Traffic Fatalities Increase During Pandemic

Car accidents are one of the leading causes of injury and death in the United States, causing 3 million injuries and killing over 35,000 people per year.

Even though Americans drove less in 2020 due to the pandemic, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) reports show that an estimated 38,680 people were tragically killed in motor vehicle accidents — the largest number of fatalities since 2007. This represents an increase of 7.2% as compared to the 36,096 fatalities reported in 2019.

Preliminary data from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) shows vehicle miles traveled (VMT) in 2020 decreased by about 430.2 billion miles, a 13.2% decrease. The fatality rate for 2020 was 1.37 fatalities per 100 million VMT, up from 1.11 fatalities per 100 million VMT in 2019. NHTSA’s analysis shows that the main behaviors that drove this increase include: impaired driving, speeding and failure to wear a seat belt.

Preliminary finding show that traffic fatalities rose in most major categories over 2019:

• Passenger vehicle occupants (23,395, up 5%)
• Pedestrians (6,205, no change from 2019)
• Motorcyclists (5,015, up 9%)
• Pedalcyclists (people on bikes) (846, up 5%)

Crash factors and demographics reviewed by NHTSA that showed the largest increases in 2020 as compared to 2019 included:

• Occupant ejection (up 20%)
• Uunrestrained occupants of passenger vehicles (up 15%)
• Speed-related crashes (up 11%)
• On urban interstates (up 15%)
• On urban local/collector roads (up 12%)
• On rural local/collector roads (up 11%)
• During nighttime (up 11%)
• During the weekend (up 9%)
• In rollover crashes (up 9%)
• In single-vehicle crashes (up 9%)
• In alcohol involved crashes (up 9%)

Among other notable truck wreck cases, our Texas Car Wreck Attorneys recovered $8,750,000 from a large trucking company which was responsible for the deaths of a 67-year-old and a 19-year-old who were from Mexico.

If you were injured in a car accident or a loved one was tragically killed by a negligent trucker, distracted driver, or drunk driver it is important that you contact the experienced Texas Car Accident Attorneys who can advise you of your rights and help you seek the financial compensation you may deserve.

If You Were Injured In A Car Wreck Call the Texas Car Accident Attorneys of Miller Weisbrod, Attorneys At Law at 214.987.0005

Read More

Have you been injured in a sideswipe accident with an 18-Wheeler?

Semi-trucks are huge vehicles that can weight upwards of 80,000 lbs. Because of this, accidents involving 18-wheelers tend to be catastrophic, often resulting in severe injuries or even wrongful death. 18-wheelers are a common sight on Texas roads, but when a truck driver causes an accident due to negligence, do NOT expect the insurance company to treat you fairly.

Truck accident injury claims are defended vigorously. Insurance companies have gotten really good at shooting down or minimizing claims. Because of the high policy limits on commercial trucks, adjusters often go to great lengths to limit the value of your claim. They may claim that you should have done your part in ensuring that the trucker was aware of your presence, or they may call into question your driving record and pick out a ticket you received five years in order to show that you’re a bad driver.

As truck accident attorneys, we see these tactics used all the time. Even worse, we talk to many victims who were strung along by the insurance company only to find out several months later that their claim has been denied. Unfortunately, by the time these people reach out to us, it’s often too late in the process for an attorney to help.

It is important to get in touch with an experienced truck accident law firm immediately if you’ve been injured in a truck accident. While property damage claims are usually pretty straight forward, the same cannot be said for an accident injury claim (especially those involving commercial trucks). There is no harm in having someone in your corner to advocate for your best interests and navigate the claims process, and it costs you nothing out of pocket to hire us.

18-Wheelers have massive blind spots

A blind spot is simply an area within a field of vision that cannot be seen by a driver due to the shape of the vehicle or the angle of the side mirrors. As a result, truck drivers are trained to approach highway off-ramps with care, and to change lanes only when it is absolutely certain the other lane is clear.

While we never recommend driving directly next to an 18-wheeler for an extended period of time, do not allow them to blame you (even partially) for their own act of negligence. Truck drivers are still governed by the same traffic laws as everyone else (FMCSA regulations), and you deserve to be fairly compensated.

