I-10 Closed Due to Big Rig Accident

Houston truck accident attorneys know what havoc an 18-wheeler accident car wreak on local and area traffic, so we wanted to inform the public of a big-rig accident that is currently affecting traffic in the Columbus area on the westbound Interstate 10.

According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, all of the westbound lanes of the I-10 are closed due to an accident involving an 18-wheeler truck. According to local authorities, the truck ran off the freeway and crashed into nearby railroad tracks early this morning. The driver was critically injured, and the cause for the accident is currently unknown.

No other vehicles were involved in the accident, and the incident is still under investigation by local authorities. The westbound lanes of the freeway have been closed since 5 a.m., shortly after the accident took place. Traffic is slow in the eastbound lanes due to gapers, and traffic behind the I-10 closure is backed up for at least a mile. The westbound lanes are likely to remain closed for several more hours while the accident is cleared away and investigated.

Accidents involving big rigs often affect and involve other motor vehicles on the road, due to the length and sheer size of the 18-wheeler trucks. Often large trucks like this cannot help but involve other vehicles once they lose control of such a large truck. Houston truck accident attorneys are relieved that no other cars were involved in this incident and that no other injuries other than the drivers own have been reported as a result of this incident. The early morning hour at which the accident occurred may be the blessing that saved other cars from getting caught up in the incident—because the roads were not yet busy with morning commuters.

If you or someone you know has been injured as the result of a truck accident, call Houston truck accident attorney Joe Stephens today at 713.224.0000 for a free consultation. Joe Stephens is a Houston injury attorney who has been serving the Houston and South Texas communities for over 26 years. Call Joe Stephens today to get the help and advice you need, or fill out a contact form online and a member of The Stephens Law Firm staff will contact you within 24 hours to schedule your free consultation.

Overturned Semi Closes Highway 59

Houston truck accident attorneys have been surprised by the number of big-rig accidents this week. Accidents involving 18-wheelers do happen from time to time, but it seems that there has been a sudden influx of accidents this week in the Houston area.

The third big-rig accident this week in the Houston area occurred Wednesday afternoon, and shut down the Southwest Freeway for at least 6 hours, halting traffic and making a general mess of the area.

An 18-wheeler unexpectedly overturned at about 10:30 a.m. in the southbound lane of the freeway, just past the I-45 exit. It is unclear what caused the driver to lose control of the truck, causing it to overturn, but it caused all lanes of the Southwest Freeway to be closed for about 6 hours. Luckily, there were no subsequent accidents or injuries as a result of the big-rig accident and closed freeway lanes.

Houston truck accident lawyers are relieved that despite the increase in big-rig accidents this week, there have been no fatalities and only one injury. When an 18-wheeler is involved in an accident, the possibility of causing subsequent accidents is great. Because of the sheer size and weight of a big rig (the average big rig is 70-80 feet long) the potential for ensnaring other vehicles into an accident is much higher than if a car or SUV loses control and overturns in the middle of a highway. In this case, despite traffic being unbearable for several hours while the overturned truck was removed, it is very fortunate that there were no subsequent accidents or injuries as a result of the big-rig accident.

If you or someone you know has been injured in a truck accident, call Houston truck accident attorney Joe Stephens today at 713.224.0000 for a free consultation. Joe Stephens is a Houston injury attorney with over 26 years of experience service the Houston and South Texas communities. Joe Stephens will expertly handle every aspect of your case on both a personal and professional level. You may also fill out a contact form online and a member of The Stephens Law Firm staff will contact you within 24 hours to schedule your free consultation. Contact Joe Stephens today to get the help and advice that you need.

Driver Injured After Running Under 18-Wheeler

Houston truck accident lawyers know that accidents frequently happen in a merge situation. When two vehicles are merging into one lane, it is easy to get distracted and lost sight of other vehicles in your path.

Early this morning, a woman was critically injured after her car ran underneath the end of an 18-wheeler truck. The accident happened at about 2:30 a.m. on the I-10 eastbound feeder at Sawyer. According to Houston police, the big rig driver was approaching a red light at Sawyer just as the woman was exiting the vehicle.

She was driving a PT Cruiser, which slammed into the back of the big-rig and became wedged underneath the flatbed of the truck. She apparently did not see the truck approaching the red light and couldn’t stop in time.

The woman, whose identity has not yet been released was taken to the nearby Ben Taub hospital and reported to be in critical condition. It is unknown whether the woman was driving under the influence of alcohol, as is often the case in late night crashes, but initial reports seem to indicate that the woman just didn’t see the truck.

Houston truck accident attorneys would like to caution drivers to always use caution when driving- even late at night when you think there aren’t many vehicles on the road. Truck drivers particularly log late hours and are often on the road late at night. Accidents that involve cars running into trucks are particularly damaging to the cars and drivers of the cars because of the sheer size and weight of big-rig trucks. Always use caution when driving, even if you think the roads are empty—an unexpected vehicle can always appear, and if you are not prepared for it, critical circumstances can occur.

