It's the Prescription Drugs that Cause Truck Accidents

The more big rigs there are on the highways, the greater the chances for a sharp rise in 18-wheeler accidents.

Despite more and better training, trucking companies are still facing an increase in the number of accidents involving their vehicles. "The media used to be rife with reports about tired truckers losing control of their rigs and causing a massive fatal accident. It seems like these days that it’s not tired truckers that are the problem (although it still remains a crash factor), but prescription drugs," indicated Jack Zinda, a Texas Super Lawyer's Rising Star, a partner at the law firm of Heselmeyer Zinda PLLC, Austin.

Out of the roughly 141,000 big rig crashes a year, roughly 77,000 were directly attributable to the driver, and it wasn't just because they were asleep at the wheel either. The fact of the matter is that over 26% of the accidents were as a direct result of the use of prescription drugs, not use of over the counter drugs, although that ranked at 18%.

Other factors that figure into big rig crashes are speeding, which came in at 23%, not being familiar with the road travelled (22%), poor surveillance (14%), being over tired ranked at 13%, employing an illegal maneuver was 9%, an outside distraction at 8%, inadequate evasive action at 7% and aggressive driving (7%). So much for the folklore of the highways about truckers with road rage aiming their huge machines down the middle of the road and daring everyone to get out of their way, or else.

It may be just a small sinus congestion pill, but the results of taking it ended up causing a severe crash. "Driver education about mixing prescription drugs with long distance driving is critical," commented Zinda. It's up to the trucking industry to take that bull by the horns and ensure that all 18-wheeler drivers understand the ramifications of driving while under the influence of prescription drugs.

"While most truckers know and agree that they should not drive while under the influence of alcohol or an illegal drug, many seem to think that because the drug is prescribed, that makes it acceptable. It doesn't and the consequences may be worse than anything they expected," added Jack Zinda, Texas Super Lawyer's Rising Star, a partner at the firm of Heselmeyer Zinda PLLC, Austin.

To learn more visit Hzfirm.com.

Trucking Accident Destruction

Whenever there is a collision with a big rig, the results are usually devastating to all those involved. Those who live to tell the tale may have to deal with permanent disabilities for the rest of their lives.

Usually during the course of our lives the average person will witness at least one major accident involving a big rig. It's not a pretty sight and the debris from the accident is strewn up and down the highway as a silent testimonial to lost lives and injured victims. It's not hard to imagine the devastation these behemoths leave behind, considering many of them are travelling at speeds up to 80 miles an hour and they are unable to stop quickly.

Interstate highways are teeming with 18-wheelers, and have become as familiar as the landscape on the way to work. Trucking is an ongoing concern across the US thanks to the demand for various goods that need to be delivered by truck. "Getting those goods to their destination on time and on budget is the driving force behind most trucking companies, sometimes to the detriment of the driver, who must log more hours than legally allowed to meet his or her deadlines," outlined Jack Zinda, a Texas Super Lawyer's Rising Star, and a partner at the law firm of Heselmeyer Zinda PLLC, Austin.

When a collision occurs, the main question is "Who is liable?" Most would think the trucker is liable. In reality there are many people that may be liable. Many times in most lawsuits, other drivers are named as a responsible party because they were in control of a vehicle at the time of the crash. "It is also important to determine whether or not the truck driver was an employee, a private owner or driving for a company as an independent contractor. Each one of these situations makes a difference in determining who is liable for any injuries that result," explained Zinda.

If the trucker is an employee for a company, the company may ultimately be liable for the accident and its subsequent damages. "This is usually applicable if the driver had a load for a company at the time of the accident and was not driving the truck on his or her own free time," said Zinda.

The critical factor here is insurance. If the driver was determined to be driving for the company, his employer's policy will be typically be involved in any subsequent lawsuit. If the driver was driving on their own, they will likely have their own insurance policy that will pay any damages recovered.

"Large truck accidents are very challenging. Hiring a highly skilled attorney is crucial in order for a victim to obtain justice and compensation for their injuries," commented Jack Zinda, a Texas Super Lawyer's Rising Star, and a partner at the law firm of Heselmeyer Zinda PLLC, Austin.

To learn more visit Hzfirm.com.

Car Crash Stats Are Dismal

It's a fact. Car crash statistics are particularly dismal, with an estimated over 6 million collisions a year in America. Close to 3 million people sustain personal injuries as a result of these accidents.

Searching for car crash statistics on the Internet is depressing when you realize just how many Americans are hurt or killed annually. It's almost enough to make a person stop driving, but realistically this isn't going to happen any time soon. The estimated number of fatalities as a result of the 6 million crashes ranks somewhere near 40,000.

There seems to be a wide variety of reasons why the crash totals are so high across the nation, ranging from running a red light to speeding. Throw in a few other creative causes such as trying to program the GPS on the dashboard, sending an email from the driver's seat and checking the scores of the hottest football match on your cell phone. The consequences of this behavior are law enforcement having their hands full picking up the pieces from some very nasty accidents.

