is making a 90-degree turn. Normally this would sound like the truck driver could just make turns slower, but with cement that is not the case. The drivers are usually in a rush to reach their destination, with the cement wet. Cement can dry inside of the truck, which at all costs, the driver will avoid this and that raises the risk the cement truck poses on the roads.
Cement mixers carry liquid concrete, which shifts during turns and other driving maneuvers. Truck drivers must receive training in how to operate the vehicle when partially loaded, fully loaded, or empty. Drivers are expected to calculate the amount of water necessary to make slump, also known as concrete mixture. Delivering this mixture is a part of a driver’s duties, but often these drivers are rushing to meet their delivery deadlines. When a cement truck driver makes poor driving decisions, such as speeding or driving distractedly, their conduct may lead to catastrophic harm.
Common Causes of a Cement Truck Accident
The most common type of cement truck accidents involves collisions and rollovers. Due to the high center of gravity with this type of truck, they are thrown off balance when making sharp turns and can easily flip over. Cement trucks are difficult to maneuver, which means the truck driver can fail to see obstacles out of their direct line-of-vision and can drift out of the lane into oncoming traffic. The size and weight of the truck makes it difficult for the cement truck driver to quickly maneuver back into their lane. A collision with a cement truck can result in critical injuries or even death and drivers that fail to obey traffic laws place themselves and those around them in danger, when traveling near a cement truck. Some of the most common causes of cement truck accidents include:
- Poor Vision Ability - Cement trucks are like other large trucks on the roadway, which means that the driver has blind spots. The vehicle that is in one of these blind spots cannot be seen by the cement truck driver and that creates a hazard. When a vehicle or construction workers are directly behind the cement truck, the driver is unable to see the vehicle or person that is in the driver’s blind spot. This places them at a risk of the cement truck backing over the person or colliding with the vehicle behind them.
- Cement Trucks are Unstable - The design, with the high center of gravity and the weight of the wet cement, makes the cement truck unstable. The mechanical parts to load and unload the wet cement can also pose a danger, if there is a mechanical failure or malfunction. This can be caused by several factors; the operator of the truck can be inexperienced, there can be a defective design or if the operator is intoxicated while operating the cement truck. We hope you enjoyed this educational resource.
Investigating a Cement Truck Accident
Responsibility for a cement truck accident can rest on a number of different shoulders, such as the driver, trucking company, or maintenance provider. Your attorney will take a close look at the driver when investigating the accident to determine liability. It takes considerable training, skill, and care to safely operate a cement truck. If a truck driver lacks the necessary experience or behaves negligently, that driver and the company who hired them may be responsible for compensating you for your injuries.
Our lawyer will also gather a variety of other evidence, including witness statements and nearby video footage if it’s available, to determine if the driver was distracted. Your attorney will also gather maintenance and other records from the cement truck company. It is possible that a lack of proper maintenance or shoddy work on the truck led to your accident.
Contact a Texas Truck Accident Lawyer Today
Recovering compensation after a cement truck accident can be difficult. Insurance companies typically have larger policies and will fight until the end to try and avoid issuing a payment to you. Determining liability can take weeks or months and the insurance red tape can double the amount of time you spend waiting to receive the money you need to pay your daily expenses and medical care. The experienced Texas truck accident lawyer at the Pascoe Law Firm understands how challenging the process of recovering after a crash can be and will fight to protect your legal rights. Call us today at 713-829-4317.
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Webpage is intended solely for residents of Texas or Persons seeking representation within Texas. An Attorney-Client relationship only occurs when both parties agree that the Attorney will represent the Client and will not be created until that agreement occurs. Website and all of its pages is intended to be used for educational purposes and does not constituted as legal advice. All information on every page of the website does NOT suggest or claim that the attorney has a specialization in any area of legal practice or certification. Attorney not certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specializations.
