NBC News has released a video of the tanker truck that caught fire after it crashed into a barrier on the Dallas North Tollway early on December 18, 2009. Click here to watch it.
The Department of Public Safety has not publicly released a report with its findings about the crash. Sadly, we do know that the 18 wheeler driver died in the crash. Fortunately, no other vehicles were involved in this collision.
This plainly shows how the public’s safety needs to be considered when dealing with the hazardous materials that so many 18 wheelers transport through the Metroplex and across the State of Texas every day.
Texas leads the nation in accidents involving 18 wheelers. According to a study by the National Transportation Safety Board study, 90% of the crashes involving 18 wheelers were attributed to driver error. In addition, a Texas Department of Transportation study showed that barring 18 wheelers from driving in the left lane resulted in a sharp reduction in the number of crashes involving 18 wheelers.
I have handled numerous cases involving 18 wheelers. I recently represented a man and his wife who were driving in a Ford Mustang when it was rear-ended by a fuel truck on I-35. Fortunately, the tank was empty, but the impact still nearly killed my both people. I negotiated a settlement of $5.5 Million dollars just before the case was set for trial in Johnson County.