Most of the situations we just listed have one thing in common; lack of attention to road conditions. In large part, inattention plays a significant role in fatal crashes. There are a few other reasons for losing control of a vehicle that do not involve lack of attention, but inability to focus instead, even including driving while under the influence of a drug or alcohol.

One of the most frequently cited causes of collisions these days is talking on a cell phone while attempting to pilot a 3,500-pound machine through traffic. It just can't be done with any great degree of success and the consequences for that split second of inattention range from a fender bender to a fatality.

Political response to this issue has been to ban the use of cell phones while driving. This doesn't help solve some of the other problems such as peeking at a dashboard computer for the latest news update. While driver education remains a large part of reaching out to motorists, they have to ultimately be willing to accept responsibility for their driving.

A closer look at traffic accidents statistics shows that they are slotted into categories that refer to the part that hits another vehicle. E.g. head on collisions, being rear ended, side collisions and rollovers, etc. No matter how it happened, or what section of the vehicle sustained an impact, the fact is that someone will be badly hurt or killed.

If you or a loved one has been involved in a collision, speak to a highly qualified personal injury attorney who will advise you on your potential case. Ensure that any attorney you meet with has extensive expertise dealing with car crashes and knows how to obtain justice for injured clients.

Jack Zinda is an Austin personal injury lawyer. To learn more about Austin injury lawyer Jack Zinda visit Hzfirm.com.

The Intersection Conundrum

It appears that close to 45% of all car crashes tend to take place in or close to an intersection.

While you may think that if two cars collide, one of them is obviously at fault because they did not obey the rules of the road, many times there are other reasons involved. In other words, things are not always what they may look like on the surface. A good car crash attorney knows this and will spend time digging for the information they need to make a case for their client.

According to the Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration, collisions that happen at intersections are responsible for approximately 21% of the resulting fatalities. If these kinds of accidents were as straightforward as people think they are on the surface, there would be no need to hire a lawyer. Everyone would admit fault, discuss things rationally and get the case settled. Of course, too often this doesn’t happen in the real world.

Let's take a look at the other factors that often contribute to wrecks at intersections, which include possible road construction, poor driving conditions (ice, slush, etc.), perhaps traffic lights that didn't work properly, or a glitch in the timing sequences.

There are actually two methods to make the traffic lights work at an intersection. The older method is pre-timed or fixed to change after a set period of time. Vehicles in the intersection trigger these lights. Rather a hit and miss affair at times. The newer traffic lights are controlled by above and below ground sensors. Computers that calculate the flow of the traffic, the time of day and where certain vehicles are in the intersection, also monitor the sensors.

These are not the only things to factor into intersection collisions. Did you know that emergency vehicles might interrupt intersection light sequencing? Is the intersection properly designed? While you may think it odd, people who have driven the same route for years, often have an accident if the intersection they are used to is changed.

These are a just a few of the things a top notch personal injury lawyer will be asking when you discuss your case with him or her. Your attorney will also want to know if lights in other intersections close to where you had your accident were in good working order on that day. Faulty lights at one intersection may lead to problems at another. They will also closely question the police report of the accident and dig for witnesses for a potential court case. As you see, a "simple" accident might not be so simple after all.

Jack Zinda is an Austin personal injury lawyer. To learn more about Austin injury lawyer Jack Zinda visit Hzfirm.com.

The Intersection Conundrum

It appears that close to 45% of all car crashes tend to take place in or close to an intersection.

While you may think that if two cars collide, one of them is obviously at fault because they did not obey the rules of the road, many times there are other reasons involved. In other words, things are not always what they may look like on the surface. A good car crash attorney knows this and will spend time digging for the information they need to make a case for their client.

According to the Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration, collisions that happen at intersections are responsible for approximately 21% of the resulting fatalities. If these kinds of accidents were as straightforward as people think they are on the surface, there would be no need to hire a lawyer. Everyone would admit fault, discuss things rationally and get the case settled. Of course, too often this doesn’t happen in the real world.

Let's take a look at the other factors that often contribute to wrecks at intersections, which include possible road construction, poor driving conditions (ice, slush, etc.), perhaps traffic lights that didn't work properly, or a glitch in the timing sequences.

There are actually two methods to make the traffic lights work at an intersection. The older method is pre-timed or fixed to change after a set period of time. Vehicles in the intersection trigger these lights. Rather a hit and miss affair at times. The newer traffic lights are controlled by above and below ground sensors. Computers that calculate the flow of the traffic, the time of day and where certain vehicles are in the intersection, also monitor the sensors.

These are not the only things to factor into intersection collisions. Did you know that emergency vehicles might interrupt intersection light sequencing? Is the intersection properly designed? While you may think it odd, people who have driven the same route for years, often have an accident if the intersection they are used to is changed.

These are a just a few of the things a top notch personal injury lawyer will be asking when you discuss your case with him or her. Your attorney will also want to know if lights in other intersections close to where you had your accident were in good working order on that day. Faulty lights at one intersection may lead to problems at another. They will also closely question the police report of the accident and dig for witnesses for a potential court case. As you see, a "simple" accident might not be so simple after all.

Jack Zinda is an Austin personal injury lawyer. To learn more about Austin injury lawyer Jack Zinda visit Hzfirm.com.