Fireball Collision on Interstate 45
Few details were available after a box truck and a pickup truck collided on Interstate 45, seriously injuring one person.
Several northbound lanes were shut down at Spring Stuebner while the crash was investigated. According to the Spring Fire Department, the collision between the van and the box truck sparked a fire, and the driver of the van was trapped in the vehicle. Spring Fire Engine 71 and Rescue 71 put out the fire. They then used the Jaws of Life to free the driver.
The driver’s condition is not known at this time.
Duty of Care in Car Crash Cases
Freeway collisions often have evidence issues, at least initially. Most freeway car crash witnesses don’t pull over and wait, sometimes for several hours, to speak with a police officer. If evidence is the puzzle, as outlined below, then the legal duty of care is the picture on the puzzle box that shows a Sugar Land car accident lawyer how to put the pieces together.
Generally, most noncommercial drivers in Texas, like pickup truck drivers, have a duty of reasonable care.
Basically, this legal responsibility is reactive. These motorists must avoid accidents whenever possible. This burden means they must be at their best when they get behind the wheel. They must be well-rested and sober. Furthermore, as they drive, these motorists must obey all the written and unwritten rules of the road.
Box truck drivers and other commercial operators, since they’re professional drivers, usually have a duty of utmost care in Texas.
Essentially, the duty of utmost care is proactive. In addition to the above responsibilities (non-impaired and defensive driving), commercial drivers must proactively avoid accidents.
Driving in bad weather is a good example. The duty of reasonable care requires drivers to slow down and use extra caution during such events. The duty of utmost care arguably requires drivers to stay home until the bad weather improves.
The higher duty of care makes it easier for a Missouri City personal injury lawyer to prove negligence, or a lack of care.
Vehicle Collision Evidence
If little evidence is initially available, attorneys often use electronic evidence, such as a vehicle’s Event Data Recorder, to fill in the gaps.
EDRs resemble the black box flight data recorders in commercial jets. Aviation investigators use a black box to determine cause, and attorneys use EDR information to determine legal liability. Capacity varies by make and model, but most EDRs measure and record data like:
- Vehicle speed,
- Engine RPM,
- Steering angle,
- Brake application, and
- Turn signal use.
We mentioned a jigsaw puzzle above. Individually, puzzle pieces like speed and RPM mean nothing. But a skilled lawyer, often working in partnership with an accident reconstruction engineer, knows how to put these pieces together.
An EDR could make the difference between maximum compensation and settling for less. However, attorneys must act quickly to prevent insurance companies from “accidentally” destroying these black boxes.
Moreover, an attorney must have the proper tools and skills to tap into these complex devices. A laptop, USB cable, and screwdriver are insufficient.
Compensation in a car crash case usually includes money for economic losses, such as medical bills, and noneconomic losses, such as pain and suffering.
Connect With a Tenacious Harris County Attorney
Injury victims are entitled to significant compensation. For a free consultation with an experienced personal injury attorney in Missouri City, contact the Henrietta Ezeoke Law Firm. The sooner you reach out to us, the sooner we start working for you.
Source:
fox26houston.com/news/i-45-crash-in-spring-1-taken-to-hospital-after-fiery-wreck-lanes-closed
