Texas Accident & Injury News
Are there more 18-wheelers on the road recently?
Head-on Collision With Freightliner Truck Leaves Driver Dead, Passenger Critically Injured
According to a KSAT News report, a deadly head-on collision took place in Seguin yesterday morning.
Police reported the accident happened at around 7:52 a.m. Monday, March 10th, in the 1600 block of State Highway 46 in Seguin. A Ford F-150 collided head-on with a Freightliner truck for unknown reasons, causing the Freightliner to burst into flames. The driver of the pickup, Joshua Green (26), was killed. His passenger, Matthew Payton (25), was hospitalized with critical injuries. The driver of the Freightliner truck was also taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The investigation into the cause of the crash is ongoing. No other injuries were reported.
Did You Know?
Harris County had the most CMV accidents in Texas in 2023, with 6,113 total crashes.
Are There More 18-Wheeler Accidents in Recent Years?
No, you’re not imagining it. There are more 18-wheelers on Texas roads than there were before the pandemic. A lot more.
Since 2020, e-commerce has spiked, causing an increase in goods transported by freight. From 2020 to 2021, truck accidents increased by 26% nationwide. Texas has more 18-wheeler traffic than any other State, so it’s not surprising that we see the most 18-wheeler accidents.
However, even though 18-wheeler accident rates have been nationally increasing, Texas has seen a slight but steady decline from the spike in 2021. The FMCSA reported that for all large truck types of all carriers (Mexico and Canada included) in Texas, accident trends are as follows:
- 2021 — 21,559 total crashes,
- 2022 — 19,781 total crashes,
- 2023 — 19,780 total crashes,
- 2024 — 18,894 total crashes.
Just because accident rates are slightly declining across the State doesn’t mean that 18-wheelers don’t pose a major threat to passenger vehicles. In those 4 years alone, 3,262 people died, and 45,548 people were injured in accidents involving at least one large commercial vehicle (excluding buses) in Texas.
Why Do 18-Wheeler Accidents Happen?
A 2023 study by Forbes Advisor analyzed truck accident trends and found that the most common causes of truck accidents were:
- Bad Weather Conditions — 13% of all truck accidents involved bad weather conditions like rain, fog, high winds, and winter weather.
- Speeding — 7.3% of all fatal truck accidents in 2020 were caused by speeding.
- Driver Inattention — Distracted driving of any kind caused 5.2% of all fatal truck accidents.
- Drunk Driving — 6.7% of all truck accidents were caused by a drunk or alcohol-impaired trucker.
While most accidents nationwide only result in property damage, a significant amount of people are injured and killed in trucking accidents. If not fatal, accidents between a passenger vehicle and an 18-wheeler (or other large truck) often end in more severe injuries for the occupants of the passenger vehicle than in a normal accident.
Common Injuries in 18-Wheeler Accidents
70% of fatalities in truck accidents are passenger vehicle occupants, who also represent 73% of truck accident injuries. Injury severity ranges greatly, but common injuries include things like:
- Spinal Cord Injuries
- TBI
- Fractures
- Neck Injuries
- Lacerations
- Burn Injuries
- Concussions
- Internal Injuries
- Back Injuries
- And Soft Tissue Damage
If you’re injured or lose a loved one in an 18-wheeler accident that wasn’t your fault, Texas law demands you be fairly compensated. However, when facing a large commercial company, you will rarely be treated fairly. That’s why it is recommended that you seek the help of an 18-wheeler accident attorney if you’re hurt in a trucking accident that wasn’t your fault.
Injured in an 18-Wheeler Accident in Texas? Call Shaw!
If you were hurt or lost a loved one in an 18-wheeler accident that wasn’t your fault, you could be entitled to compensation for things like:
- Ambulance Costs,
- ER Treatment,
- Surgeries,
- Pain and Suffering,
- Disfigurement,
- Disability,
- Missed Work,
- Loss of Earning Capacity,
- Trauma/PTSD,
- Wrongful Death,
- And More.
We’ll help you find out if you have legal grounds for a claim for free.
Call Shaw at 800-862-1260 to schedule a free case evaluation with an experienced 18-wheeler accident attorney. There are no fees and no obligations attached–just the expert legal advice you need. Carabin Shaw has been a trusted name in San Antonio and across Texas for over 32 years because we put our clients first. We look forward to serving you.