Common sideswipe accident scenarios:

• Poor driver training can cause Dallas truck drivers to operate vehicles in a reckless manner
• Driver distraction is a huge cause of Dallas 18-wheeler accidents. This can be due to the truck driver messing with the radio controls, watching TV while driving, talking on the phone, and engaging in activities which take their attention away from the task at hand
• Tire blowouts happen every once in a while, and may be the result of inadequate maintenance, product liability, or due to a mismatched tire
• Driver intoxication is another common cause of sideswipe accidents in Dallas, including drivers impaired by alcohol, stimulants, pain killers, or illegal narcotics

Sideswipe crashes can be dangerous because they can result in underride accidents, rollovers, and jackknifing. Passenger vehicles involved in sideswipes are often pushed off the road or into incoming traffic.

Contact us today!
If you were hurt or a loved one was severely injured or died in a trucking accident, immediate investigation and concerted legal action may be necessary to protect your right to seek maximum recovery. Contact us today for a free consultation.

At Miller Weisbrod, our clients are not statistics — they are real people in need of representation to defend their rights. Our truck accident attorneys are prepared to take on even the biggest trucking companies and commercial transportation operations across the United States. For more information, contact our offices in Dallas at 214.987.0005 to schedule an appointment.

Read More

Exploring the other "Why" in Trucking Accidents: Trucker Health Issues

Last month, we focused on lack of sleep and fatigue leading to an impaired truck driver on the road. While fatigue is probably the leading cause of impairment in commercial truck drivers, untreated or unmanaged health issues can also lead to a dangerously impaired driver behind the wheel of an 80,000 lb. tractor-trailer. Health issues have long been a concern of the trucking industry. As a result of the sedentary nature of the job, many truck drivers have serious and chronic health conditions that can affect their ability to operate a commercial vehicle, especially if the conditions are not properly treated or managed. When investigating the “Why” of an 18-wheeler case do not forget to explore the possibility of health issues as one of the reasons of why a wreck occurred. Some of the common health conditions that can lead to an impaired driver include: Untreated sleep apnea—leading to a fatigued driver Uncontrolled diabetes—leading to a driver with altered mental status Mismanaged high blood pressure—leading to a variety of issues including syncope (blacking out) Lung or cardiac conditions—that can lead to a multitude of medical emergencies that can cause a wreck The trucking industry has recognized sleep apnea as a pervasive condition throughout the industry that has contributed to an increased number of fatigued drivers on the road. There have been numerous studies about the effects of untreated sleep apnea on truck drivers and how this condition can lead to inadequate sleep. Make sure to inquire about not only pre-incident diagnosis and treatment, but post-incident diagnosis as well. We have found many times a wreck has led the driver (or even the company) to finally react to the previous signs of sleep apnea. When exploring other chronic conditions as a causative factor of a wreck, consider subpoenaing the pharmacy records of the driver to see if they were filling prescriptions for medications necessary to control the condition. We have seen over and over, large gaps in the filling of blood pressure, diabetes and other medications for medical conditions that provide strong evidence of an impaired truck driver. If it is possible to obtain a TRO or other “hold” on the cab of the truck, you may find a goldmine of evidence. We have found expired prescription bottles, prescriptions for conditions never disclosed before and other important evidence to aid in the proof of an impaired driver. Obtaining medical records of a truck driver you suspect of being impaired by a medical condition is paramount. Many times this requires the use of an out of state subpoena which can be time and labor-intensive, but the results are often critical. The records may show the truck driver was warned of their condition and ignored the warning or recommendations for the treatment/management of the condition. Below is clip from a case where we discovered the driver had been warned about having the symptoms of a serious cardiac/lung condition but failed to follow up with diagnostic testing and later “blacked out” while on the road but tried to blame the event on a coughing fit. Miller Weisbrod handles tractor-trailer accidents resulting in serious injury and death all across Texas and the United States. We would welcome the opportunity to put our experience and resources to work for you and your clients through a variety of arrangements including referrals or joint ventures.    Follow us on Facebook Forward to a Friend     Les Weisbrod & Clay Miller   Miller Weisbrod is now reviewing and filing Xarelto cases.  If you know someone that has been hospitalized for any period of time due to a bleeding event while on Xarelto, please contact us for a consultation. For more information  click here.   View a List of Our Million Dollar Results   Dallas Office (Main) 11551 Forest Central Drive Suite 300 Dallas, TX 75243 Map and Directions Houston Office   6200 Gulf Freeway Suite 410 Houston, TX 77023 Map and Directions Austin Office 5407 N. IH 35, Ste 304 Austin, TX 78723 Map and Directions Contact Information Toll Free: 1.888.987.0005 Local: 214.987.0005 Fax: 214.987.2545   Learn about our firm's birth injury practice here: www.birthinjurynews.com   Learn about our firm's commercial trucking practice here: www.18wheelerlaw.com   Learn about our firm's defective drug/medical device practice here: www.badpharmalawyer.com   share on Facebook | forward to a friend  Copyright © 2017, Miller Weisbrod LLP, All rights reserved.    unsubscribe from this list | update subscription preferences