If you or someone you know has been injured in a car or truck accident, call Houston truck accident lawyer Joe Stephens today at 713.224.0000 for a free consultation. Joe Stephens is a Houston injury attorney who is also a Houston car accident attorney, with over 26 years of experience serving the South Texas community. He will expertly handle every aspect of your case on both a professional and a personal level. You may also fill out a contact form online and a member of The Stephens Law Firm will contact you within 24 hours to schedule your free consultation. Contact Joe Stephens today to get the advice and help you need.

Big Rig Accident Shuts Down I-45 at Airline

Houston truck accident attorneys have seen a lot of bizarre accidents over the years, but even they were surprised by the strange events that took place Tuesday on I-45 at Airline. All the lanes in both directions of the I-45 were shut down for hours as cleanup took place to remove a big-rig gravel truck and repair a damaged sign.

At about 5 p.m. on Tuesday evening, at the height of rush hour traffic, the trailer of a gravel dump truck became lodged and stuck on an overhead freeway sign. The driver of the truck said that the hydraulic lift must have been activated, and he didn’t realize it until the trailer collided with the freeway sign.

It took accident crews about 4 hours to remove the big-rig from the freeway, and it was hauled off at about 9 p.m. The I-45 however had to remain closed overnight since the exit sign that the gravel truck crashed into was damaged. The sign had to be removed because safety crews were concerned that the sign was in a precarious state after the crash, and had the potential to fall onto the freeway.

The entire structure that holds the freeway sign was expected to be removed overnight, and the freeway lanes were slated to be open Wednesday morning in time for rush hour traffic. The Truck Enforcement division of the Houston Police Department is investigating the incident and the gravel truck driver may be held responsible for the cost of the freeway repairs.

Houston truck accident lawyers are relieved that despite the mess this incident caused, that there were no injures. The incident caused hours-long traffic snares, which was frustrating to Houston drivers, but it is fortunate that despite the traffic delays, there were no subsequent accidents, and no one was hurt.

If you or someone you know has been injured in a truck accident, call Houston truck accident lawyer Joe Stephens today at 713.224.0000 for a free consultation. Joe Stephens is an experienced Houston injury lawyer with over 26 years of service to the Houston and South Texas communities. You may also fill out a contact form online and a member of The Stephens Law Firm will contact you within 24 hours to schedule your free consultation. Call Joe Stephens today to get the help and advice that you need. 

18-Wheeler Crash Kills 2 In Walker County

Houston truck accident attorneys know that when a large truck or 18-wheelers are involved in an accident, the results are usually catastrophic and often fatal. Because of their enormous size and corresponding weight, if an 18-wheeler collides with a car, the car is often obliterated, causing devastating fatalities.

In Walker county on Wednesday, two people were killed in an accident involving an 18-wheeler truck. The accident occurred at about 3:30 p.m. on Interstate 45 South between Madisonville and Huntsville. The two people involved in the accident died at the scene, almost immediately. The Texas Department of Public Safety is still investigating the accident, and has released very little information about the incident.

There are some facts about 18-wheeler trucks that Houston truck accident attorneys think it is important to understand to be able to comprehend why accidents involving these trucks are usually so detrimental. The average weight of an 18-wheeler truck is 40 tons, or about 80,000 lbs, and this is without cargo. Depending on how much and what type of cargo the truck is hauling, the weight can increase greatly.

18-wheeler trucks are usually about 70-80 feet long, taking up much more space than an average car, truck or SUV. This means when an 18-wheeler is involved in an accident, it has the capacity to crash into several vehicles at once because of its length.

Because of their enormous weight, 18-wheelers take much longer to stop than an ordinary motor vehicle—about 40% longer than an average car or pickup truck. All of these factors combine to make accidents involving 18-wheelers much more dangerous than other motor vehicle accidents. When driving near an 18-wheeler, drivers are cautioned to keep these statistics in mind, and give the big rig drivers more space. This way, if an accident does occur or an 18-wheeler has to stop suddenly, it will have the time and the space to do so, helping to cut down on the risk of involving other vehicles on the road in an accident.

If you or someone you know has been injured in a truck or 18-wheeler accident, call Houston truck accident lawyer Joe Stephens today at 712.224.0000 for a free consultation. Joe Stephens is a Houston injury attorney with over 26 years of experience serving the Houston and South Texas communities. He will expertly handle every aspect of your case on both a professional and a personal level. Alternatively, fill out a contact form online and a member of The Stephens Law Firm staff will contact you within 24 hours to schedule your free consultation. Call Joe Stephens today to get the help and advice that you need.