Pascoe Law Firm
Garbage Truck Accident
Principal office located in Friendswood, Texas.
Available to service League City, Webster, Pearland, Galveston, and the surrounding areas within Texas.
Garbage Truck Accident Lawyer
Attorney for Garbage Truck Accidents & Lawsuits
The consequences of a collision between a garbage truck and another vehicle are terrible and the cases involving garbage trucks are not only real but very common. No one is denying that waste management is a necessary job as well as a dangerous one. For those valiant workers who spend their days working on a garbage truck, there are just so many risk to monitor as well as doing fast and difficult work under tough conditions. Waste management workers have also traditionally been one of the top careers in the U.S. at risk for injuries and fatalities. In fact, the U.S. Department of Labor ranks the job of garbage truck operators as one of the country’s most dangerous occupations, largely due to the oversized rate of fatal garbage truck accidents.
Working on a garbage truck or for a waste management company can be one of the toughest and most dangerous jobs to have in Texas. There are many factors that make working in this industry quite dangerous. While the garbage industry has made strides to improve safety for garbage truck workers, many still die each year in garbage truck accidents.
Common Causes of Garbage Truck Crashes
Human error often plays a key role in an accident if a negligent garbage truck operator fails to monitor their surroundings.
Some of the most common causes include:
- Transportation Accidents– over half of the half of the fatalities were attributed to this factor
- Highway Accidents involve Garbage Trucks– 8 deaths involving waste management vehicles occurred on the U.S. Highways.
- Object or Equipment Accident– 6 deaths were attributed to either equipment failure or from being injured from an object involved with trash pick up
Statistics For Garbage Truck Wrecks
Risk Factors for Garbage Truck Accidents
- Falling debris– Although garbage trucks are designed to keep waste contained in the truck, sometimes debris flies out. When heavy debris hits pedestrians or vehicles, or creates an obstruction in the road, it may serious injuries.
Pascoe Law Firm
Friendswood, TX 77546
Phone: 713-829-4317
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- Inattentive drivers– The large size of a garbage truck makes it difficult for garbage truck operators to see other drivers or people nearby. Accidents happen when the driver fails to monitor his or her surroundings before backing up.
- Negligent driving– As with any other collision, garbage truck accidents can occur when the garbage truck driver operates the vehicle in a negligent or reckless manner. Whether the driver was speeding, not paying attention, fails to obey traffic rules or is driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, they can be found to be negligent in the event of an accident.
- Equipment failure- Garbage trucks are complex equipment so mechanical issues in a garbage truck, such as brake failure or steering wheel failure, can cause serious accidents and injuries. Mechanical failures might be due to poor vehicle maintenance or defective garbage truck design, either of which can apply liability to different parties besides the garbage truck driver.
Garbage Truck Injuries Lawyer In Texas
Lawyer for Garbage Truck Injuries in Texas
It is quite common for garbage truck workers to become injured while on the job. In 2010, garbage truck workers were ranked as the fourth over profession in workers related injuries. Many of these employees suffered severe and debilitating injuries which cased permanent damage and disability. Some common garbage truck injuries include:
- Crushing accidents– this injury is common in many professions, it can occur when limbs or appendages get caught in the moving parts on a garbage truck.
- Lacerations also known as receiving a bodily cuts or wound– This is the most common type of injury associated with garbage truck workers. These injuries can occur from moving equipment or from being struck by objects falling.
- Being hit by the Garbage Truck– Garbage truck workers are commonly struck by the truck which they are working with. Many of these accidents occur when a garbage truck is backing up or when the garbage worker gets struck by other vehicles on the road.
Garbage Truck Safety
Improvements have been made over the years in garbage truck safety in Illinois, including automated pick-up procedures that help reduce hazards for garbage truck operators and nearby motorists. Unfortunately, there are still many dangers for garbage truck operators, other motorists, and passing pedestrians. To help maintain a safe environment, the Occupational Health and Safety Administration recommends the following:
- Garbage truck drivers and operators should always use reflective and protective gear when working on trucks.
- Workers must stand at the side of the truck when the compactor is running.
- All garbage truck equipment needs to be turned off completely to ensure that employees are not in danger of being crushed.
- Workers must create a pedestrian-free zone while trucks are operating
- Truck operators should constantly monitor their surroundings and stop their work if other workers or pedestrians are not in view
Due to the heavy equipment used on garbage trucks, operators have a duty of care to apply caution in order to protect workers and pedestrians passing by from these risks.