Read More

Serious Injuries From Commercial Truck Accidents

There are an estimated 500,000 truck accidents in the U.S. each year. The injuries associated with truck accidents are often serious.

An accident between a car and a truck is quite dangerous and can result in serious injuries. Most often it is the occupants of the car which bear the brunt of the accident and get severely or fatally injured. These injuries can be life altering for the victim and even simple day to day tasks can become extremely difficult. Some of the common bodily injuries sustained by truck accident victims are listed below:

Traumatic Brain Injuries
These injuries occur when an individual’s head hits an object with great force. The traumatic brain injuries are of a closed-head kind with the skull and the dura matter remaining intact. The data of car accidents collected over the years indicates that brain related injuries are a leading cause of death of children who are less than four years old. In case the brain injury is non-fatal, toddlers and young children can still be severely affected with some physical or cognitive disability showing up in future.

Coma
A coma can result from various conditions or events, like traumatic head injury, intoxication, central nervous system disorders, abnormalities in metabolism, etc. The majority of coma cases are drug-related and the second largest cause of coma is the reduced supply of oxygen to the brain. The reduced oxygen supply to the brain can result from serious cardio-pulmonary conditions like a heart attack which can be caused by a serious truck accident.

Organ Damage
Damage to internal organs can result from high speed impacts in traffic accidents especially involving cars and trucks. Any type of organ damage injury requires immediate medical attention. One of the most common organ’s that gets injured is the spleen. A person’s spleen is located in the upper-left region of the abdomen and is a critical organ which filters the blood and removes damaged blood cells and platelets.

Hemorrhage
This condition is commonly referred to as internal bleeding and is caused when there is a loss of blood from the vascular system into the internal cavity. A hemorrhage is generally caused by blunt force trauma which can happen when a car suddenly decelerates post colliding with a truck or other large vehicle. A hemorrhage is a serious condition which can easily become life threatening whenever there is heavy blood loss. The stomach, lungs and brain are commonly affected by hemorrhaging in high speed car accidents with large vehicles. The internal hemorrhage can cause a catastrophic heart-attack in the victim which can sometimes be fatal.

Compound Fractures
A fracture in which the bone pierces the skin causing extreme pain and bleeding is termed a compound fracture. A compound fracture is a serious condition as the protruding bone can easily become infected causing further complications. The severity of damage and the angle of the broken bone determine the further course of treatment. Usually the fractured bone can be set right by a physician.

Amputation
The impact of a vehicle crash can be so severe that a victim’s limb may get severed.

Contact Miller Weisbrod
Many of these injuries require expensive medical procedures and multiple surgeries to correct — if they can be corrected at all — and add financial stress to an already emotionally stressful situation. More often than not, however, these injuries result in permanent damage, leaving families with lifelong medical expenses and the realities of living with permanent disability or caring for a person with disabilities.

We represent truck accident victims and their families on a contingency fee basis. We don't get paid until we obtain a financial settlement or jury award for our clients. For more information, contact our offices at 214.987.0005 to speak with our experienced Dallas trucking accident attorneys.

If you are seeking legal advice and experienced representation in a trucking accident case, please call us toll free at 888.987.0005.

Read More