Undefeated Texas Truck Accident Lawyers
While overall traffic accident deaths fell slightly in 2022, final statistics compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) indicate that fatal crashes involving 18-wheelers and other large commercial trucks reached record levels for another consecutive year.
Large Truck Accident Deaths Up 75% Since 2009
According to the NHTSA’s latest Traffic Safety Facts report, 42,514 people lost their lives on the nation’s roads and highways in 2022, a 1.7 percent decrease from the prior year. The number of people injured in connection with roadway accidents also fell by 4.6 percent that year to 2.38 million.
However, during the same 12-month period, a record 5,936 people, including truck drivers, died as a result of truck and 18-wheeler accidents – a 2 percent increase compared to 2021 and a 75 percent jump since 2009. More than 160,000 people suffered injuries as a result of large truck crashes, an increase of 3.7 percent over the prior year. The overwhelming majority of large truck accident fatalities – 97 percent – involved the occupants of smaller passenger vehicles.
The NHTSA report also revealed that:
- Large-truck occupant fatalities in single-vehicle crashes were up 5 percent from 2021
- Large-truck occupant fatalities in multi-vehicle crashes rose 13 percent increase from 2021
- Occupants of other vehicles killed fell by just 0.2 percent from 2021
- Nonoccupants killed increased by 6 percent from 2021
- Large-truck occupants injured in single-vehicle crashes increased by 24 percent from 2021.
- Large-truck occupants injured in multi-vehicle crashes fell 13 percent from 2021
- Occupants of other vehicles who were injured increased by 4.9 percent from 2021
- Nonoccupants injured increased by 24 percent increase from 2021
Texas Led the U.S. in Fatal Truck and 18-Wheeler Accidents
The Lone Star State has sadly led the nation in trucking-related deaths every year since 2017, and 2022 was no exception. That year, 18-wheelers, semi-trucks, and other commercial vehicles were involved in more than 38,621 crashes along Texas’s roads and highways, including 612 fatal collisions that claimed the lives of 716 people.
While Harris County logged the highest number of large truck accidents overall, with 6,203, Dallas County took the lead in fatal wrecks, with 52 crashes that resulted in 53 deaths. Harris County ranked second, with 47 fatal truck and 18-wheeler accidents and 48 deaths.
Three other Texas counties recorded more than 1,000 trucking-related crashes last year:
- Bexar County: 2,250 truck accidents, including 20 fatal crashes and 22 deaths.
- Tarrant County: 2,120 truck accidents, including 12 fatal crashes and 13 deaths.
- El Paso County: 1,1019 accidents, including 8 fatal crashes and 9 deaths.
Texas’s five major energy regions accounted for more than 25 percent of the fatal truck accidents reported in the Lone Star State in 2022:
- Barnett Shale: 20,776 traffic crashes resulted in 280 fatalities and 1,036 serious injuries.
- Eagle Ford Shale: 13,711 traffic crashes resulted in 186 fatalities and 590 serious injuries.
- Anadarko Basin: 635 traffic crashes resulted in 4 fatalities and 32 serious injuries.
- Haynesville/Bossier Shale: 17,594 traffic crashes resulted in 208 fatalities and 948 serious injuries.
- Permian Basin: 26,031 traffic crashes resulted in 394 fatalities and 889 serious injuries.
Hurt in a Truck or 18-Wheeler Accident? Here’s What You Need to Know.
If you were hurt or lost a loved one to a reckless truck driver or negligent trucking company, you might expect the company and its insurer to step up, take responsibility, and cover the medical bills, lost wages, and other damages incurred due to the crash. Unfortunately, that rarely, if ever, happens, even when the trucking company and its driver are clearly at fault.
In our experience, having successfully represented thousands of truck and 18-wheeler accident victims across Texas and throughout the United States, the trucking company and its insurer have only one objective: to pay accident victims as little as possible. And they’ll do almost anything to achieve that goal, even if that means “losing” or destroying driver logs, maintenance records, and other critical evidence proving they and their driver were to blame.
That’s why it’s so crucial that you act quickly to protect your rights and your family’s future in the aftermath of a commercial truck accident:
- Call the Authorities: Even if the accident seems minor and you don’t believe you were injured, it’s best to call 911 and have the police or highway patrol come to the scene. In doing so, you’ll ensure that an official report documenting the accident is available should you choose to take legal action against the trucking company or other responsible parties.
- Gather Information: Obtain names and contact information from the truck driver and anyone else who was involved in or witnessed the crash. You’ll also want to record the truck’s license plate number and DOT number, the trucking company’s name and contact information, the trucker’s CDL number, and the license numbers of any other vehicles involved.
- Document the Scene: If conditions are safe, take pictures or videos of the crash scene, including vehicle damage, road conditions, and any relevant traffic signs or signals.
- Seek Medical Treatment: As a precaution and to ensure any injuries you suffered are fully documented, you’ll want to get checked out at the ER or urgent care. Not all injuries are apparent immediately after a crash, so no matter how good you might feel, you need to be seen by a medical professional.
- Don’t Speak with the Trucking Company’s Insurance Adjuster: Speaking with the trucking company’s claims adjuster, giving a recorded statement, or signing anything could prevent you from ever obtaining compensation for all of your injuries and losses.
- Follow Medical Advice: If you were hurt, follow your doctor’s orders and keep records of all medical bills and treatments related to the accident. Adhering to your treatment plan not only helps ensure your physical recovery but also denies the insurance company an opportunity to cast doubt on the seriousness of your injuries.
Finally, under no circumstances should you ever attempt to negotiate with the trucking company and its insurer on your own. To avoid making a mistake that could ultimately cost you tens of thousands of dollars in compensation, it’s in your best interest to hire an experienced truck accident attorney with a proven history of success against the largest truck and transportation companies in the country.
Contact Our Undefeated Texas Truck Accident Lawyers for a Free Consult At 1-888-603-3636
Our Texas Truck Accident Lawyers aren’t just undefeated – they’ve won Billions and consistently recover record-breaking verdicts and settlements for the victims of negligent trucking companies and reckless commercial drivers.
If you or a loved one were hurt in a truck or 18-wheeler crash, please call 1-888-603-3636 or Click Here to send us a confidential email via our “Contact Us” form.
All consultations are free, and because we only represent clients on a contingency-fee basis, you’ll pay nothing unless we win your case.