Texas Cement Truck Accident Lawyer

Texas Cement Truck Accident Attorney

Have You Been Injured In a Cement Truck Accident In Texas?

Cement trucks, also known as concrete trucks, are easy to recognize. They consist of a truck in the front, and a frame with a large drum, which holds the concrete, on the back. There are blades in the drum to mix the concrete and prevent the cement from drying and becoming hard. Many of the drums also rotate for the same reason. It is important that the cement be constantly kept in motion so that when it arrives at the construction site it will be in a liquid state and ready to be poured.

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These trucks play an integral part of today’s construction industry, supplying much-needed cement to construction sites throughout Texas. However, when they are involved in an accident, the results are often catastrophic. If you have been involved in an accident with a cement truck, contact a Texas cement truck accident lawyer at the Merritt & Merritt Law Firm to find out how you can recover any compensation you may be owed.

Why Accidents Involving Cement Trucks Are So Dangerous

No accident is without its fair share of hazards, but accidents with cement trucks are more dangerous than most for several reasons. Our Texas cement truck accident lawyer explains.

Truck Concerns

A cement truck typically weighs somewhere between 20,000 to 30,000 pounds. When fully loaded with concrete, that total increases by an additional 40,000 pounds. Such a massive amount of weight can easily cause serious injuries when an accident occurs. Other reasons a cement truck is particularly dangerous include:

• No Zones: Cement trucks have unusually large blind spots located on all four sides of the truck. Inability to see a pedestrian or vehicle located in a blind spot contributes to the likelihood of the driver colliding into something that they are not aware of. Truck drivers can easily miss seeing any obstacle that is not in their direct line of vision. Blind spots make lane switching especially problematic.
• Manipulation: Due to the size and shape of a cement truck, they can be difficult to maneuver. Even a simple turn can require skill and precision that many cement truck drivers do not possess. A cement truck must also slow down to less than 12 miles per hour or risk the whole truck rolling over onto whoever or whatever is next to the cement truck. Finally, with such a large weight load, cement trucks are not able to quickly come to a complete stop.
• Center of Gravity: The center of gravity of a cement truck is very high, and unlike other large trucks, the load carried by a cement truck is intentionally shifting on a constant basis. This presents challenges to the driver of the cement truck, keeping them consistently on their guard, as a shifting center of gravity means the truck can easily become off balance, causing tipovers or rollovers. Sharp turns are not a possibility for cement trucks.

Firm Delivery Window

While most trucks carrying cargo are on a strict timeline for delivering their goods, ensuring they arrive on time is even more important for drivers of cement trucks. The reason is because of the nature of the cement that is being delivered. Cement must be shipped wet, and it must reach its destination in a certain amount of time or it will begin to harden and become unusable. Generally speaking, it is best if the cement is delivered within 60 minutes of being loaded, but by no means more than 90 minutes after being loaded. Having such a defined window in which their cargo must be delivered naturally encourages cement truck drivers to increase their speed to reach their destination in a timely manner.

Importance of Cement Truck Driver Training

Cement trucks are different from other large trucks, and any company that employs cement truck drivers should take the time to provide them with the training resources they need. Failure to do so can lead to the driver making an error that would not likely result in an accident in other types of trucks, but causes an accident with catastrophic injuries when made while driving a cement truck. For example, taking a turn at 17 mph may not cause a problem in a recreational vehicle (RV), but doing so in a cement truck will cause the truck to rollover. Whether or not a cement truck driver involved in an accident has been adequately trained is a matter for a Texas cement truck accident lawyer to investigate.

Determining Liability In Cement Truck Accidents in Texas

Determining liability in any accident can be difficult, but in accidents involving dump trucks, it can be even more problematic. In many cases, there will need to be an investigation conducted to determine the party that is at fault. A Texas cement truck accident lawyer will know what to look for in these cases. The attorney may:

• Speak with witnesses from the accident;
• Obtain copies of any documentation that will help determine fault, such as the police report;
• Hire experts in accident reconstruction;
• Investigate the driving record of the person driving the cement truck when the accident occurred;
• Determine the hiring practices of the company that owns the cement truck;
• Determine the insurance policies of the company that owns the cement truck;
• Investigate the cement truck that was in the accident, including its maintenance schedule and whether or not identical cement trucks have been involved in similar accidents;
• Investigate where the accident occurred, to find out if there were any factors that contributed to the accident, such as the design of the road.

An Experienced Texas Cement Truck Accident Lawyer Here For You

When you have been through a life-altering accident with a cement truck, or lost a loved one in a cement truck accident, you need a Texas cement truck accident lawyer that you know will be there for you. At the Merritt & Merritt Law Firm, we have a strong track record of helping injured people throughout the state of Texas. Contact us by calling 1-800-738-93946 or via our contact page to schedule a free consultation.